Every HBO Comedy Ranked From Worst To Best

HBO, the American premium cable behemoth, is probably best known for its dramatic output, with the likes of The Sopranos, The Wire, and many, many more already in the pantheon for all-time great weighty telly. But while the network may specialise in tales of life, death, betrayal, and all that serious stuff, it’s been no slouch in terms of laughs over the years.

From sitcoms, to sketch shows, to cutting edge 21st century content, HBO’s funny business has run the gamut, bringing in creatives from around the world, and fostering relationships with the best writers and performers around.

What’s more, they’ve all but reinvented the wheel several times, with some of their shows pioneering the format of the sitcom, the freedom granted by improvisation and single camera filming, and the simple ability to say and do what you want on a premium channel with no advertisers breathing down your necks.

It’s not all been plain sailing - as we’ll see, HBO’s bold approach has left the door open for some duds - but from the sigh inducing to the side splitting, here’s our view on HBO’s comedy output.

For a while, Chris Lilley seemed like he could be the next big thing in TV comedy. His shows We Can Be Heroes and, particularly, Summer Heights High mixed cringe humour with great characters and genuine heart. There were problematic elements (Lilley, a white man, plays most of the main characters, regardless of their background), but the show was empathetic, often sweet, and most importantly funny.

Then he did the same thing again and again. Ja’mie: Private School Girl isn’t quite his nadir, but it’s a fundamental misstep. Lilley takes one of his lesser characters from Summer Heights High, builds a whole show around her, but makes little effort to add any depth or character development across the interminable six-episode run.

That would be just fine if the jokes were on point - but they’re decidedly not. Ja’mie is a spoiled brat who’s abrasive and unpleasant, and that’s it. Lilley falls into the trap of refusing to allow his co-stars to do anything other than feed him cues - he wants every laugh for himself, and in this instance, they’re few and far between.