10 HBO TV Shows That Are Perfect For A Weekend Binge

When it comes to prestige television, one of the first things that comes to mind for us is HBO. The premium cable channel and its streaming service HBO Max have maintained a history producing top-tier television. Simply put, the best HBO original series of all time also stand among the best television programming ever produced. But while we love to binge shows like "Game of Thrones" or "The Sopranos," the sheer runtime of these series demands several weeks of commitment.

With that in mind, we're highlighting the HBO original series that you can watch over the course of a single weekend. All told, without commercial breaks, the shows we're listing here have a cumulative runtime of less than 12 hours each. Though these are primarily limited series, there are several HBO multi-season shows that fit within that runtime parameter. These are 10 HBO TV shows that are perfect for a weekend binge, if you have a couple free days to sit back and enjoy.

In 2001, HBO premiered one of the best miniseries ever made with "Band of Brothers," chronicling one American unit throughout World War II. Based on Stephen E. Ambrose's nonfiction book of the same name, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks reunited to create the series. The unit is led by Dick Winters (Damian Lewis), following their exploits across war-torn Europe, from parachuting into France to the front's final battles in Germany. The episodes are usually bookended with talking head interviews of the actual soldiers being portrayed, underscoring the factual basis behind these stories.

"Band of Brothers" is easily one of the best war shows in TV history by a country mile, bringing a real creative pedigree to its production. The battle sequences have a cinematic scope and intensity to them while the narrative scope covered in 10 episodes is incredible. But for as sweeping as the wartime action gets, the show never loses sight of the characters as we see the cost of war through their eyes. Redefining what a television limited series could be, "Band of Brothers" set a bar that few subsequent shows have matched.

Long before he was blending comedy and horror with "What We Do in the Shadows," Jemaine Clement led a very different kind of sitcom with "Flight of the Conchords." Clement co-stars with Bret McKenzie as they try to make it big with their band while living in New York City. The duo often coordinate with their manager Murray (Rhys Darby) as they try to find opportunities to take their career to the next level. Naturally, every episode of the two-season series has at least one song tying into whatever antics the Conchords find themselves in.

Really, each episode of "Flight of the Conchords" serves as a vessel for different songs by the band, but we're here for it. Along with Darby, Clement and McKenzie's comedic rapport is immaculate, with the wordplay-driven gags flying fast and furious. The songs themselves are very funny too, as well as genuinely catchy, with "Business Time" being a particular favorite. While we still wish we got a third season of "Flight of the Conchords," the fun-sized run we did get is perfect to binge through a lazy day.

From "Deadwood" to "Boardwalk Empire," there are plenty of original historical dramas that have been produced by HBO. One of the channel's best TV shows about American history that can be binged over the course of a single weekend is "John Adams." A seven-episode exploration of the life and times of the second American President, Paul Giamatti plays the eponymous historical figure. This includes Adams' diplomatic role during the American Revolution, his help forming the federal government, and his divisive presidency.

As much of a revelation as Giamatti is in the title role, he's matched scene for scene by co-star Laura Linney. Playing Adams' wife Abigail, Linney helps provide the show with its clear humanity rather than letting it just become an extended history lesson. The series also maintains a more nuanced look at its subject than a self-congratulatory biopic, as eager to depict Adams' flaws as his triumphs. Powered by its stacked cast, "John Adams" is a masterclass in how to concisely and informatively do a historical period piece.

A legal thriller that plays out like a modern tragedy, "The Night Of" is led by phenomenal performances from Riz Ahmed and John Turturro. Ahmed stars as Naz Khan, a college student accused of murdering a young woman that he spent the night with. While Naz's legal prospects look grim, world-weary attorney John Stone (Turturro) agrees to provide his defense. The narrative is split between Naz's prolonged stay in jail and Stone working diligently to prove his client is innocent.

Through this juxtaposed approach, "The Night Of" is a courtroom drama and prison-set thriller all at once, as both lead characters endure their own challenging gauntlets. Given how expertly the story is staged, it may come as a surprise that the show is based on the British series "Criminal Justice," because the HBO production feels so distinctly American. This is a show that explores how flawed the justice system is within the United States, where even a courtroom victory can still feel like a moral defeat. Magnificently staged and executed all around, "The Night Of" features its cast and crew in fine form across eight episodes.

The start of Danny McBride and Walton Goggins' comedic collaborations is still the one that's the most breezily enjoyed. Reuniting McBride with "Eastbound & Down" co-creator Jody Hill, the duo launched the two-season sitcom "Vice Principals" in 2016. McBride stars as high school vice principal Neal Gamby while Goggins plays his archrival and fellow vice principal Lee Russell. The duo reluctantly agree to work together to take down their school's new head principal Belinda Brown (Kimberly Hébert Gregory), only for their petty squabbling to derail their efforts.

With episodes typically running for less than 30 minutes each, it's really easy to progress through both seasons of "Vice Principals. There is an overarching story at play, but the real appeal is seeing McBride and Goggins' characters bicker amongst themselves as their scheme escalates. Goggins, in particular, is a surprisingly effective comedic actor given his largely dramatic fare before working with McBride. A lightweight comedy highlighting its main cast's strengths, "Vice Principals" knew the perfect time to bow out before it overstayed its welcome.

