The best TV shows on Max Australia

Max has launched in Australia with an incredible back catalogue of must-see television. Travis Johnson picks the very best on offer.

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Banshee

A pre-The Boys Antony Starr stars as an ex-con who assumes the identity of a murdered sheriff, who takes on Ben Cross’ ruthless crime lord, while trying to win back his former lover (Ivana Miličević). Complication #1: she’s his enemy’s daughter. Complication #2: the whole thing takes place in Amish country, giving this gonzo crime drama a singular flavour.

Barry

Bill Hader’s magnum opus features the former SNL star as the eponymous alienated hitman, who gets a new lease on life when he stumbles across an arrogant failed actor (Henry Winkler) and decides to follow his muse. What starts as a black comedy eventually evolves into a bleak portrait of sociopathy, announcing Hader as a major behind-the-camera talent.

Carnivale

This apocalyptic Depression-era drama sees the final battle between good and evil being fought in the Dust Bowl, with Nick Stahl’s mysterious healer on one side, and Clancy Brown’s preacher on the other. Canceled before it could tell its tale, but worth watching for the sheer artistic ambition on display.

Chernobyl

This chilling five episode docudrama about the 1986 nuclear accident maps out, beat by methodical beat, how Soviet-era bureaucracy and political pragmatism exacerbated what was already an unparalleled disaster. Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgard head a top notch cast in an engrossing, downbeat modern classic.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Seinfeld co-creator Larry Davidd plays a fictional version of himself in this brittle and brilliant sitcom, in which he deals with all the slings and arrows of being a fabulously wealthy, aimless jerk in LA. One of the greatest comedies of all time, largely down to David’s fearless self-dissection.

Euphoria

This none-more-controversial teen drama follows the love and drug lives of various high schoolers, played by a who’s who of new hotness: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Maude Apatow, Angus Cloud, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, et al. Still a bit weird that Drake’s an executive producer.

I May Destroy You

Creator and star Michaela Cole is Arabella, a young and feted writer grappling with her own rape after a night out with friends. What unfolds is complicated portrait of modern relationships, as Arabella deals with the fallout from her experience. It’s uncomfortable viewing, but deft writing and insightful representation make this series essential.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark

A true crime documentary series that examines the crimes of the Golden State Killer. Based on the work of investigator Michelle McNamara, who sadly passed away unexpectedly before the murderer could be brought to justice, this is a cut above the rank and file true crime drama, eschewing sensationalism for empathy and insight.

The Last of Us

Arguably the best video game adaptation of all time, this relentlessly grim post-apocalyptic drama follows two survivors—smuggler Joel (Pedro Pascal) and teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey)—on a journey across a US ravaged by a plague of fungal zombies. Ellie is immune, which could lead to humanity’s survival and/or her death. There are many difficult moral quandaries on the way.

Paradise Lost

An exhaustive three-part investigative documentary of the West Memphis Three: alienated teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of the 1993 murder and mutilation of three young boys. Covering their trials, incarceration, and eventual freedom, this is a harrowing look at the failings of the US justice system and one of the best crime documentaries ever made.

The Pitt

This spiritual successor to ER sees Noah Wylie’s PTSD-addled veteran medico head up a team of newbies and students in the emergency department of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital, each episode covering one hour of a grueling 15 hour shift. Propulsive, multistrand drama is the order of the day in this superb medical series.

The Rehearsal

Comedic provocateur Nathan Fielder helps various people rehearse for an imminent difficult conversation, using elaborate sets, actors, and branching scenarios in order to (hopefully) control the outcome. Surprise! It never goes to plan, but in the process we dig deep into the human impulse to control the future. Uncomfortable and umnissable.

The Righteous Gemstones

Succession for god-botherers! The children of megachurch patriarch Eli Cash (John Goodman) vie for his favour, said children being played by series creator Danny McBride, Adamm Devine and Edi Patterson. A pitch-perfect satire that mercilessly skewers the venal world of American evangelism.

Silicon Valley

A savage satire of the tech industry by Mike Judge, which follows Thomas Middleditch’s startup founder as he tries to navigate the ruthless tech world with his soul intact. Expect avaricious angel investors, ruthless venture capitalists, and more.

Six Feet Under

Michael C. Hall and Peter Krause are bickering brothers who inherit the family funeral home from their late father, providing a perfect setting to examine life and death. With the spectre of death hovering over the whole show, Six Feet Under tackles big existential themes with skill and compassion.

The Sopranos

The late James Gandolfini’s low level mob boss seeks therapy from Lorriane Bracco’s shrink when the anxieties inherent in leading a life of violent crime begin to take their toll. From there unfolds one of the greatest series off all time—a meditation on power, identity, and family from creator David Chase.

Succession

Brian Cox’s ruthless media mogul is starting to lose it, leading his hyper-privileged adult kids to double down on their relentless jockeying for favour. It’s all awful people doing awful things, but deft writing and astute characterisation (mostly) save Succession from being a hate-watch.

Warrior

Loosely based an idea from martial arts legend Bruce Lee, this period actioner sees Andrew Koji kick his way through 1870s San Francisco’s underworld in search of his missing sister (Dianne Doan). Surprise! Shes heading up a criminal gang, and the Tong Wars are heating up. Think Deadwood with flying roundhouse kicks.

The White Lotus

Mike White’s acclaimed anthology series takes us to a different branch of the titular luxury resort chain every season, where various spoiled rich’uns contend with their own petty foibles and hypocrisies, inevitably leading to death. The series boasts an incredible cast each season, and revels in showing us the hollowness that underpins high society glamour.

The Wire

There are plenty of David Simon shows, but this is still the best. Co-created with ex-cop Ed Burns, this epochal police procedural starts out as a gritty, Baltimore-set cops ‘n’ crooks drama. Over the course of five seasons it widened its scope to become an epic look at a city in perpetual crisis.

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