In any given month, the list of the 10 most popular shows on Max tends to have a turnover of around six to seven shows. August is no different. However, House of the Dragon is still hanging around at No. 2 on this list despite the fact that the season 2 finale aired earlier this month. That’s very good staying power for the first Game of Thrones prequel series. That’s also why HBO and Max have a third series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, coming next year.
Currently, the most popular show on HBO and Max is Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears. Leave it to the NFL to keep fans engaged even during the offseason, as this sports documentary has been a perennial performer for over two decades. Another big addition this month is Industry, which recently aired its third season premiere. It’s currently at No. 8 on the list, but perhaps it can move up.
Keep reading for our complete countdown of the 10 most popular shows on Max as of August 15.
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, the best shows on Netflix, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Amazon Prime, and the best movies on Disney+. 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. Deadliest Catch (2005)
9. Unexpected (2017)
If you’ve ever seen MTV’s Teen Mom, then the premise of Unexpected will not be that shocking. This reality show takes a more serious approach to the subject matter as teen mothers and young fathers have to come to terms about what they’ve gotten themselves into.
Having a baby doesn’t just affect the underage parents in a vacuum. It affects everyone in the family, and raises some big questions about whether teenagers can handle the pressure that comes with raising young ones of their own.
8. Industry (2020)
76%
7.2/10Is Industry going to be HBO’s next Succession? That’s asking a lot of any series, particularly one that’s already heading into season 3. However, HBO did bring Game of Thrones‘ Kit Harington into the cast this year, so that should tell you something about how the network values it.
The show follows a group of young adults working in the ultracompetitive investment banking scene in London. Cutthroat doesn’t even begin to describe it, and one wrong move can tank a promising career without any warning.
7. In the Eye of the Storm (2024)
6. 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way (2019)
5. Welcome to Plathville (2019)
Welcome to Plathville follows Kim and Barry Plath and their nine children, most of whom are adults. The elder Plaths have denied their kids access to pop culture and television, but they’ve also invited this reality TV show into their lives. How’s that for a contradiction?
It’s a lot easier to side with the grown children on this show as they break away from their parents’ control and chart the course of their own lives. So of course, the elder Plaths take all of the credit for their children’s success.
4. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014)
76%
8.9/10April 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Comedy Central is probably still kicking itself that Oliver wasn’t signed to take over The Daily Show from Jon Stewart. Oliver has had staying power in the realm of late-night comedy and politics, and his series continues to be among the most popular shows on HBO and Max.
Presidential election years tend to bring out the best of Oliver, and 2024’s election cycle is already poised to be strange. It’s hard to come up with great comedy when reality is so absurd, but Oliver and his collaborators have been keeping us laughing for years.
3. Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth? (2024)
Taken Together is one of those true crime shows that reminds us that real evil exists, and we still don’t know how to deal with it. In 2012, someone kidnapped and murdered a pair of cousins, Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins, who were 10-years-old and 8-years-old, respectively.
This documentary series features a look back at the initial discovery and the over seven-year investigation, with interviews of people close to the case.
2. House of the Dragon (2022)
73%
8.4/10The stakes have escalated in House of the Dragon season 2, and the Game of Thrones prequel series has jumped into a Targaryen civil war. The birthright of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) has been stolen by her half-brother, King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney). But the real battle of the wills is between Rhaenyra and her former friend, Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke).
Atrocities have been committed on both sides even before the dragons have come out to play. Now, Rhaenyra can’t even count on her husband, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). And if they can’t stand together, they may fall apart.
1. Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears (2001)
Until someone can knock off the Chiefs, the road to the Super Bowl runs through Kansas City. But the other teams in the league still deserve their shot. The NFL’s long-running Hard Knocks is back for another mini-season that follows the Chicago Bears through this year’s training camp.
Although the Bears have a history that goes back over 100 years, the team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020. The Bears also finished 2023 with only seven wins, so the team will have to figure out how to win more games if they want to reclaim their former glory.
