Minx establishes itself as one of the greatest Max originals in recent memory from the start: a proud self-professed feminist (only lacking the right tote bag) teams up with the allegedly sleazy proprietor of an adult magazine firm to launch the first sexy glossy periodical for women. What works about Minx is how Johnson's character subverts type in unexpected ways; behind those unbuttoned shirts and medallions is a man who keeps a lot of women as close confidantes and holds them in professional regard, and at the same time, Lovibond's Joyce finds her second-wave, Vassar-grad assumptions about the world challenged firsthand.

Minx is an American comedy television show produced and written by Ellen Rapoport that stars Ophelia Lovibond and Jake Johnson. On March 17, 2022, it debuted on HBO Max. On February 19, 2020, HBO Max announced that the project has received a pilot order. Ellen Rapoport, of Feigco Entertainment, was tapped to write and executive produce alongside Paul Feig and Dan Magnante. Rachel Lee Goldenberg, the director of Unpregnant, was attached to direct and executive produce the pilot on September 3, 2020. On April 5, 2021, HBO Max announced that the project has been picked up for 10 half-hour episodes.

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Created by: Ellen Rapoport
Cast: Ophelia Lovibond, Jake Johnson, Idara Victor, Oscar Montoya, Jessica Lowe, Lennon Parham, Michael Angarano

Pirates have officially become popular again, thanks to Our Flag Means Death — but perhaps not in the way anybody could have anticipated. It's not quite correct to claim that this series is "What We Do in the Shadows, but with pirates", but having Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi on-screen together again is always going to be a recipe for comedy gold.

What sets this show apart from anything else they've done together is that it's a workplace comedy set on a ship with a crew that believes they'll be the best plunderers on the open sea, led by an absolutely inane captain in Stede Bonnet (Darby) — who, coincidentally, was based on a real pirate from history. When Bonnet inevitably comes up with the famed Blackbeard (Waititi, donning a leather jacket and huge facial hair), the two learn that their chemistry may be one of friendship rather than adversaries from the start.

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Created by: David Jenkins
Cast: Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi, Kristian Nairn, Nathan Foad, Samson Kayo, Rory Kinnear, Con O'Neill, Vico Ortiz, Ewen Bremner, David Fane, Joel Fry, Guz Khan, Matthew Maher

For those who fell in love with Gunn's irreverent band of DC antiheroes in last year's The Suicide Squad — or perhaps just wanted to know what happened to Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker (Cena), after getting a bullet through the throat courtesy of Bloodsport (Idris Elba) in the film's bloody climax — they now know exactly what happened to Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker (Cena). Turns out he still has the power of speech, and he's been charged with another mission to help rescue the planet, this time with a completely another band of misfits on his squad.

They also get to witness more of Peacemaker's home life (it turns out his father, played by Patrick, is much worse than he is) and the turbulent environment that shaped him into the peacekeeper he is today. There's also Eagly, a pet eagle that manages to be both stupid and lovely. One cannot fully describe Peacemaker before; one must only see it for oneself.

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Created by: James Gunn
Cast: John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Chukwudi Iwuji, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick

Look no further for a rich period drama with exquisite costumes; Julian Fellowes is back with his first post-Downton Abbey series, which was originally intended as a prequel to the enormously successful series starring Lord and Lady Crawley but subsequently took on a life of its own. The extra-long debut, which aired this month (clocking in at 80 minutes), maybe a trek, but it's almost required when you consider the ensemble cast of luminaries listed above.

The Gilded Age is similar to Fellowes in many ways — tea parties, elegant balls, backstabbing lady's maids — but it focuses on a specific period in American history and the amassing of riches from the families who occupy Manhattan, not to mention who wants to be part of the in-crowd. As the plot progresses, there are some notably darker edges to the story, and while the show may take some time to properly find its groove, you can't go wrong with luminaries like Carrie Coon and Christine Baranski entertaining you for an afternoon.

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Created by: Julian Fellowes
Cast: Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Cerveris, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, Jack Gilpin, Katie Finneran, Kelli O'Hara

As a creator, Mindy Kaling seems to have dominated the market in today's teen comedy-drama genre; the first is Never Have I Ever, which introduces the world to the exceptional talents of its lead Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (as John McEnroe recounts, that is), and in comparison, The Sex Lives of College Girls is like the next step natural in exploring the inner struggles and problems between individuals possessing a certain generation.

Or maybe it's more like Never Have I Ever's the older sister, who has graduated from high school and now faces challenges that no amount of time in high school could have prepared her for. The HBO Max series, which was just renewed for a second season, is likewise reliant on the quality of its cast, and the frightening foursome of Chalamet, Kaur, Rapp, and Scott keep the show entertaining, amusing, and ultimately real.

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Created by: Mindy Kaling & Justin Noble
Cast: Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Reneé Rapp, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Gavin Leatherwood

Jessie's drunken New Year's Eve hook-up gets significantly more difficult when she realizes her one-night partner is actually a movie star; what she thought would be an entertaining narrative quickly evolves into something more. Starstruck is more than simply a pitch-perfect comedy show — though it is one of the series' strongest points. Starstruck, written by Matafeo (also renowned for her stand-up) and Snedden, is the type of narrative that flips the script on the conventional rom-com while maintaining the same amount of warm sensations throughout.

