Top 5 Binge-Worthy Shows On HBO Max This Week (September 15, 2025)

These are Screen Rant’s top picks for the greatest TV shows and limited series to watch only on HBO Max for the week of September 15, 2025.

This week’s roundup includes a slate of Emmy contenders and winners, some of which took home some of the top prizes of the night at the recent 2025 Emmy Awards.

Also, check out our top TV choices to stream this week on Prime Video, Hulu on Disney+, and Netflix, and catch up on some highly bingeable HBO Max shows that you can watch in just one weekend.

The Rehearsal

The Rehearsal may not have walked away from the 2025 Emmy Awards with any big wins, but it still remains one of the best comedy series (and documentary series) on HBO Max. Created by and starring Nathan Fielder, The Rehearsal provided some of the most shocking moments of TV in 2025. If you know, you know.

The Rehearsal is based on a social experiment developed by mastermind Nathan Fielder. In season 2, Nathan chooses to address the infrequent but real-world problem involving accidental passenger plane crashes. Nathan comes up with a hypothesis that plane crashes happen largely due to a lack of communication between co-pilots in the cockpit. Nathan puts his theory to the test in truly unbelievable ways that you have to see to believe.

If you like Fielder’s signature brand of deadpan troll humor that knows no bounds, then The Rehearsal is perfect for you. His work in season 2 has been called his most ambitious project yet, in which Nathan goes far beyond the traditional demands of an actor, director, or showrunner to create a wildly entertaining product. The Rehearsal lost the Directing in a Comedy Series award to The Studio at the 2025 Emmys, an award that it was arguably deserving of for what Fielder actually did for the show.

The Rehearsal might be HBO’s biggest snub of the 2025 Emmys, but it was up against some pretty stiff competition. Still, it’s incredibly captivating and creates a viewing experience that is absolutely one-of-a-kind and unlike anything else, designed to shock you and make you laugh in such unexpected ways.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver took home 2 Emmys this year – Best Scripted Variety Series and Best Writing for a Variety Series – adding to its remarkable total and bringing it up to 32. The series is currently in its twelfth season and will air its season finale on HBO on September 21, 2025.

Although it’s more or less a current events show, there’s more than enough going on in the world to make Last Week Tonight with John Oliver relevant across its various seasons. Starting your binge-watch on season 1, which was released back in 2014, may not be the best move, considering you’d have 394 more episodes to get through. That said, going back in time a bit could offer a unique perspective on where we were as a country and where we are today.

If you’re just looking for the most current season, that would be season 12, which begins with the “Trump 2.0” episode that was released on February 12, 2025. That remains one of the standout episodes of this latest season, along with “Health Agency Cuts”, “Deportation”, and “Trump & The Press.” After yet another Emmy win, the season 12 finale is sure to be a must-watch episode coming up this Sunday.

Somebody Somewhere

Somebody Somewhere finally earned its flowers (and Emmy recognition) at the 2025 ceremony last weekend. As one of HBO’s most underrated shows, actor Jeff Hiller earned his first-ever Emmy win for himself and for the celebrated HBO drama series, which also won a Peabody Award in 2024.

Somebody Somewhere earned a Certified Fresh perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score for all three of its seasons. Since the show ended after three seasons, it will always have a perfect RT score for the entire show, a rare feat that very few series in TV history can claim to have accomplished.

Somebody Somewhere is one of those shows that you could binge-watch in just a few sittings. Since there are only 21 total episodes, and each is about half an hour long, you’ll fly through the series before the weekend hits if you start watching tonight.

The series is very much a dramedy in that it will have you laughing and crying all within the same episode. While Hiller is the Emmy winner, the series stars Bridget Everett as Sam, a woman living in Kansas who finds belonging with a group of outsiders and misfits. The series is incredibly grounded, real, heartfelt, and will make you feel just about every feeling there is.

Hacks

Hacks had yet another big night at the 2025 Emmys, especially for star actress Jean Smart, who picked up her fourth consecutive Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy for her role as veteran comedian Deborah Vance. It also marked the first win for her co-star Hannah Einbinder, who finally took home the Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series prize with her fourth nomination.

Hacks did not end up winning Outstanding Comedy Series this time around after taking home the prize last year, dethroning The Bear, (which is still not a comedy, for the record). Although Hacks lost the top Comedy prize to The Studio, it placed Jean Smart in a rarified category of 4-time Emmy winners who have won for the same role. She now has 7 total Emmys in her illustrious career.

Hacks season 4 was acknowledged at the 2025 Emmys, but the entire series is truly fantastic and completely worth a binge-watch, whether it’s the first time or far from it. While Smart and Einbinder are the stars of the show, there is a wide ensemble of hilarious characters, including Julianne Nicholson, who won a Guest Actress (Comedy) Emmy this year, and comedic legends like Carol Burnett and Jimmy Kimmel.

The Pitt

The Pitt was the biggest winner of the night at the 2025 Emmys in the drama category. Lead star Noah Wyle took home his first Emmy win for his role as Dr. Michael Robinavitch, and the series also won Best Drama Series, beating out the other frontrunner, Severance.

The Pitt consists of 15 episodes, making it more of a procedural series than what you typically see on most streaming platforms nowadays. Like Shōgun last year, it won the top prize of all Drama Series in its very first season, which is a great sign for its second season that premieres in January 2026.

The Pitt takes a remarkable look at all that happens at a Pittsburgh hospital over the course of just one 15-hour shift. The innovative approach to the series rivals that of the classic political thriller 24. Clearly, as evidenced by The Pitt’s surprise Emmy victory, this is the type of show that not only gains massive viewership but can also capture the biggest award in television.

Wyle wasn’t the only big winner at the 2025 Emmys representing The Pitt. The first surprise of the night was Katharine LaNasa winning Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, defeating 4 individual nominees for The White Lotus, another celebrated HBO franchise, in the process.

The Pitts’ multiple wins at the 2025 Emmys made a statement that could end up changing what types of shows major streamers like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon will continue to invest in and produce. Even if you’ve already seen The Pitt, take a victory lap this week in celebration of its groundbreaking night at the 2025 Emmys by binge-watching it only on HBO Max.