Everything we know so far about HBO’s new and returning shows
HBO has long operated as a prestige destination for ambitious series, and the late-2010s slate reflected that focus with a mix of returning favorites and fresh projects. One early announcement involved Wilmer Valderrama producing a drama about Hispanic units that fought in the Second World War, with Valderrama stating that he was honored to amplify the courage and contribution of these men. The project never advanced to production. HBO did deliver on its commitment to season two of The Deuce, David Simon and George Pelecanos’s engrossing show about the rise and legalization of the porn industry in 70s New York, and the network continued to expand its lineup in the years that followed.
The Deuce
James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal returned as twin brothers and a Times Square sex worker navigating the shifting landscape of the New York porn trade. Season 2 premiered on September 9, 2018. The series ran for three seasons and concluded in 2019 after charting the industry’s move from the streets into corporate respectability.
My Brilliant Friend
Still no word on the exact release date for the show that’s based on the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, but we do know that it’s going to be directed by Saverio Costanzo (Hungry Hearts) and we’re sure there’ll be a trailer coming out sometime soon. Four seasons ultimately aired, with the final season premiering on September 9, 2024. The adaptation tracked the lifelong friendship between two women in post-war Naples with meticulous attention to class, politics, and personal ambition.
Watchmen
Helmed by Lost’s Damon Lindelof, Watchmen is going to be huge. No two ways about it – it’s going to be massive. Lindelof said his interest in the story and the characters were a result of his father giving him the comic when he was twelve years old, which is something that will surely play well with all the fanboys out there. The nine-episode limited series aired in 2019 and examined race, legacy, and vigilantism in an alternate Tulsa without producing additional seasons.
Lovecraft Country
Continuing from the success of Get Out, Jordan Peele is bringing his new horror drama to HBO along with executive producer J.J. Abrams (Star Trek). The show follows Atticus Black (Jonathan Majors) as he joins up with his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to embark on a road trip across 50s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father. The series ran for one season in 2020 before HBO cancelled it in July 2021.
The Undoing
Nicole Kidman reunites with Big Little Lies writer, David E. Kelley, for their adaptation of the Jean Hanff Korelitz novel, You Should Have Known. The show is still in the pipeline though, so don’t be expecting to actually see any of it until sometime next year. Feel free to get suitably hyped until then. The limited series premiered on October 25, 2020, and followed a therapist whose seemingly perfect life unravels after her husband becomes the prime suspect in a murder.
Camping
Showrunners Lena Dunham and Jennifer Konner (Girls) bring this comedy show about a camping weekend gone wrong (based on the UK series which was created by Julia Davis), with an all-star cast that includes Jennifer Garner (Alias), David Tennant (Jessica Jones), and Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers). With it being about a camping trip gone wrong, we’re also told there are going to be bears. The American version premiered on October 14, 2018, and was cancelled after its single season.
The New Pope
Paolo Sorrentino returns with his sequel show to The Young Pope. Not a lot is known about the production so far other than the production team is likely to start filming later this year and the two leads are rumored to be Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct) and Javier Cámara (Sex and Lucia). Either way, we’re sure it will be very surreal and probably very good. The limited follow-up premiered in 2020 and continued the Vatican power games with the same stylized detachment.
Succession
Succession premiered in 2018 and ran four seasons through 2023. The series chronicled the Roy family’s battles over their media empire and earned multiple Emmys while establishing itself as a defining HBO drama of the era.
The Last of Us
Season 1 premiered in 2023. The adaptation of the video game followed a smuggler and a teenage girl across a post-apocalyptic United States and quickly became one of the network’s largest audience draws. Season 2 aired in 2025 and sustained strong viewership.
House of the Dragon
Season 1 premiered in 2022. The Targaryen-focused prequel to Game of Thrones anchored HBO’s fantasy slate and expanded the universe with court intrigue and dragon-scale spectacle. Multiple seasons have aired or been renewed by 2026.
Industry
Multiple seasons have aired with Season 4 slated for 2026. The London-set finance drama has maintained strong audience engagement and critical attention as it follows young bankers navigating ambition, ethics, and power at a high-stakes firm.
HBO’s programming slate continues to shift between completed limited runs, multi-season dramas, and new entries that test the network’s appetite for risk. The late-2010s announcements gave way to a broader catalog that still rewards viewers who track how each series lands after the initial hype cycle.
