For some time, American cable network HBO has been a hallmark of quality for television. News Hit looks back at some of the more popular HBO programs of all time. Angels in America (2003) Based on Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, Angels in America is a moving and generally outstanding mini-series. The series centers around two couples and their eroding relationships amidst the 1985 AIDS epidemic and the transforming society. While Angels in America must be admired for its emotional storyline, beautiful cinematography or powerful themes; it must also be best praised for it’s impressive cast. Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Patrick Wilson, Emma Thompson as well as Weeds stars Mary Louise-Parker and Justin Kirk all produce excellent performances in this adaptation of the seven-hour long play, and the effort has not gone unrecognized. In 2004 the show won eleven Emmy Awards, with this entire primary cast being nominated for an award (many of the actors were up against their own co-stars for the award).While the show may not be an easy (or particularly quick) watch, it is definitely worth a view. Daniel Coghlan

Deadwood (2004-2006) The township of Deadwood, South Dakota was a hell of a place to be in the mid-1870s, and its outlaw citizenry of drunks, gunslingers, gamblers, whores and dissolutes is captured to perfection in this thrilling and deeply engaging series. Based on real events and personages, Deadwood revolves around loony saloonkeeper Al Swearengen (a singularly menacing Ian McShane) and the nefarious dealings of his band of cutthroat reprobates. Amidst the violence and squalor, however, a series of rich and complex characters soon spring, and many of the performances from the immensely talented ensemble cast are career-defining. Deadwood won’t be to everyone’s tastes however; as it’s profane, libidinous, gritty and confronting. It’s also one of the most ambitious and flawlessly-enacted TV shows of recent memory, and even upon multiple viewings remains as visceral and immediate as the rot-gut whiskey so beloved of its constituents. David Murcott

Entourage (2004-????) Sex, drugs and Hollywood; this show has it all. Doug Ellin’s Entourage, based loosely upon actor Mark Wahlberg’s (he’s also the EP of the show) rise to fame, is a sleek, sexy and downright fun portrayal of the lives of movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his three best friends, or; his Entourage. Showing off the carefree lifestyle that pretty much every man on the planet would give just about anything up for, Entourage sneaks a peak into the world of some of the biggest stars on the planet. Capped off with an outstanding performance by Jeremy Piven as Vince’s manager Ari Gold, as well as the occasional performance by the very fine Emmanuelle Chriqui, Entourage has cemented itself as one of my favorite shows of the past few years. Let’s hug it out, bitch! Chris Tyler

Flight of the Concords (2007) This musical-comedy series, brought to us by Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement (New Zealand’s fourth most popular folk parody duo of the same name), has garnered a cult-like following. The series follows Bret and Jermaine, along with their manager Murray (Rhys Darby), as they try to make a name for the band in New York City. Their eccentric friend Dave (Arj Barker), as well as their biggest (and perhaps only) fan Mel, help the duo face the “inner city pressure” and assist them in their successes (and failures). What makes the series so successful is not only the hilarious and charming characters, but also the way Bret and Jermaine incorporate their catchy songs into the story (e.g. “Business Time” and “Sugalumps”; You’ll be laughing and bopping your head simultaneously.) Stephanie-Bowie Liew

Generation Kill (2008) “You know what sucks? All those dead people we saw today and I didn’t get to shoot one of ‘em,” In Generation Kill, the seven-part HBO mini-series set in the Iraq war; David Simon and Ed Burns (also the creators of amazing cop show The Wire) have painted an ultra realistic portrait of this new breed of men at war. Based on a true story and told through the eyes of embedded Rolling Stone magazine reporter Even Wright, Generation Kill is an uncompromising roller coaster tale of what Wright calls “America’s first generation of disposable children,” the men from the first reconnaissance US Marines, whose job it was to spearhead the invasion of Iraq. Instead of typical war heroes you have seen a million times however, the heroes of Generation Kill are the men that are able to keep their sanity and do their job in a mission so immoral and fraught with corruption that you can’t look away. Tom Campbell