"Gone Girl" author Gillian Flynn's first novel, "Sharp Objects," was adapted into an HBO limited series in 2018. Flynn herself served as an executive producer and wrote several of the adaptation's episodes alongside series creator Marti Noxon to bring her story to life on-screen. The show stars Amy Adams as investigative journalist Camille Preaker, who returns to her hometown in Missouri to cover a grisly murder case. This forces her to confront her own personal demons, including her longstanding unresolved issues with her mother Adora Crellin (Patricia Clarkson).

"Sharp Objects" is a grim slow burn that really delves into how broken many of its main characters truly are, especially Camille herself. While the central mystery is certainly compelling, the real appeal is the dynamic between Adams and Clarkson's characters over the adaptation's eight episodes. This gives the story its ugly beating heart as Camille delves deeper into her own personal heart of darkness paralleling the murder mystery. Showcasing Flynn's penchant for crafting darkly staged psychological thrillers, "Sharp Objects" also provides a solid reminder that Adams is one of the best actors of her generation.

Among the best HBO shows of the 2010s is the 2019 limited series "Chernobyl" created by Craig Mazin. As the title suggests, the five-episode miniseries depicts the horrifying Soviet nuclear plant meltdown in 1986 flooding the surrounding region with lethal radioactive fallout. But more than just recounting the tragic event itself, the show explores the subsequent investigation involving deputy director Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) to determine what caused the meltdown. This leads to a large-scale cover-up by Soviet authorities, with Legasov placed in a moral dilemma on how to report his findings.

"Chernobyl" is a must-watch for fans of Christopher Nolan movies, with a tightly crafted story and clear-eyed look at one of the defining moments in 20th century history evoking "Oppenheimer." But at the same time, Mazin structures his show like more of a disaster movie at first, particularly when depicting the first responders at the scene trying to contain the situation. This gives way to it becoming a political thriller, especially when the catastrophic cost of human life comes into full focus as the show progresses. Covering an incredible amount of ground in five episodes while maintaining a strong focus on the human lives on the line, "Chernobyl" is one of HBO's best miniseries.

Speaking of the best miniseries streaming on HBO Max, "Watchmen" is another standout 2019 HBO original. A sequel to the comic book series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the show follows police detective Angela Abar (Regina King) who creates the costumed persona of Sister Night. As Angela investigates the murder of one of her colleagues, she uncovers a superhero conspiracy orchestrated by the murderous genius Adrian Veidt (Jeremy Irons) over 30 years ago. Of course, Angela finds out that this mystery is far closer to her own home than she could've ever imagined.

Between "Watchmen" and now "Lanterns," series creator Damon Lindelof has crafted postmodern superhero stories with a grounded edge. "Watchmen" is the far better of the two, with the 2019 series speaking presciently to the state of affairs as the comic book series had in 1985. Like "Lanterns," this show also revolves around a murder mystery and deconstructed superheroes, but feels immaculately structured every step of the way. Lindelof has found a creative home at HBO with shows like "The Leftovers," but "Watchmen" is the most binge-friendly series he's created for the platform so far.

British television does such an excellent job of finding the comedy in absolute tragedy and "I May Destroy You" exemplifies this. Created, written and co-directed by, and starring Michaela Coel, the show centers on 20-something London-based writer Arabella Essiedu, played by Coel. After being sexually assaulted in the opening episode, the rest of the miniseries chronicles Arabella trying to put her life back together. This is done in a darkly comic manner as Arabella does everything from trying her hand at subsequent romantic liaisons to joining a support group.

"I May Destroy You" is one of the best miniseries of the 2020s and a lot of that esteemed credit goes to the singular talent of Michaela Coel. Bringing a self-effacing vulnerability to her role, Coel weaves an engrossing tale of reclaiming one's narrative after enduring trauma. Both the laughs and raw emotional moments come from a visibly honest place, adding to their relatability and poignance. Using trauma's uncomfortable realities to find its earnest humor, "I May Destroy You" is one of the finest miniseries to come out of the United Kingdom in recent memory.

There's just something about concise crime dramas that make them perfect to spend watching while staying in over the weekend. One of the most binge-friendly crime shows on HBO is "Mare of Easttown," which premiered in 2021. Kate Winslet stars as Mare Sheehan, a Pennsylvania police detective investigating a disturbing murder in her community while recovering from her own son's death. Mare's own reputation is a bit checkered, with her skills in question after she failed to solve a missing persons case before the events of the series.

While we've heard that "Mare of Easttown" may start filming Season 2 next year, for now, this is a show you can binge in an entire weekend. The show balances between its core murder mystery with Mare's own personal journey to take back control of her life. Anchoring the whole thing is a career-best performance from Kate Winslet, making us invested in Mare finally finding solace in her trauma. An HBO miniseries that we keep coming back to, "Mare of Easttown" is a masterclass in concisely rewarding storytelling.