“What’s it about?” Each tv suggestion has been met with these three phrases. With a lot nice TV, audiences wish to be sure that they’re investing their time (and cash) in a present that is value it. Is the premise related sufficient to one thing they already like, or is it simply out-there sufficient to intrigue them? Understandably, a well-known or simply understood premise can consolation the viewers and pre-assure them of what they’re stepping into. Nonetheless, an unique and surprising premise will be daring sufficient to arrest the viewers’s consideration and ship shocking twists and turns.

HBO, which has made a fame for delivering among the greatest tv exhibits lately, has usually embraced daring and daring premises. From comedic spins or reimaginations of boilerplate premises, the community has an enviable assortment of wonderful tv with fully out-there descriptions. Nonetheless, not all premises are efficiently executed and even from these which might be, not all are created equal. Right here, we rank the HBO exhibits with essentially the most unique premises primarily based on how attention-grabbing they’re and the way successfully the present paid off on its hook.

10 ‘The Comeback’ (2005–2014)

Created by Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King

In Lisa Kudrow‘s live-action return to tv after Associates, she joined forces with Intercourse and the Metropolis govt producer Michael Patrick King to create The Comeback. Initially meant as a satirical depiction of the tv business, the present turned, both deliberately or not, a prophetic and satirical take a look at the rise and prevalence of Actuality Tv. In an extremely underrated efficiency, Lisa Kudrow stars as Valerie Cherish, a washed-up sitcom actress approaching a possible profession comeback on a brand new community sitcom.

The primary season (which debuted earlier than the explosion of actuality TV) was offered in a discovered footage format, with the thought being that it was footage for the in-show actuality tv present Valerie agreed to star in. The second season, which premiered 9 years after the primary and after the dominance of actuality TV, can also be offered as discovered footage, however this time commissioned by Valerie as a part of a possible actuality tv pilot for Andy Cohen. Over the season, the footage morphs into behind-the-scenes internet content material and, ultimately, a documentary on her resurgence. Whereas skewering and satirizing the scripted and actuality tv industries, The Comeback additionally delicately engages with the concepts of growing older within the business, the connection between the skilled and the non-public, and far more.

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9 ‘In Remedy’ (2008–2021)

Created by Rodrigo Garcia

Primarily based on an Israeli sequence, BeTipul, In Remedy is the uncommon present that efficiently rebooted itself in lower than a decade and a half. The premise of each variations of each variations revolves round a psychotherapist’s weekly periods. The primary three seasons are led by Paul Weston (Gabriel Byrne). Each season follows Paul’s weekly scheduled periods, together with an end-of-the-week session along with his therapist — Dianne Wiest for the primary two seasons (in an Emmy-winning efficiency) and Amy Ryan for the third season. Uzo Aduba‘s Brooke Taylor leads the fourth season, which covers her scheduled periods and a weekly check-in together with her buddy and AA sponsor, Rita (Liza Colón-Zayas).

The present’s format supplies a extra intimate take a look at the psychological well being journeys of the affected person characters whereas additionally carrying the viewers alongside on their successes and failures. This strategy helped to offer a deeper understanding of the highs and lows of discuss remedy, versus the sanitized, easy-solution portrayals that had populated movie and tv. The added investigations of Paul and Brooke’s psychological well being and habit restoration helped to focus on the relatable infallibility of even skilled therapists.

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8 ‘Westworld’ (2016–2022)

Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Pleasure

Primarily based on Michael Crichton‘s function movie of the identical title, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Pleasure‘s Westworld is about in a futuristic Wild-West-themed amusement park. Within the park, people have free rein over the just about indistinguishable android inhabitants, with the androids unable to hurt any residing organism. Nonetheless, due to a latest replace, a number of of the androids start to realize sentience and, with that, the power to hurt human company. Whereas initially primarily based on Crichton’s movie, Westworld impressively expands on the 1973 movie’s premise.

Other than the apparent themes of synthetic intelligence and human autonomy, Westworld additionally interrogates themes alongside the strains of people’ propensity for violence, consciousness and the thought of the cut up thoughts, reminiscence, and, as is widespread for Nolan, the co-writer of Interstellar, the ability of familial love. As a result of its a number of storylines and huge ambitions, Westworld featured a powerful ensemble forged, together with two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, Oscar nominees Ed Harris and Jeffrey Wright, Evan Rachel Wooden, Emmy winner Thandiwe Newton, and lots of extra.