Hung (2009-????) The first season of the comedy/drama Hung follows protagonist Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane), a basketball coach at a suburban high school in Detroit who has his house engulfed by fire and his dignity eaten away by his ex-wife. While struggling to support his teenage twins, Ray turns to prostitution with the help of his large penis. With filmmaker Alexander Payne (About Schmidt, Sideways) on board, the series held up its audiences interest with quirky characters in bizarre situations; in particular his pimp Tanya Skagle (Jane Adams). The second season of Hung is currently airing in the states. Ben Plymin

In Treatment (2008) In Treatment is riveting television: unusually intelligent, fiercely honest and almost unbearably tense, Executive producer Rodrigo García’s remake of the 2005 Israeli series BeTipulshows just how shallow and manipulative most television is with its richly detailed portrait of individuals struggling with crisis, especially Gabriel Byrne’s Paul, an honest, perceptive but increasingly aggravated therapist who admits, “I am losing patience with my patients.” HBO broadcasts the series five episodes a week- each representing a single session with Paul- and the series takes its time to develop and enrich its characters with extraordinary depth and precision, allowing its characters to change with unpredictability over the two-month period of a season. The underrated Byrne has often struggled to find challenging, interesting roles, but he is just terrific as the damaged therapist as are the supporting cast- including Dianne Wiest as Paul’s former therapist, mentor and colleague, Alice in Wonderland star Mia Washikowska as troubled teen gymnast and Josh Charles and Embeth Davidtz as a bickering couple. Andrew Moraitis

John from Cincinnati (2007) John from Cincinnati is a single season HBO drama by Deadwood writer/producer David Milch and surf novelist Kem Nunn. The show deals with John Monad; a mysterious young man, and the effect he has on the dysfunctional family of professional surfers; the Yost’s, as well as the community they live in. Immediately into the series, strange things start happening. Butchie Yost, a heroin addict, doesn't suffer withdrawal symptoms and Mitch Yost, his distant father, starts to spontaneously levitate. Slowly, other people around the Yost’s are drawn into these strange occurrences. Boasting a genius cast, John From Cincinnati examines the connections that tie people together, and shows what happens to damaged people when a force of healing comes into their lives. Tom Campbell

Oz (1997-2003) Spanning over six memorable seasons, HBO’s prison-drama Oz, created by Tom Fontana, is a US classic that will forever be known for its tremendous brutality and raw depiction of the American prison system. Set in Emerald City, the maximum-security wing of Oswald State Correctional Facility (formerly Oswald State Penitentiary), Oz chronicles the alliances and enemies of the inmates, most of whom are living dead-end lives with no chance of leaving Oz before they die. One of the quirks of Oz is that it is narrated by one of the inmates, Augustus Hill. Although somewhat of a secondary character, Augustus appears in a number of bizarre, dreamlike segments in each episode, discussing directly to the audience the themes and issues of each episode, generally in a philosophical and omniscient way. Although this style of narration may not be the most popular method of thematic discussion; I for one don’t like it, it does allow for a clear introduction of each new character as well as what they have been convicted of. Oz plays a very important role in the history of HBO, as it was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by the premium cable-television network and still remains one of its greatest ever successes. Chris Tyler

Sex and the City (1998-2004) The iconic and trend-setting Sex and the City series was like a dream come true for all fashionistas out there. It was a sure-fire win with its subject-combining themes such as sex, work (whenever they actually get to it), clothes (lots of it!) and shoes (Manolo Blahniks, anyone?). And no, I haven't forget, men. It's a show that doesn't pretend to be anything else but a series of long fashion shows and relationship counseling sessions. And no, I don't mean this in a bad way but in a rather good-humored way. Although I miss the series, I believe it ended while it was still at the top, which may not necessarily be a bad thing. Ching Yee Choo

