3 excellent HBO Max shows you should totally binge this week (April 6

There’s no denying that HBO Max has produced some of the best TV series of all time, with compelling stories that linger long after the credits roll. And since the streamer ended 2025 with over 130 million subscribers, it’s clear that there’s still a healthy appetite for the prestige storytelling it offers.

If you’re looking for a series to check out this week, these HBO Max shows offer the perfect escape, along with some enlightening real-life wonders.

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Mel Brooks: the 99-year-old man!

“I was born to make people laugh,” comedy legend Mel Brooks says in one of the incredible archival interviews in HBO Max’s new two-part documentary series. Mel Brooks: the 99-year-old man! Brooks, EGOT winner and genius behind cinematic riots such as Flaming Saddles, Space ballsAnd Young Frankensteingets a well-deserved tribute from comedy heavyweights Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, who also brought us the Emmy Award The American dream of George Carlin doc.

The 99-year-old man! is a love letter to the living legend that unfolds chronologically through his storied career, from his experiences in World War II, to his time writing about Sid Caesar. Show show and the birth of his iconic routing “2,000 Year Old Man”, which he performed with Carl Reiner, to becoming the godfather of spoof comedy films in the 70s, to his success on Broadway with The producersand beyond.

The documentary features hilarious and candid interviews with Brooks himself, as well as some of the biggest names in comedy who adore the King of Comedy, including Ben Stiller, Dave Chappelle, Nick Kroll, Sarah Silverman and Jerry Seinfeld. With the long-awaited sequel to Space balls in preparation, the timing couldn’t be better for a documentary paying tribute to this giant.

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I know it’s true

Mark Ruffalo’s Emmy-winning double performance

There are few things more appealing to actors than a juicy, intense dual role. That being said, there are few actors with the chops to succeed aside from Mark Ruffalo, who won an Outstanding Lead Actor Emmy for his stunning portrayal of twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey, 40, in the 2020 HBO limited series. I know it’s true.

Adapted from Wally Lamb’s bestselling 1998 novel of the same name, the six-episode psychological family drama is set in 1990s Connecticut as Dominick struggles with the care of schizophrenic Thomas, who committed a shocking act that landed him in a psychiatric prison. But Dominick is also working through his own issues, including the trauma of growing up in an abusive home and the recent tragic death of his infant daughter that ended his marriage to Dessa (the excellent Kathryn Hahn).

Alright, this isn’t exactly light weekly viewing, but Ruffalo’s chemistry with himself is legendary as the twins, and apparently he shot all of his scenes as Dominick and then took a six-week break to gain 30 pounds to do the Thomas scenes.

I know it’s true

Release date

2020 – 2019

Network

HBO

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  Marc Ruffalo

  Dominick Birdsey / Thomas Birdsey

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  Rob Huebel

  Concettina Ipolita Tempesta ‘Ma’ Birdsey

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  Catherine Hahn

  Boyfriend of Dr. Hume’s daughter

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The leftovers

A deliciously mind-blowing supernatural mystery

If you are a fan of mind-blowing existential series, which jump on reality, like Lost, Dark, or more recent masterpieces like Pluribusthen roll up your sleeves and buckle up for what has been considered one of the best shows of the mid-2010s, the supernatural mystery thriller The leftovers. Co-created by LostFrom Damon Lindelof, the three-season series begins three years after a global event called “Sudden Departure”, in which 2% of the planet’s population inexplicably disappears.

Based on Tom Perrotta’s bestselling 2011 novel of the same name about The Rapture, the series is less about understanding the how or the why; rather, it focuses on what it has done to society, religion, power, and how those left behind deal with it. It’s sometimes a surreal spectacle, and like Darkyou have to pay attention because the show plays with time and space, moving from the present to the future and even alternate planes of reality.

The series primarily focuses on a police officer named Kevin Garvey, played perfectly by Justin Theroux, and Nora Durst, a woman whose entire family was taken away from her, played with equal excellence by Carrie Coon. The leftovers was a critical darling and features one of the most satisfying series finales of all time. It has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is a must-watch for cerebral-minded TV fans.

The leftovers

Release date

2014 – 00/00/2017

Showrunner

Damon Lindeloff

Writers

Damon Lindelof, Tom Perrotta

This week’s picks should make you laugh, bite your nails, and think seriously about life, the universe, and everything in between. But at the end of the day, you will be totally entertained.

Subscription with advertisements

Yes, $10.99/month

Concurrent streams

2 or 4

HBO Max is a subscription streaming service featuring content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC and more. In 2025, the service rebranded itself as HBO Max after previously dropping “HBO” from its name.