“It’s not TV. It’s HBO.
It’s the slogan of the premium cable network that single-handedly changed the television landscape forever and ushered in the Peak TV era. The Home Box Office turned 50 in November 2022, and Variety celebrated its Golden Year by ranking the best performances in its history.
Disclaimer: We only include performances of dramas, comedies and limited series that are no longer airing or have ended. So don’t expect this current roster to include Zendaya (“Euphoria”), Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”) or Larry David (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and many more who are still in the running. This list will be updated as series come to the end of their broadcasts.
Now a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO (now called Max) is the oldest subscription television service in the United States. Launched on November 8, 1972, over the past 50 years, HBO has produced some of television’s finest creations – while also splitting into many phases and facets of itself – starring some of Hollywood’s biggest names.
HBO holds the record for the most Emmy wins in a single year, alongside “Game of Thrones,” with 12, which it won in 2015, 2016, and 2019. The show also has the most wins for a drama series in history with 59, and the most for a single episode – “Battle of the Bastards”, which won six, and tied with “Boardwalk Empire”.
For individual acting roles, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ turn as Vice President (and eventual Madam President) Selina Meyer in “Veep” won the most awards for a single role, with six for comedy. of lead actress. Additionally, “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage is tied for the most wins ever in supporting actor drama for his work as Tyrion Lannister (with four).
HBO made us laugh (Garry Shandling in “The Larry Sanders Show”), cry (Michaela Coel in “I May Destroy You”) and feel fear (John Kassir in “Tales from the Crypt”). It left us spellbound (James Gandolfini in ‘The Sopranos’), a state of anxiety (Carrie Coon in ‘The Leftovers’) and even total confusion about how we feel about a character (Jeremy Piven in ‘Entourage’ ).
We hope that HBO will continue to strengthen its presence in the television medium. But what’s on the horizon for the premium cable network, and with HBO’s streaming home, HBO Max, merging with Discovery+, how will its legacy unfold? The answer to this remains to be determined.
We’re Nervous But Hopeful: And as long as Max continues to do shows like the recently defunct “Succession” and “Barry,” and continues to produce jaw-dropping shows like “Euphoria” and “Hacks,” the brand mission will remain intact.
Read Variety list of HBO’s top 61 TV series performances (since 1972) below.
Honorable mentions: Kristin Davis (“Sex and the City”); Woody Harrelson (“True Detective”); Frances McDormand (“Olive Kitteridge”); Mary Louise-Parker (“Angels in America”); Andre Royo (“The Wire”); Alexander Skarsgård (“Big Little Lies”); John Turturro (“The Night of”); Dominic West (“The Wire”); Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”); Henry Winkler (“Barry”)
Updated: May 29, 2023