Looking for a good show HBO Max this week, to wear after a long day at work? The legacy prestige service is definitely known for its iconic series of the past, but still has the mojo for new shows. Hacks, Pittand roosterand there will be more this month.
This week (May 3-10) I thought I’d mix it up with a list that includes a few current series and a few older shows (though not too old). We have drama, thriller, surfing, animation and nature. let’s go!
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Half a Man
The creator of Baby Reindeer does it again with this new drama
If you were a fan of Rochard Gadd’s dark stalker Netflix series Baby deerThe Emmy-winning Scottish actor, writer and comedian has moved to HBO Max with his latest dark drama. Half a Man. The limited series began airing weekly on April 30, and even in just two episodes, its twisted story of love, loyalty, toxic masculinity and obsession is already getting better.
Gadd is absolutely terrifying as the flighty Reuben, while Jamie Bell (Billy Elliott) is a more submissive Niall. Much of the story is told in flashbacks from childhood, detailing the origins of their deeply complicated, co-dependent relationship – Niall is a sensitive bookworm who gets bullied, and Reuben is an aggressive criminal who, whether he likes it or not, is Niall’s protector and watcher. Half a Man‘s six-episode run airs every Thursday until May 28.
Half a Man
- Release date
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April 23, 2026
- Network
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HBO, BBC One, BBC Scotland
- Directors
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Alexandra Brodsky
4
Euphoria
Zendaya and company are returning after four years
Even if you are new Euphoria and we are happy to have only season one (like me) or season 3 finally Here, after the show’s four-year hiatus, you’re in the chaos and intensity that the show is known for, either way. For those in the former camp, Euphoria is Sam Levinson’s controversial HBO drama. The drama follows Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a teenage drug addict who helps her recover, including Maddie (Alexa Demie), Cassie (Sidney Sweensier), and the madness of love and chaotic high school friends. (Maude Apatow) and Kat (Barbie Ferreira).
One of HBO’s most-watched series (and 9-time Emmy Award winner), Euphoria known for its often dreamy and surreal visual style and intense and revealing depictions of sex, drug use and identity. Buckle up for the third season, which begins on April 12 and sees the characters deal with the dark realities of adulthood five years after high school.
Big wave surfing’s greatest documentaries
I could watch surfing videos and shows all day. There is something so soothing and beautiful about the wash, the blue waves and white water barrels and splashes that you can’t get enough of. But when those waves approach the size of an apartment building and the crazy surfers who ride them can be wiped out in an instant, it gets a little tense.
That’s the thrill and horror of HBO’s excellent series 100 Foot Wavefollows the life and obsession of big-wave surfing legend Garrett McNamara and his quest to ride a 100-foot monster off the coast of Nazare, Portugal, which he helped turn into a global big-wave hotspot. Over the course of three seasons, we watch as McNamara struggles with the realities of aging and his waning dreams, all while balancing family life. Emmy winner sports series also walks alongside some of the greats of the sport such as Andrew “Cotty” Cotton, Justine Dupont, Kai Lenny and Lucas “Chumbo” Chianca. Don’t miss it, it’s great.
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Common side effects
Mushrooms as a magical cure and a great pharmaceutical conspiracy
This is incredible animation for adults Episodes from 2025 are hidden in plain sight as part of Adult Swim’s late-night block, which airs the following day on HBO Max. Common side effects comes from the creative mind behind one of my other favorite cartoons, Scavengers ruleand also shares a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The uniquely animated and spectacular series follows Marshall Cuso (voiced by Dave King) in the highlands of Peru who stumbles upon a magical “Blue Angel” mushroom that can cure almost anything. Marshall tells his old high school friend Frances (Emily Pendergast) about the mushroom and his plans to share it with the world, but Frances is torn because she also works for the big pharmaceutical company responsible for the mushroom’s existence. Common side effects is a cool looking animated series with a wild story full of conspiracy, shady players and fun.
1
Green Planet
Beautiful time-lapse images of the world’s most incredible plants
I always love to add nature documentaries to this list of recommendations, and as they go, it’s hard to get better than David Attenborough. If you love nature shows, you’re in for a mind-blowing feast for the eyes, as Attenborough explains. Green Planet‘five amazing episodes of the most incredible time-lapse video footage you’ll ever see.
Filmed over three years and in 27 countries, Green Planet provides a revealing look at some of the world’s most incredible plants and how they grow, survive and thrive. With episodes titled Tropical Realms, Water Worlds, Seasonal Realms, Desert Worlds and Human Realms, they get up close and personal with these incredible creatures – vines that wrap around things, Venus Fly Traps that catch flies, mushrooms that sprout in an instant, and helicopter seeds that circle the ground. The 2022 series currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is a great weeknight watch.
Whether you’ve got an hour to kill or a rainy weekend to disappear into, this HBO Max lineup has it. For more weekly picks, run roundups posted on How-To Geek Netflix, Prime Videoand Paramount+.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $10.99 per month
- Synchronous streams
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2 or 4
HBO Max is a subscription-based streaming service that offers content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC and more. In 2025, the service rebranded itself as HBO Max after previously dropping “HBO” from its name.
