The First Of Us
Even shows not canceled before their time can sink into a memory hole as the cultural zeitgeist moves on. But HBO makes quality TV, so a lot of these forgotten shows may still be worth a look, even if they lack the eternal luster of Game Of Thrones, The Sopranos, or The Wire.
Braingames (1983–1985)
While HBO was still figuring out its demographic, it produced a series for young viewers that included educational material along with fun and games.
HBO, Braingames (1983 TV series)
The Hitchhiker (1983–1991)
As the title might suggest, a hitchhiker wanders through each episode of this anthology series devoted to tales of horror and suspense.
DIC Entertainment, The Hitchhiker (1983–1991)
Not Necessarily The News (1983–1990)
HBO did its part to open up the news-as-satire genre with comedy sketches and humorous takes on current affairs, using budding writers such as Conan O’Brien and Greg Daniels.
Moffitt-Lee Productions, Not Necessarily The News (1983–1990)
1st & Ten (1984–1991)
HBO also paved the way for a lot of football-themed series with this sitcom about the make-believe California Bulls, with stars that included Delta Burke and OJ Simpson.
The Kushner-Locke Company, 1st & Ten (1984–1991)
Tanner ’88 (1988)
Famed cartoonist Garry Trudeau teamed up with famed director Robert Altman for a not-so-famed one-season series about rising political star Jack Tanner (Michael Murphy).
Encyclopedia Brown (1989)
The long series of Encyclopedia Brown novels for young readers was the inspiration for a short series of episodes starring Scott Bremner as a kid detective. It’s a mystery why it was axed.
HBO, Encyclopedia Brown (1989)
Dream On (1990–1996)
Although the series did go on and on, this show about a divorced book editor in New York City is obscured by the long shadows cast by the co-creators’ later project, a little show called Friends.
Kevin Bright Productions, Dream On (1990–1996)
Hotel Room (1993)
David Lynch created this three-episode anthology series starring Harry Dean Stanton, Crispin Glover, and Glenn Headly. At this point, good luck finding room 603 of the Railroad Hotel.
Propaganda Films, Hotel Room (1993)
Mr Show With Bob And David (1995–1998)
The “Bob and David” are Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, who push the boundaries of sketch comedy in four seasons that have undeservedly fallen out of the public’s eye.
Dakota Pictures, Mr. Show With Bob And David (1995–1998)
Tenacious D (1997–2000)
Another three-episode outing was this occasional self-titled series with comedy rockers Jack Black and Kyle Gass on the cusp of stardom, which soon came in 2001 with their self-titled hit album.
Silvercup Studios, Tenacious D (1997–2000)
Carnivale (2003–2005)
Despite plenty of awards, this show exploring meaning and morality with a supernatural twist had its circus tour canceled by worldly forces beyond its control after just two seasons.
Classical Baby (2005–2017)
HBO offered occasional episodes of this kid’s show about art, stories, and music over a period of a dozen years—perhaps a classic case of the network not quite pinning down the finale.
HBO, Classical Baby (2005–2017)
Rome (2005–2007)
If it’s ancient Rome, it has to be big, and HBO spent a lot of silver on this series, which ran just two seasons before it was relegated to history, its past glories kept alive by pop culture scribes.
Lucky Louie (2006)
In its own way, this show turned out lucky for Louis CK, though the success that would be his awaited him on FX—after HBO dropped him after one season.
Unscripted (2005)
Three aspiring actors—played by often-improvising actors—try to make it big in LA as they face the meaning of life in this quirky comedy produced by George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh.
John From Cincinnati (2007)
John Monand (Austin Nichols) starred as a rather strange loner who shakes up a band of surfers—in a short series not quite able to ride the wave to success.
HBO, John From Cincinnati (2007)
Tell Me You Love Me (2007)
Dr May Foster (Jane Alexander) counsels three couples even as she seems to be the one who needs therapy, in a series that might have felt abandonment complex after its one season was its last.
HBO, Tell Me You Love Me (2007)
Bored To Death (2008–2011)
Despite the entertaining duo of Ted Danson and Zach Galifianakis, after three seasons, HBO closed the book on this show about a struggling writer (Jason Schwartman) turned private detective.
Dakota Pictures, Bored To Death (2008–2011)
John Adams (2008)
Starring Paul Giamatti as America’s second president, this carefully researched eight-episode miniseries portrayed a half-century of the statesman’s life and the country he helped build.
