What are the takeaways from ranking every HBO show ever made?

Vulture

Scott Tobias and Noel Murray of Vulture spent months compiling their ranking of all 74 HBO original series, a list that put The Sopranos on top. "My nightmare version of HBO in the future is to see it become another Netflix, full of under-produced, algorithm-friendly shows that have none of the boldness and innovation that we associate with its best shows," says Tobias, reflecting on the list. "Look at the top ten here: Contemporary rivals would have been incapable of making anything like them at the time." Murray adds: "I have to say this one more time: My goodness, HBO has a really high winning percentage, at least creatively. (Ratings are a different story, alas.) Some critics and commentators used to mock the smugness of the slogan 'It’s not TV. It’s HBO.' But give the network credit. For the past 20 years especially, HBO really has lived up to its branding." ALSO: Here are 10 classic HBO shows you can watch with Amazon Prime.