7 ‘Barry’ (2018–2023)

Created by Invoice Hader and Alec Berg

“What if a hitman stumbled into an appearing class…and stayed?” Invoice Hader and Alce Berf‘s HBO darkish comedy took the fundamental premise of “hitman joins an appearing class” and turned it into an examination of horrible folks and the character of evil whereas pertaining to themes of narcissism, PTSD and ambition. The truth that Barry might concurrently skewer the military-industrial advanced, the leisure business and the those that inhabit each industries stays an important testomony to its vary and the prime quality of its writing.

Shepherded by Invoice Hader, who directed 18 out of the present’s 32 episodes, the present by no means spared in its unrelenting examination of its roster of horrible and egocentric characters. Arguabky dropping the “comedy” angle because it went on, Barry shortly turned as harrowing and darkish as a few of its HBO contemporaries. With Emmy wins for Invoice Hader and Henry Winkler (for Finest Supporting Actor) and additional nominations for Finest Comedy Sequence, Finest Writing, Finest Directing and Appearing nominations for Sarah Goldberg and Anthony Carrigan, Barry is just not solely the most effective HBO exhibits, it is among the greatest in latest reminiscence!

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6 ‘Lovecraft Nation’ (2020)

Created by Misha Inexperienced

Govt Produced by Jordan Peele and J. J. Abrams, Misha Inexperienced‘s Lovecraft Nation was an adaptation and a continuation of Matt Ruff‘s novel of the identical title. The novel and the HBO adaptation use the works of infamous racist and white supremacist H.P. Lovecraft to dissect historic race relations in America and the racial themes of his horror writings. The HBO present adapts varied features of the novel’s eight interconnected tales to create a time-hopping, genre-bending ten-episode sequence.

Lovecraft Nation begins with Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), his childhood buddy, Letitia (Jurnee Smollett), and Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) on a highway journey throughout Fifties America to seek out his father. After discovering an historic occult secret society on the finish of the highway journey, their lives and the present itself are thrown into surprising paths. Misha Inexperienced excellently makes use of Lovecraftian horror, science-fiction, and style storytelling to interact with Jim Crow-era insurance policies, American racism, feminine empowerment and wider cultural attitudes. Lovecraft Nation proves essentially the most evil issues exist in the actual world and never in fiction.

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5 ‘Room 104’ (2017–2020)

Created by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass

Anthology tv exhibits should not a novel concept. From Black Mirror to True Detective, audiences are nicely versed within the concept of a unique episode or season of a tv present that includes new actors telling a brand new story. Nonetheless, Room 104, hailing from mumblecore pioneers Mark and Jay Duplass, took the thought in an excitingly completely different path. Set in a single room in a roadside motel, every episode instructed the tales of the company occupying the room.

Just like the greatest anthology exhibits, Room 104 expertly morphs its style throughout episodes, typically inside the similar episode. The present effectively modulated between horror, comedy, thriller and drama. By means of its premise, Room 104 supplies a quick glimpse into the lives of many alternative characters, thereby portray a wealthy tapestry of human habits. Its anthology format additionally permits it to enlist high appearing and directing expertise, with Oscar-winner Mahershali Ali, Oscar nominee Michael Shannon, and Dave Bautista as among the actors who lent their skills to the spectacular anthology present.

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4 ‘The Third Day’ (2020)

Created by Felix Barrett and Dennis Kelly

Peculiarly cut up into three elements, HBO’s The Third Day follows the person journeys of a person and lady who arrive at a mysterious island. Unable to depart the island throughout excessive tide, each characters are compelled to remain and expertise the island’s unsettling and suspicious citizenry. Jude Regulation and Naomie Harris lead Elements 1 and a pair of, respectively, with supporting performances from Katherine Waterston, Emily Watson and Paddy Considine. The primary half, “Summer time,” contains the primary three episodes and focuses on the person’s journey on the island and his first encounters with the unnerving islanders and their unusual customs. Jude Regulation‘s disorienting and grief-stricken efficiency helps to promote the common confusion of The Third Day and draw the viewers in.

