Game of Thrones may be over, but HBO has plenty of exciting shows on the horizon.
With HBO’s biggest series of all time, Game of Thrones, officially over the pay cable network may not seem as appealing. But the network that was home to such classics as Sopranos, The Wire, and Sex and the City, has plenty of shows you should catch up on, check out later this year, or keep an eye out for next year.
Barry
The Bill Hader series just wrapped up season 2, and it is as satisfying as you wish Game of Thrones had been. The entire series is astounding. Hader stars as Barry Berkman, a war vet and hitman who realizes he wants to stop killing people and start a career as an actor. The series also stars Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, and Henry Winkler in a role that gave him his first EVER Emmy for season one. You can check out the first two season of Barry on demand.
Chernobyl
While only a mini-series with a few episodes already in the can, Chernobyl is already a fantastic piece that explores the dangers of government oversight, the lies told to protect those in power, and the dangers we face in believing those lies. It’s compelling, tragic, and beautiful. You can catch the first three episodes on demand with new episodes airing each Monday at 9pm ET.
Big Little Lies
The hit drama starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley is set to return June 9th, with Meryl Streep joining the cast as the mother of Alexander Skarsgård’s Perry Wright. The new season will see the women of Monterey, California facing the backlash of the events of the first season’s finale. Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz, Adam Scott and Jeffrey Norling are all set to return for the second series. You can check out the trailer for season 2 above.
Euphoria
The upcoming series from creator Sam Levinson (Assassination Nation), is produced by rapper Drake and stars Spider-Man: Homecoming’s Zendaya as a 17 year old recovering drug addict. The series is said to follow a group of high schoolers as they “navigate drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship.” The series premieres on June 16th and you can check out the full trailer for the show above.
Years and Years
Set to premiere on June 24th, the drama series stars Emma Thompson as a charming and controversial British politician. The series follows the government’s plans to enact controversial legistation and how those decisions impact everyone for decades to come. The series also stars Rory Kinnear, T’Nia Miller, Russell Tovey, Jessica Hynes and Ruth Madeley. Check out the trailer for the series above.
The Righteous Gemstones
Danny McBride returns to HBO, having found success with them previously through Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals. This time he’s bringing John Goodman and Adam Devine with him. The three actors play three members of the Gemstone family, a world famous televangelist family with a “long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work, all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The series is set to debut in August, and you can check out the trailer for the new series above.
Watchmen
Based on the classic graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the series takes place after the events of the original story and expands upon the original tale of superheroes in the real world. The series was created by Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers, LOST) and stars Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Yaha Abdul-Mateen II, and Jeremy Irons.
His Dark Materials
Based on the book series of the same name, the series follows two kids who begin to travel through parallel worlds, in a sort of reimagining of Paradise Lost. The first book in the trilogy was previously adapted into the 2007 film The Golden Compass. This version is said to be more faithful to the books and stars Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy, Clarke Peters and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The series is set to premiere this fall.
Los Espookys
From Fred Armisen, Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega, this half hour comedy series centers on a group of friends who use their love of horror for a profitable business. The series is primarily in Spanish and seems to dive into some weird and delightful places. The show is also produced by SNL’s Lorne Michaels, and is set to premiere June 14th.
The New Pope
A sequel to The Young Pope sees Jude Law returning as Pope Pius XIII. The new series will add John Malcovich and Sharon Stone to the cast. Details on the plot for the new season have not been revealed as of yet, but director Paolo Sorrentino who helmed The Young Pope is returning to direct this series.
Westworld
HBO surprised us Westworld fans with our first look at the new season last night. Season 2 ended with some major changes to the futuristic world the park resides in, and it appears the new season deals with the ramification of those changes. As you can see in the trailer above, Aaron Paul is joining the cast this season, as are Lena Waithe and Vincent Cassel, with Evan Rachel Wood and presumably Jeffrey Wright and Tessa Thompson returning for the new season. We don’t have a firm release date for the new season but it is set for some time in 2020.
Avenue 5
From the creator of Veep, Armando Iannucci, comes a series set 40 years in the future where space tourism has grown extensively. Hugh Laurie stars as the pilot of the space cruise ship Avenue 5, with Josh Gad as the billionaire behind the ship, and Zach Woods as the Head of Customer Relations. The series also stars Rebecca Front, Lenora Crichlow, Suzy Nakamura and Ethan Phillips, and is set for release next year.
There’s plenty of reasons to keep HBO even with Game of Thrones gone, and if nothing else you could always catch up on their previous series like Six Feet Under, Big Love, or The Leftovers. Keep following Poor Man’s Spoiler for updates on the series listed here and more.
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