5 HBO shows that no one remembers but deserve a rewatch

HBO boasts such mega series as Game of Thrones, Succession, and The Sopranos, but in between those massive hits are some spectacular shows that did not receive the attention they were supposed to.

From end-of-the-world tales to skate parks and prison dramas, these are the types of shows that you see once and forget, and later revisit and wonder why you didn't come across them before.

Here are five hidden treasures on HBO that deserve a re-watch.

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The Leftovers

The Leftovers isn’t just another post-apocalyptic series because, much like Lost, it is quiet and thought-provoking. HBO's The Leftovers focuses on the disappearance of 2% of the world’s population, not just as an event that happened or how it happened, but as something that asks a much deeper question: how do people live when answers aren’t always available?

The Leftovers is special because of the fact that it has a great deal of truth to say about grief, faith, love, and the need for connection. All of these factors make the characters seem realistic and very human. It is a show that will stick around in your head long after the episodes have ended.

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Station Eleven

Provided you did not see Station Eleven in the middle of the pandemic, you were not the only one who missed it: It was not good timing. And that is precisely the reason it is worth watching today. The novel by Emily St. John Mandel is the inspiration for this HBO Max series, in which members of a traveling theater troupe perform Shakespeare following a flu pandemic that resulted in the erasure of the majority of humanity.

It is not about zombies or never-ending danger, but art, memory, and remaining as human as possible. The series is poetic and hopeful as it moves gently between timelines. Imagine The Last of Us without violence and soul; Station Eleven is quirky, touching, and quietly inspirational.

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Bored to Death

Before the prevalence of true-crime podcasts, HBO's Bored to Death did something amusing and unusual: It turned neo-noir into a comedy. Jason Schwartzman stars as an unlicensed Brooklyn private detective who is a bored writer.

The show blends weirdness, dry humor, and intelligent little mysteries, with Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson accompanying Schwartzman in the cast. It lasted 3 seasons, but its appeal remains timeless; it is worth watching again.

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Betty

Not every great HBO show is gloomy or violent. Betty is a light-hearted, stylish teen comedy series that follows a tight-knit group of girl skaters who skate and attempt to establish their identity within the skateboarding scene of New York. Based on the movie Skate Kitchen, the show appears to be authentic and even natural, in part due to the fact that most of the cast members were skaters in real life.

It is humorous without being overly serious, full of sincere friendships, and easy and relaxed. Betty is a light, cool watch that remains with you even after the watch is over.

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Oz

And if you believe Ozark to be edgy, take a step back. Oz was doing raw, unfiltered drama years before Netflix took it mainstream. This HBO prison show premiered in 1997 and did not spare the gory details, exploring the psychology and brutality of existence inside a maximum security facility.

In many ways, it is gritty, violent, and never boring. The drama is agonizingly authentic with a huge number of actors and characters who change allegiances all too quickly. Oz also predetermined the future successes of HBO and remains one of the most daring programs of the network.

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