The third half, “Winter,” picks up 9 months after the occasions of the primary half and follows a girl (Harris) and her two daughters visiting the island for her daughter’s birthday. Audiences are shortly assured that within the 9 months between each tales, the island has not turn out to be any much less disconcerting. The second half, “Autumn,” covers the island’s pageant celebrating the transition from childhood to maturity. The particular was broadcast in between each elements as a 12-hour dwell occasion showcasing the total pageant, shot in a single steady take to offer a totally immersive expertise. Together with Jude Regulation and the common supporting actors from half 1, it additionally featured Florence Welch. Fortunately for viewers who could not have the ability to decide to watching a 12-hour one-take particular, watching it isn’t important for one’s understanding of the occasions partially 3 or the general story.

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3 ‘The Outsider’ (2020)

Created by Richard Value

A younger boy is discovered useless in a small city with suspicious human chew marks. Whereas upsetting for the small city, all of the info point out an easy case. Nonetheless, there may be video proof inserting the primary suspect at each the scene of the crime and at an out-of-town convention on the similar time. Tailored by Richard Value from a 2018 Stephen King novel, The Outsider is an exhilarating, twisty, supernatural homicide thriller.

The Outsider is first offered as against the law procedural earlier than absolutely leaning into its supernatural parts, evoking some startling imagery and haunting backstory. Like one of the best crime procedurals, it retains the audiences guessing and makes use of its horror iconography to research some upsetting questions on human nature and the battle between good and evil. Ben Mendelsohn and Cynthia Erivo ship standout performances and are supported by reliably wonderful performances from Invoice Camp, Jason Bateman, Julianne Nicholson and Paddy Considine, making The Outsider one in all HBO’s greatest miniseries lately.

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2 ‘The Rehearsal’ (2022–Current)

Created by Nathan Fielder

Do you’ve a clumsy dialog developing that you just’re dreading? Do you retain re-living that encounter that you just want you had completely ready for? Properly, that is precisely what Nathan Fielder‘s wildly absurdist The Rehearsal is for, with Fielder’s character serving to abnormal folks rehearse upcoming tough discussions or life occasions. The present was impressed by his work growing Nathan For You and the way he and the artistic workforce would act out incorrect eventualities for a way the interactions would go. The rehearsals are aided by hilariously detailed units and intensely ready and dedicated actors.

As is par for the course with Fielder, he takes the objectively humorous premise of “serving to folks put together for a tricky dialog of their lives” and turns it into an exploration of fundamental human rules. The Rehearsal asks many questions, together with how a lot we will ever actually know or predict about one other particular person. Equally, it highlights the concept that everyone seems to be at all times appearing in any respect factors. Its potential to transcend its innately absurd concept and attain for real human introspection is what makes The Rehearsal so good.

1 ‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)

Created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta

What would occur if 2% of the world’s inhabitants simply disappeared? Earlier than the third-biggest film of all time flirted with analyzing that query, HBO’s unimaginable The Leftovers attacked it head-on. Created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta and primarily based on Perrotta’s 2011 novel of the identical title, the HBO adaptation begins three years after a world “Sudden Departure” wherein 2% (140 million) of the world’s inhabitants mysteriously disappeared. Utilizing its three lead protagonists — police chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux), grieving widow Nora Durst (Carrie Coon), and her brother, Reverend Matt Jamison (Christoper Eccleston) — the present examined each the intimate and wider aftereffects of the sudden disappearances.

Admirably unafraid to go to some actually darkish locations, The Leftoversboldly examines human nature by means of its distinctive premise. The present employs logical developments of such a disappearance to research our human nature, grief, and the lengths folks can go to on the finish of the world. One such logical growth is the emergence of a number of religious-based cults within the face of standard organized faith’s decline. Supported by an impressive ensemble forged that included Amy Brenneman, Regina King, Margaret Qualley and Ann Dowd, The Leftoversshortly turned a important and cult favourite. Sadly, The Leftovers was repeatedly snubbed by the Emmys, an egregious snub the Academy won’t ever dwell down.

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NEXT: The ten Finest HBO Miniseries Primarily based on Books, Ranked