20 Greatest HBO Shows Of All Time

Once a channel primarily known for showing premier boxing matches and comedy specials, over the last two decades HBO has become synonymous with great television. From early steps into the unknown with Oz, Sex and the City and The Sopranos to a current line-up that includes Game Of Thrones, True Detective and the mega-popular Girls, HBO has been on an unmatched winning streak when it comes to the quality of their line-up. Flops have been few and far between, with Luck being the obvious one to point out. HBO has been a home for creative people for a long time as shows are allowed to blossom even if they don't do huge ratings. Every year they seem to find a new hit show and have a number of interesting sounding shows upcoming on their production slate that are sure to keep the premium cable at the top for a long time to come. But which are the best?

It couldn't be anything else could it? David Simon's opus about the savagery of Capitalism and the failure of institutions features some of the finest drawn characters in any medium. Season 4 is the greatest television season of all time and nothing comes close to its depth, tragedy and warmth.

Whilst mostly ignored during its initial run, The Wire has since grown to be an institution itself as it is widely acknowledged as a benchmark in television. It also first introduced us to the man, the myth, the legend that is Idris Elba.