These are the 23 best HBO shows of all time, according to critics

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1. "The Larry Sanders Show" (1992-98), six seasons

1. "The Larry Sanders Show" (1992-98), six seasons

Average Metacritic score: 95

"Razor-edged satire of late-night talk TV from people with an ear for truth and a taste for blood." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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2. "The Sopranos" (1999-2007), six seasons

2. "The Sopranos" (1999-2007), six seasons

Average Metacritic score: 94.5

"Combining dark comedy and psychological drama, the show achieves a fresh tone to match its irresistibly winning concept." — The New York Times

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3. "The Wire" (2002-08), five seasons

3. "The Wire" (2002-08), five seasons

Average Metacritic score: 91.8

"It slowly develops into an engrossing look at the methodical nature of police work and the limits of individualism." — Time

4. "The Night Of" (2016), one-season miniseries

4. "The Night Of" (2016), one-season miniseries

Metacritic score: 90

"As complicated and layered as life itself, 'The Night Of' is an instant classic." — TV Insider

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5. "Insecure" (2016-present), two seasons

5. "Insecure" (2016-present), two seasons

Metacritic score: 87

"It's a smart and often funny look at young people looking for love and professional satisfaction in Los Angeles, which is about as common a genre as TV has to offer these days. But taken in the totality of the TV landscape, Rae's voice is one that wasn't being heard and that voice is what makes 'Insecure' stand out, not necessarily as better than the Emmy winners or critical favorites in the field, but as gratifyingly distinguishable." — The Hollywood Reporter

6. "Silicon Valley" (2014-present), four seasons

6. "Silicon Valley" (2014-present), four seasons

Average Metacritic score: 86.3

"Silicon Valley is a comedy, certainly, and a very funny one, but it doesn't spend all its time reminding you of the fact." — LA Times

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7. "Band of Brothers" (2001), one-season miniseries

7. "Band of Brothers" (2001), one-season miniseries

Metacritic score: 86

Audience score: 9.3

"It doesn't even look like a TV miniseries — it's more like 10 theatrical films that do an amazing job re-creating battles." — Deseret News

8. "Deadwood" (2004-06), three seasons

8. "Deadwood" (2004-06), three seasons

Average Metacritic score: 86

Audience score: 9.2

"To call 'Deadwood' great television doesn't begin to do it justice." — Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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9. "The Pacific" (2010), one-season miniseries

9. "The Pacific" (2010), one-season miniseries

Metacritic score: 86

Audience score: 7.7

"Certain moments may verge on cliche (and once in a while, the dialogue is a little corny), but overall, 'The Pacific' is crafted and acted with such loving devotion that it's hard to find fault with its sincerity and sentimental forays." — Chicago Tribune

10. "The Deuce" (2017-present), one season

10. "The Deuce" (2017-present), one season

Metacritic Score: 86

Audience score: 7.6

"A dark character drama, it’s a show for viewers who enjoy a deep dive into a culture, one that in this instance, happens to be ugly and exploitative." -Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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11. "Mr. Show with Bob and David" (1995-99), four seasons

11. "Mr. Show with Bob and David" (1995-99), four seasons

Metacritic score: 86

Audience score: N/A

"Manages to be outrageous and innovative at the same time." — New York Daily News

12. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2000-present), nine seasons

12. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2000-present), nine seasons

Average Metacritic score: 85.4

"An insanely funny romp thanks to its unique storytelling technique and an inspired performance by the star." — Chicago Tribune

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13. "Game of Thrones" (2011-present), seven seasons

13. "Game of Thrones" (2011-present), seven seasons

Average Metacritic score: 85.1

"The show beautifully depicts a massive game of musical chairs, a world at war with doom ever present just across the border." — The Boston Globe

14. "Show Me a Hero" (2015), one-season miniseries

14. "Show Me a Hero" (2015), one-season miniseries

Metacritic score: 85

"It's like a procedural drama, about the drama of procedure — it isn't ever dry. There are some superbly mounted, loud, crowded big scenes — [David] Simon is a great orchestrator of chaos — but there is an intensity to the quieter, more private moments as well. I wouldn't trade it for a bushel barrel of tortured detectives or all the kings and queens in Westeros." — LA Times

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15. "Extras" (2005-07), two seasons

15. "Extras" (2005-07), two seasons

Average Metacritic score: 84.5

Audience score: 8.5

"The most original and brilliant show on television." — The New Republic

16. "Enlightened" (2011-13), two seasons

16. "Enlightened" (2011-13), two seasons

Average Metacritic score: 84.5

Audience score: 7.2

"A black comedy working many shades of gray, 'Enlightened' is about dark mornings of the soul and the fool's-golden glow of the new convert, and it measures the weight of the world with an eccentric scale." — Slate

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17. "Veep" (2012-present), six seasons

17. "Veep" (2012-present), six seasons

Average Metacritic score: 83.1

"The series reserves its most blistering humor for the universal narcissism on display, always distracting from the real work at hand." — Slant Magazine

18. "Treme" (2010-13), four seasons

18. "Treme" (2010-13), four seasons

Average Metacritic score: 82.3

"From scene to scene, 'Treme' is novelistic in the best sense — a long, complex, involving story that takes a while to settle into, but that you can't put down and don't want to end." — Salon

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19. "Boardwalk Empire" (2010-14), five seasons

19. "Boardwalk Empire" (2010-14), five seasons

Average Metacritic score: 81.2

"Like a good whiskey, it's rough and smooth in all the right ways. By a few episodes in, you'll want to order it by the case." — Time

20. "The Leftovers" (2014-17), three seasons

20. "The Leftovers" (2014-17), three seasons

Average Metacritic score: 81

Audience score: 8.3

"None of this would work without compelling characters. Fortunately, 'The Leftovers' has bunches of them." — The AV Club

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21. "Getting On" (2013-15), three seasons

21. "Getting On" (2013-15), three seasons

Average Metacritic score: 81

Audience score: 7.8

"It's a dark and astonishing gem of a show, with a bravely skillful cast juggling the petty obsessions of the workplace with Much Bigger Issues." — LA Times

22. "High Maintenance" (2016), one season

22. "High Maintenance" (2016), one season

Metacritic score: 81

Audience score: 6.2

"'High Maintenance' stands out, not just because it's on the front end of what is apparently a reefer TV trend, but because it's so precisely made and has such an ambling, open heart." — Vulture

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23. "Dream On" (1990-96), six seasons

23. "Dream On" (1990-96), six seasons

Metacritic score: 80

"This is a rare TV union where cast, writers, and directors appear to be of a single comedic mind; the humorous results speak for themselves." — LA Times