This is a golden age of streaming, and the various platforms currently out there have been releasing a multitude of new titles, both in movies and TV, in recent months. Since its inception, HBO Max has been a leader in this regard, not only distributing its own series but also bringing on-board shows that began elsewhere.
The streaming service has recently released and will soon be releasing excellent TV shows in a wide variety of genres, including compelling true-crime dramas such as The Landscapers and the foreign sci-fi series Beforeigners, so there will be a little bit of something for everyone this month.
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Contents
- 1 Landscapers – Miniseries Premiere
- 2 Young Justice – Season 4 (Part A)
- 3 Craig Of The Creek – Season 3
- 4 Stath Lets Flats – Season 3
- 5 Beforeigners – Season 2 (Premiere)
- 6 Frayed – Season 2
- 7 Gen:Lock – Season 2
- 8 Head Of The Class – Series Premiere
- 9 South Side – Season 2
- 10 Final Space – Season 3
- 11 United Shades Of America – Season 6
- 12 Kamikaze – Series Premiere
- 13 The Sex Lives Of College Girls – Series Premiere
- 14 Sort Of – Series Premiere
- 15 Black And Missing – Series Premiere
Landscapers – Miniseries Premiere
There are plenty of amazing miniseries like Landscapers, but this limited series does not simply blend in with the rest. With phenomenal performances from Olivia Colman and David Thewlis in the lead roles, Landscapers follows the real-life figures of Susan and Christopher Edwards, a married couple that plots to murder Susan’s parents.
Despite the tragic and disturbing situation that inspired the show, Landscapers is also quite funny in certain aspects, differentiating it from many of the other true-crime series out there.
Young Justice – Season 4 (Part A)
Young Justice follows younger superheroes, often those who are usually in the background as sidekicks to more famous heroes. The show has received praise over the years since its debut for its exploration of the characters in a more serious way than is typical of many animated series accessible to children.
For this reason, Young Justice appeals to viewers of all ages, and its loyal fanbase helped to secure a third season after the series was initially canceled after season 2. Now, the series is back to going strong and is in its fourth season, the first part of which will be coming to HBO Max on December 30, much to the delight of fans.
Craig Of The Creek – Season 3
Cartoon Network is known for its phenomenal programming that appeals to children and adults alike. Craig of the Creek is no different in this regard. It is a charming, fun show about a group of friends who explore their nearby creek and have adventures among the other children who call this place their playground.
While many animated series explore fantastical landscapes with mystical characters, Craig of the Creek is more true to life, instead showing the wonder that comes from children’s imagination and exploration of their environment. This, in many ways, makes Craig of the Creek more relatable than many other series.
Stath Lets Flats – Season 3
Created by, co-written by, and starring Jamie Demetriou in the lead role, Stath Lets Flats follows the titular Stath, who works as a letting agent at a company his father owns. Stath is incompetent, which gets him into various ridiculous situations and brings out some hilarious scenes.
The absurdity of the circumstances Stath finds himself in has made this show into a beloved comedy series, and HBO Max users can watch all three seasons that are currently out on the streaming service now.
Beforeigners – Season 2 (Premiere)
Time travel is not a new concept for films and television shows, but Beforeigners adds an interesting twist to the subgenre. It takes place in the city of Oslo, Norway, in which people from various eras of history begin to appear. Over the course of several years, the “Beforeigners” adjust in different ways to living in today’s world.
The series is a fascinating exploration of what might happen if people from different eras all lived in the modern day, also addressing serious issues like xenophobia in the process.
Frayed – Season 2
Frayed is one of those series that aims to make people cringe uncomfortably at its comedy, and for the most part, it succeeds. It focuses on an Australian woman living in London who is forced to return home because of her husband’s death and his enormous debts.
Once there, she has to contend not only with the realities of her new financial situation but also with her background in her hometown and her history there. The series skillfully blends its comedy and drama, and the characters grow and develop as the series progresses.
Gen:Lock – Season 2
Audiences have been receiving some phenomenal titles in animation, with some of the best animated movies for adults and incredible television shows coming out recently. Gen:Lock is a stellar example of how successful this type of storytelling has become.
