Best shows on HBO Max Australia worth your time in 2026
The best shows HBO Max Australia has in 2026 span brand-new releases and lasting classics, from Lanterns and IT: Welcome to Derry to The Last of Us, Succession, The Penguin, The Pitt, and House of the Dragon. Boss Hunting’s guide flags these as the titles most worth a Max subscription right now. For more streaming and TV alerts, BlasterPost tracks what is actually worth your time.
Key Takeaways
- Lanterns launched on 16 August 2026 with strong early Rotten Tomatoes scores from critics and fans.
- Full-season binge options include The Penguin, IT: Welcome to Derry, Succession, and The Sopranos.
- Ongoing hits such as The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, and The Pitt already have more seasons planned.
- Max’s Australia catalogue mixes prestige drama, horror, DC titles, and dark comedy.
Which new HBO Max series should you start first?
According to Boss Hunting’s 2026 roundup, Lanterns is the standout fresh arrival: a DC Studios neo-western detective drama starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Green Lanterns probing a Nebraska murder mystery.
The first episode landed on 16 August 2026 to generally positive reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes scores at 94% from critics and 82% from audiences after a couple of episodes.
Horror fans can dive straight into season 1 of IT: Welcome to Derry, the Pennywise prequel with Bill Skarsgård. Season 2 is expected in late 2027. The Chair Company, Tim Robinson’s dark workplace conspiracy comedy, also has season 1 complete and a renewal already locked.
What prestige dramas still dominate Max in Australia?
Catalogue powerhouses remain central. All eight episodes of The Penguin are streaming, with Colin Farrell’s Golden Globe-winning turn and Cristin Milioti’s Emmy win. Seasons 1 and 2 of The Last of Us are available, with season 3 expected in 2027.
House of the Dragon seasons 1–3 are complete, with a fourth season a couple of years out. Succession’s four seasons remain appointment rewatch material, as do Mad Men’s seven seasons and all six of The Sopranos.
Industry offers seasons 1–4 with a fifth and final season in the works. The Pitt’s Emmy-winning medical drama has seasons 1–2 ready, with season 3 due January 2027. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 is up, with season 2 eyed for the first half of 2027.
Which comedies and genre shows fill out the list?
Beyond prestige picks, Boss Hunting highlights Rick and Morty’s seasons 1–9 (renewed through season 12), all four seasons of The Righteous Gemstones, both seasons of Our Flag Means Death, and Peacemaker seasons 1–2.
Also queued: The White Lotus seasons 1–3 (season 4 set for the French Riviera in 2027), Dune: Prophecy season 1 (season 2 filming wrapped March 2026), Boardwalk Empire’s five seasons, The Outsider’s ten episodes, limited series DTF St. Louis, and Steve Carell’s Rooster season 1.
Elsewhere this September, BBC Culture’s pick list underlines how crowded the wider streaming calendar is — but Max’s case still rests on depth, not just drop-day noise.