Matafeo plays Jessie, a twenty-something New Zealand ex-pat living in London who is dissatisfied with her life; when she meets famed movie actor Tom Kapoor (Patel), the two are permanently bound on a road that appears forced to keep bringing them together throughout the seasons. Starstruck will definitely deliver on both the rom-com and the rom-com fronts, and thankfully, it has already been renewed for a Season 2.

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Created by: Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden
Cast: Rose Matafeo, Nikesh Patel, Minnie Driver, Emma Sidi

One of the nicest aspects about HBO Max is that it has been able to serve as a new home for a series that previously debuted elsewhere but never found an audience. Harley Quinn, the joyously anarchic animated version of the popular Batman anti-hero that may be one of the most flat-out entertaining portions of the DCEU right now, is at the top of that list.

The script is jam-packed with excellent humor, sympathetic characters, and satirical touches that lift the show to a whole new level, while Kaley Cuoco's take on the eponymous character is distinct enough from both Arleen Sorkin and Margot Robbie's portrayals to feel original. Furthermore, the love narrative that evolves during the first two seasons is both surprising and sincere. Every episode is jam-packed with beautiful details and inspired voice casting – it's difficult to praise a program more highly. Simply watch it and decide for yourself.

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Created by: Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, Dean Lorey
Cast: Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Ron Funches, Tony Hale, Jason Alexander, J. B. Smoove, Alan Tudyk

The sci-fi series Babylon 5 is a must-see for anybody who enjoys a touch of grit and filth in their tales of the future, concentrating in this instance on a space station built to preserve peace in a galaxy plagued with warring aliens. Diplomacy's efficiency is only one of the many difficult themes covered in this episode, which also examines the development of authoritarianism when you least expect it, the realism of being a hero in a vast galaxy, and the continuing popularity of Bugs Bunny cartoons. There's never a terrible moment to return or discover this one for the first time, especially now that it's available in HD on HBO Max.

The primary plot arc of Babylon 5 takes place between the years 2257 and 2262. The show shows a future in which Earth has a unified Earth government and has developed technology enabling faster-than-light travel using 'jump gates,' a type of wormhole technology that allows travel across the other realm of hyperspace. The Earth Alliance is made up of colonies throughout the solar system and beyond that have made contact with other spacefaring species. Ten years before the series begins, Earth narrowly avoided annihilation at the hands of the technologically superior Minbari, who sought vengeance when an Earth spaceship unintentionally murdered their leader during first contact, only to surrender unexpectedly on the verge of triumph.

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Created by: J. Michael Straczynski
Cast: Bruce Boxleitner, Michael O'Hare, Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle, Mira Furlan, Richard Biggs, Andrea Thompson, Bill Mumy, Jason Carter.

I May Destroy You, a searing, gritty, completely realized piece from the brilliant Michaela Coel, stands out as one of the best attempts on television to convey the consequences of sexual assault on the human psyche. This Emmy-winning limited series is raw and compelling, but it also manages to be incredibly engaging. Michaela Coel developed, wrote, co-directed, and executive produced I May Destroy You, a British drama television limited series for BBC One and HBO. The show is set in London and has a largely Black British cast. Coel plays Arabella, a popular figure who is trying to restore her life after being raped.

The series debuted on HBO on June 7, 2020, and BBC One on June 8, 2020. According to Metacritic, I May Destroy You was the most highly praised television show of 2020, and The New York Times characterized it as "the perfect show for a worried world". In addition to two RTS Programme Awards, two Independent Spirit Awards, a Gotham Award, a GLAAD Media Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a Peabody Award, it won the BAFTAs for Best Mini-Series, Best Director: Drama, Best Writer: Drama, and Best Actress.

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Created by: Michaela Coel
Cast: Michaela Coel, Weruche Opia, Paapa Essiedu

Made for Love is an American dark comedy television series based on Alissa Nutting's 2017 novel of the same name. On April 1, 2021, the series launched on HBO Max. Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, and Ray Romano star. The series got renewed for a second season in June 2021. After escaping a claustrophobic 10-year marriage to a tech millionaire, a woman finds her spouse implanted with a monitoring device. He placed a gadget in her brain that allows him to follow her position, watch her live, and access her "emotional data" while she attempts to restore her independence.

This unique series, a romantic dramedy with a hint of Black Mirror, focuses on the profoundly dysfunctional relationship between Hazel (Cristin Milioti) and Byron (Billy Magnussen). Perhaps their chances as a married couple would have been better before Byron imprisoned her in a technologically advanced prison from which Hazel must make a daring escape, but now that Hazel is back in the real world, she's forced to confront how her past has brought her here — specifically, hiding out with her father (Ray Romano) in a small desert town, never fully free from Byron's surveillance. Made for Love may take place in a little different universe, but its analysis of love and relationships makes it uncomfortably familiar.

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Created by: Alissa Nutting & Dean Bakopoulos and Patrick Somerville and Christina Lee
Cast: Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, Dan Bakkedahl, Noma Dumezweni, Ray Romano, Augusto Aguilera, Caleb Foote