Like many other similar stories, it is set in a dystopian future, one in which the gen:LOCK program attempts to fight back against a powerful group known as the Union by creating giant suits of armor that can be implanted with the consciousness of particular types of people. The series is now in its second season.
Head Of The Class – Series Premiere
Head of the Class is widely regarded as a classic of the sitcom form, focusing as it does on a group of gifted students whose teacher wants them to spend less time thinking about their grades and more about the types of experiences that they are having during their high school years.
The revival keeps the central premise, though since it is set in the present, it explores many of the issues facing young people today. It has some of the charm of the original, even though reviews for the reboot have been mixed so far.
South Side – Season 2
Chicago has long proven to be a fertile setting for series of various sorts, and it is the place where this comedy takes place. It focuses on two community college graduates who try to make money through a variety of schemes.
Though the series does not shy away from the grimmer side of life in the big city, it is bolstered by a cast whose diversity gives it a potent authenticity, as well as a comedic sensibility that always emphasizes the importance of making the audience laugh. Like The Other Two, which also features very fascinating characters, it was originally a Comedy Central production before moving to HBO Max.
Final Space – Season 3
There are plenty of hilarious TV comedies set in space, and Final Space stands tall among them, managing to combine comedy and space opera into a blend that is uniquely its own.
In some ways, it is similar to other series set in outer space–it drew comparisons in particular to Futurama–but its focus on an astronaut and a powerful alien who journey across the galaxy while trying to prevent the destruction of the universe gives it a certain weight that some other similar series lack.
United Shades Of America – Season 6
There is no question that the United States is a country divided in many ways, and it can be difficult for people in one region of the nation to truly understand the beliefs and values in another.
That is what makes United Shades of America such a valuable series. Hosted as it is by the comedian W. Kamau Bell, it showcases many of the very different communities that make up the United States, focusing in particular on the issues and challenges they face in their everyday lives.
Kamikaze – Series Premiere
In addition to the wide variety of American programming that it offers, HBO Max will also be streaming a number of foreign television series, including Kamikaze, which premiered on November 14.
It is a dramedy that takes a hard look at the world of a wealthy young woman whose entire existence, as well as her understanding of the world and what she wants out of life, is radically reshaped by the death of her parents and an inheritance that leaves her incredibly wealthy.
The Sex Lives Of College Girls – Series Premiere
Creator Mindy Kaling has shown time and again through her best movies and TV shows that she is a formidable acting talent, and she has also taken on several producer duties, including for the new series The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Even though is a staggering number of series and movies set on a college campus, The Sex Lives of College Girls aims to use comedy to achieve a level of psychological depth rarely attained in such series, showing how each member of a friendship group engages with this perilous new period of their adulthood.
Sort Of – Series Premiere
HBO has a well-earned reputation for broadcasting a number of television series that engage with various aspects of gender and sexual identity, and Sort Of, which debuted on November 18, is a welcome addition.
It uses the form of the sitcom to explore a wide variety of issues regarding identity, especially since its main character, Sabi Mehboob, is caught at the intersection of various identities since they are nonbinary and the child of Pakistani immigrants.
Black And Missing – Series Premiere
As the events of the past few years have demonstrated, the relationship between Black communities and law enforcement has a vexed and disturbing history. For this reason, the new documentary series on HBO Max, Black and Missing, brings much-needed attention to this issue, focusing in particular on missing persons cases that have been overlooked by law enforcement.
It is difficult viewing, but it is an incredibly important series to watch in order to learn more about the problem and how widespread it is.
About The Author
Thomas West
(785 Articles Published)
Thomas J. West III earned a PhD in film and screen studies from Syracuse University in 2018. His writing on film, TV, and popular culture has appeared in Screenology, FanFare, Primetimer, Cinemania, and in a number of scholarly journals and edited collections. He co-hosts the Queens of the B’s podcast with Mark Muster and writes a regular newsletter, Omnivorous, on Substack.
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