Sex and the City (1998-2004) Despite the fact that the phenomenon now fondly known as SATC was nominated for more than 50 Emmy Awards and 24 Golden Globe Awards, and was the first cable comedy show to take top honors in its category, I only began watching HBO’s headlining program in 2006, long after the final episode of the series was aired in the U.S, but still long before the idea of bringing the Manhattan girls to the big screen was even a pipe dream. Like many other girls my age, I at first didn’t understand why a series following the lives of four, single, 30-something girls from Manhattan, each highly opinionated and with a penchant for fashion and men, was so successful. I mean on paper, it wasn’t exactly an original concept. By the time I could stay up late and watch whatever I wanted on TV, it was 2 years after the show had wrapped up, so the fashions from 1998 onwards were no longer outrageous, just outrageously hideous. However, although the fashions may not always be considered timeless, the men were. Big, now 50-something, still makes the hearts of 20-somethings flutter as he lights up the silver screen 12 years later. SATC shows that whilst relationships change, the issues that define them don’t. So whether you are single or married, gay or straight, aware or confused, there is an episode of SATC that we can all relate to. Laura MacIntosh

Six Feet Under (2001-2005) Six Feet Under is an American drama created and Produced by Alan Ball (True Blood) that deals with such issues as interpersonal relationships, infidelity, and religion whilst at the same time, managing to be distinguished by its unblinking focus on the topic of death, which it explores on multiple levels (personal, religious, philosophical and existential). The show revolves around the family of a recently deceased funeral director as they struggle to come to terms with his loss and try to manage the family business. The show raises big questions about life and death and is full of dark humour and surrealism to the point of magic realism that focuses on human mortality and the lives of those who deal with it on a daily basis. It is an outstanding and compelling drama full of complex characters. Tom Campbell

Summer Heights High (2007) In 2008, HBO adopted the rights for Australia’s home-grown comedy Summer Heights High. Written, produced and acted by Chris Lilley, this controversial mockumentary reveals the lives of two students and a teacher at Summer Heights High School. Surrounded by mainly non-actors, Chris Lilley plays the three mains: private-school transfer student; Ja’mie King, an over-enthusiastic drama teacher; Mr G and 13-year old Tongan student Jonah Takalua. This surrounding of amateurs certainly helps to create a sense of realism amongst the hilarity that is Lilley’s three main characters. Summer Heights High fuses satire with typical exaggerated Australian humor, as it captures the issues that encompass high school; from class rebels and school formal committees, to controversial school productions about sluts and ecstasy. Daniel Coghlan

Tenacious D (1999-2000) If anybody has seen the Tenacious D film Pick of Destiny, there is almost no need to watch the original and somewhat short lived HBO comedy series, as the two are essentially identical; sharing characters, settings and even many well-known songs. The reason these two are so similar, however, is because after HBO told the Tenacious Duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass (the aptly known JB and KG respectively) that they would have to forfeit their role as executive producers, the two stuck it to the man and made the film instead, hence why the show only ever had six produced episodes. A good decision? Being quite a fan of the film, I’d say yeah, probably. Regardless of the lack of episodes, however, Tenacious D is a surreal and fun series that, if you loved the film, or even Jack Black in general, you should definitely check it out! Chris Tyler

True Blood (2008-????) True Blood is essentially an R-rated soap opera … with vampires. The storyline is thin and overly dramatic and the acting is often sub-par. But how can you notice when you are so hypnotised by this twisted, gory (and often sexy) drama. Set in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the story follows the life of Sookie (Anna Paquin, X-Men), a mind-reading pub waitress, and her relationship with newly ‘out of the coffin’ vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer). Not to mention the shape shifters, vampire-blood dealers, demonic fiends and their possessed followers that surround her. True Blood is about to enter its third season, and its anxious fans are awaiting more debauched and devilish plot lines - it’s not likely to disappoint. Daniel Coghlan

The Wire (2002-2008) The Wire, HBO's revolutionary series created by David Simon and Ed Burns (Homicide: Life on the streets, The Corner), is truly one of the most incomparable television series ever created. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, the five season run followed a number of characters within the legitimate and illegitimate lives of the police department, the city ports, the school system, the drug trade and the city government officials. Staring such names as Dominic West and Idris Elba, the series was unique for its realistic portrayal of urban lifestyle; ones that are so different, yet so similar. Ben Plymin