The more things change, the more the most popular shows on (HBO) Max tend to stay the same. Dune: Prophecy retains its grip on the No. 1 slot, as there aren’t any other HBO original dramas to challenge it. The returning Max original series The Sex Lives of College Girls and the new DC animated show Creature Commandos have found their way on the list this month as well.
By now, it shouldn’t be shocking when reality shows from the Discovery networks land on this list as well. But it is surprising to see Sister Wives at No. 2 on the list, followed by 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days. Like them or not, those shows have an audience.
Keep reading for our complete countdown of the 10 most popular shows on Max as of December 17.
Looking for something else? We’ve also rounded up the 10 most popular movies on Max, the best movies on Max, the best shows on Max, and the best new shows to stream. For Netflix fans, check out the 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now and the 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now.
10. Somebody Somewhere (2022)
89%
8.1/10In the third and final season of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, Sam (Bridget Everett) is still trying to work her way through a mid-life crisis that began when her older sister, Holly, died. She’s not quite there yet, but there may be light at the end of Sam’s tunnel. She’s found her niche as a bartender, and she’s also developing a closer relationship with her still-living sister, Tricia Miller (Mary Catherine Garrison).
At the same time, Sam’s best friend, Joel (Jeff Hiller), is moving out of their shared space to be with his boyfriend. But when Joel’s life collapses, it’s Sam’s turn to be there for him and help him out of his depression.
9. 1000-lb Sisters (2020)
TLC’s 1000-lb Sisters bills itself as the inspiring story of Amy and Tammy Slaton — two sisters who collectively weigh around 500 pounds each — and their decision to lose weight to alleviate their health problems and live longer lives.
That’s some of it, for sure. There’s also a lot of melodrama that’s likely been scripted to give the show’s fans something else to sink their teeth in. In other words, it’s a lot like every other reality series.
8. Bookie (2023)
7%Bookie is like a CBS sitcom that was made for Max. Sebastian Maniscalco stars as Danny, a guy who has been able to make a living as an underground sports bookie alongside his friend Ray (Omar J. Dorsey). It’s highly illegal, and Danny is always at risk of losing everything if his world implodes.
Season 2 finds Danny desperately trying to get back with his wife, Sandra (Andrea Anders). But the only way so far to reenter Sandra’s good graces is by letting her mother, Wendy (Dale Dickey), move in with them after an uncomfortable murder-suicide she may have inadvertently set in motion in her old neighborhood.
7. Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North (2021)
There’s never any shortage of drama in the NFL, especially in the middle of a season. This year, Hard Knocks: In Season is putting the spotlight on the entire AFC North, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens battling for the division crown.
Those two teams may be on top, but the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals are also featured, as they struggle to make their mark.
6. Creature Commandos (2024)
74%
7.8/10Believe it or not, this is the beginning of a new DC Universe. Think of Creature Commandos as the Suicide Squad, if the squad was comprised almost entirely of monsters. Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) is the token human alongside the Bride (Indira Varma), G.I. Robot & Weasel (both voiced by Sean Gunn), Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), and Nina Mazursky (Zoë Chao).
Flag is the only one there voluntarily, and the threat of death isn’t enough to keep the creatures in line. The Bride’s return to prominence also attracts the attention of her so-called ex, Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour), and he wants her back by any means necessary.
5. Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking (2024)
James Phelps and his twin brother, Oliver Phelps, famously played the Weasley twins, Fred and George, in the Harry Potter films. Now, the Phelps brothers are hosting a Harry Potter-themed reality cooking show, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking.
In this series, the Phelps serve as judges for pairs of cooks who create dishes inspired by the Harry Potter novels and films on the sets where the movies were made two decades earlier.
4. The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021)
75%
7.8/10The third season of Max’s comedy/drama The Sex Lives of College Girls is heading for a shakeup, as Leighton (Reneé Rapp) bolts for the door in the name of love and academic opportunity. That leaves the quartet down to Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), Bela (Amrit Kaur), and Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott). Kimberly and Whitney aren’t even speaking to each other at the start of the season.
Bela has to find some way to hold this trio together while Whitney decides whether she and Canaan (Christopher Meyer) can still pursue a romance after everything that’s happened between them.
3. 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days (2017)
2. Sister Wives (2010)
If you need another example of just how far the TLC brand has fallen, we give you Sister Wives, the reality show about Kody Brown and his multiple wives: Robyn, Meri, Janelle, and Christine. Technically, Kody’s only legally married to one wife at a time, but he’s still a polygamist.
TLC has somehow generated 19 seasons out of this so-called reality show. At least when HBO had Big Love, a scripted drama about a polygamist family, it was entertaining! We can’t say the same for Sister Wives.
1. Dune: Prophecy (2024)
64%
7.8/10Ten thousand years before the events of Dune, the Sisterhood wasn’t quite as powerful as it would become, but was on its way to intergalactic influence. Dune: Prophecy follows Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) and her sister, Sister Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams), who are on the verge of getting everything they wanted when Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) takes a wife, Natalya (Jodhi May), and expands their reach into the royal court.
Or so they thought. A former soldier, Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), is poisoning the emperor’s heart against the Sisterhood. Suddenly, all of their influence may not be able to save them from the most powerful man in the empire.