The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (2009)
In this series’ first and only season, Mma Ramotswe (Jill Scott) starts and runs Botswana’s first and only ladies’ detective agency, encountering various adventures along the way.
HBO, The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (2009)
How To Make It In America (2010–2011)
Two friends, Ben Epstein (Bryan Greenberg) and Cam Calderon (Victor Rasuk), try to make it big in New York City’s fashion scene, with two seasons on the catwalk before it was lights out.
Leverage Management, How To Make It In America (2010-11)
The Ricky Gervais Show (2010–2012)
The renowned and provocative comedian talked with cartoon characters, joined by Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, in a series rarely mentioned in the same breath as The Office.
HBO, The Ricky Gervais Show (2010–2012)
Treme (2010–2013)
The Wire helped make HBO’s reputation, but creator David Simon couldn’t strike the same success with this perfectly fine show about life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Enlightened (2011–2013)
Before Laura Dern found true success with HBO’s Big Little Lies, she played a woman who experiences spiritual enlightenment and tries to turn her life around, making for a well-received show from Mike White, who’d later create HBO’s White Lotus.
Family Tree (2013)
In this short-lived series, Christopher O’Dowd plays a man sliding down the genealogical ladder into a deep rabbit hole as the passing of a relative makes him wonder what and who came before him.
NBC Universal, Family Tree (2013)
Getting On (2013–2015)
Three seasons in a fictional chronic-care unit provided moving insights into these dedicated employees and their challenging circumstances.
Hello Ladies (2013–2014)
Stephen Merchant took a break from Ricky Gervais in this one-season show about a socially awkward Englishman struggling to find success in LA’s dating scene.
ABC Signature, Hello Ladies (2013–2014)
The Leftovers (2014–2017)
Overlapping some themes from his more famous show Lost, Damon Lindelof mapped out the often ambiguous emotional world of survivors of the “Sudden Departure,” which sure sounds a lot like the Rapture.
Warner Bros, The Leftovers (2014–2017)
Looking (2014–2015)
A kind of gay male version of HBO’s Girls, this show about twenty-something-year-old friends in San Francisco lasted just two seasons, but was popular enough to warrant a follow-up movie.
Fair Harbor Productions, Looking (2014-15)
Ballers (2015–2019)
This comedy about the business side of the NFL is easy to forget in a period when lead Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was building himself into a Fast & Furious superstar on the big screen.
The Brink (2015)
Tim Robbins and Jack Black try to prevent World War III in this comedy set in the US State Department. The show was on the brink of a second season when HBO yanked its renewal.
Togetherness (2015–2016)
Melanie Lynsky, Amanda Peet, and Abby Ryder Fortson performed together as three thirty-something-year-old friends trying to face big life issues as the clock ticked on this dramedy.
Divorce (2016–2019)
Sarah Jessica Parker in a drama about the long process of a divorce couldn’t quite garner as much attention as her more upbeat, and much more famous, previous series, so she and HBO parted ways after three seasons.
HBO, Divorce (TV series 2016-19)
Vice Principals (2016–2017)
Danny McBride and Jody Hill are school officials competing to replace a retiring principal played by Bill Murray. The show got some good marks, but HBO decided against promoting it to the next grade.
HBO, Vice Principals (2016–2017)
Room 104 (2017–2020)
Here’s another anthology series set in a hotel, but unlike David Lynch’s brief stay in his room, the Duplass brothers made 47 episodes over four seasons that already seem to be languishing in obscurity.
Camping (2018)
Adapted from the British original, this HBO series starred, among others, Jennifer Garner and David Tennant as friends on a weekend camping trip engaging in not-always-gentle group therapy.
Here And Now (2018)
A well-meaning drama about a family in Portland, Oregon dealing with personal and social conflict soon became there and then, despite starring Tim Robbins and Holly Hunter.
The Comeback (2005–2014)
After Friends, Lisa Kudrow made just 13 episodes of this brilliant comedy about a middling star pushing a reality TV show. When it first aired, many viewers couldn't resonate with it's cringe humor and commentary on celebrity culture, which were ahead of its time. However, nine years later, the show was far more appreciated and staged a comeback with a second season!
What’s Your Name Again?
Okay, so sometimes forgotten shows, even on HBO, might be deservedly forgotten. But in a world filled with quality TV, maybe cast a sympathetic eye at some of these series for what they were, and what they could’ve become.
