‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Tops HBO Max’s Top 10 Most-Watched Shows List This Week

HBO Max is packed with popular shows right now, offering something for everyone – from spooky horror stories and gripping crime dramas to beloved animated series and fascinating sports documentaries. You’ll find both brand new shows and long-time favorites. Here’s a rundown of what’s trending and what each show is about, to help you pick your next binge-watch.

10. ‘Baylen Out Loud’ (2025– )

“Baylen Out Loud” is a reality show that follows Baylen Dupree, a young content creator who has Tourette syndrome. The series shows Baylen as she lives her life, balancing work, relationships, and the challenges of living with visible tics – both vocal and physical. Originally airing on a cable channel, episodes are also available to stream on HBO Max, reaching a wider audience. The first season was very popular with viewers in its target demographic, leading to a quick decision to create more episodes. Many articles about the show highlight its importance in raising awareness and understanding of Tourette syndrome by sharing Baylen’s personal story.

9. ‘Alex vs ARod’ (2025)

“Alex vs. ARod” is a documentary series that tells the story of baseball player Alex Rodriguez, from his promising beginnings to becoming a controversial figure. The series, directed by Gotham Chopra and Erik LeDrew, explores his life and career, including his early years, rise to fame, the scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs, and his later success in business and broadcasting. Featuring interviews with Rodriguez himself, as well as his family, former teammates, and coaches, the series uses both old footage and new interviews to examine his career within the world of modern professional sports. It’s available on HBO and HBO Max and is categorized as a sports biography and documentary.

8. ‘Task’ (2025)

Created by Brad Ingelsby, the writer known for ‘Mare of Easttown’, ‘Task’ is a seven-episode crime drama miniseries filmed in the Philadelphia suburbs. The show centers on FBI agent Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo) and his team as they investigate a series of violent robberies. The investigation leads them to a seemingly normal family man (Tom Pelphrey), and the series explores the motivations of both the investigators and the robbers, highlighting how financial hardship and past experiences influence their actions. ‘Task’ is an HBO original series, with new episodes airing weekly on HBO and streaming on HBO Max. Critics and promotional materials emphasize the show’s realistic depiction of police work and its connection to Ingelsby’s other stories.

7. ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ (2014– )

‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ is a weekly comedy show where John Oliver takes a close look at one big issue, plus a few smaller stories. The show is known for its thorough research and in-depth explanations of everything from politics and world events to technology and pop culture. Each episode features a main investigation, using old footage, graphics, and interviews, and is followed by extra content online. You can watch it on HBO Max after it airs on HBO on Sunday nights, and the show shares clips widely online. It recently won an award for its writing, proving it continues to be a major force in late-night comedy and political commentary.

6. ‘I Love LA’ (2025– )

As a total film and TV buff, I’m really excited about ‘I Love LA’! It’s a funny, character-focused show about a group of friends reconnecting in Los Angeles. It really digs into how ambition, relationships, and even old patterns still connect them. Rachel Sennott created and stars in it, and the story centers around her character, Maia, and her four friends as they navigate their careers and love lives all over the city’s creative world. The cast is fantastic, full of familiar faces from movies and TV, and they’re adding new characters to keep things fresh. It’s an HBO original, so you can catch new episodes weekly on HBO, and they pop up on HBO Max pretty quickly after that. Everything I’ve seen about it emphasizes how much it’s about the power of friendship, how we lean on each other, and what it’s really like trying to build a life in LA today.

5. ‘Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake’ (2023– )

‘Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake’ is a spin-off of the popular ‘Adventure Time’ animated series, geared towards adults. It focuses on Fionna the Human and Cake the Cat – gender-swapped versions of characters from the original – along with Simon Petrikov. The show follows Fionna and Cake as they unexpectedly travel from their normal, magic-less world into a wider multiverse connected to the Land of Ooo. Led by the original creative team, including showrunner Adam Muto, the series delves into more mature and emotional storylines while maintaining the quirky humor and fantastical elements fans love. New episodes are available on HBO Max, and the show has gained a global following thanks to multiple language options and releases. It’s also been praised for its diverse characters and its connections to other ‘Adventure Time’ stories and comics.

4. ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ (2003– )

As a huge fan of talk shows, I always make time for ‘Real Time with Bill Maher.’ It’s on HBO every Friday, and it’s a really engaging mix of Bill’s opening thoughts on the week, interviews with interesting people, and then a lively panel discussion. What I love is that it’s not totally scripted – there’s a lot of back-and-forth between the guests, who are usually journalists, politicians, or folks who really know what they’re talking about. It consistently pulls in great ratings for HBO, and they’ve even started showing it on other platforms, which is awesome because it means more people can catch it. You can also stream the latest episodes on HBO Max whenever you want.

3. ‘Smiling Friends’ (2020– )

‘Smiling Friends’ is a hilarious animated show for adults about a small company dedicated to cheering people up – even when their problems are incredibly weird. Created by Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel, the show follows Pim, Charlie, and their colleagues as they navigate strange and funny situations. It’s visually unique, blending classic animation with 3D, stop-motion, and even live-action. Originally on Adult Swim, you can now find past seasons and new episodes on HBO Max. Its short episodes, fast-paced humor, and self-contained stories make it perfect for binge-watching.

2. ‘The Chair Company’ (2025– )

Okay, so I just finished watching ‘The Chair Company,’ and it’s… something else. It’s a really weird, funny, and surprisingly suspenseful show about this guy, Ron, who gets caught up in a huge conspiracy after a truly embarrassing moment at work. The creators, Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, have nailed this blend of awkward workplace humor and genuine mystery – it starts small, but things quickly get way out of hand. Produced by Hyperobject Industries and HBO, each episode is under an hour, and they’re dropping weekly on HBO and HBO Max. And people are watching – the premiere brought in over a million viewers and it’s already climbing the charts. Definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for something a little different.

1. ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ (2025– )

‘Welcome to Derry’ is a horror series taking place in the town of Derry, Maine, before the events of the recent ‘It’ movies. The show centers on new families and a group of kids who start to investigate strange disappearances and unsettling events connected to the creature that will eventually become Pennywise. Created by Andy and Barbara Muschietti alongside Jason Fuchs, the series expands on parts of Stephen King’s original novel. The episodes are available on HBO and HBO Max, where it quickly gained millions of viewers and became a major hit for the streaming platform.

2025-11-08 17:48