It’s been an eventful summer. There
have been all kinds of great experiences mixed with some that were hard to
hear. Things have really become an evolution, for me at least. Expanding on
things that I’d been through this past year. For
me, it really came down to having some good cooling off time to myself.
Somewhere where I could escape. TV is one way that I love to escape. These
shows that I discovered at the end of the summer here in 2026 provide a great
way to help to escape from the troublesome world around us, all streaming on
HBO Max.
The Royal Gemstones
(2019-2025)
TV-MA
Created by Danny
McBride
There
are some great moments in this show created by and starring Danny McBride. The
antics are packed with some revealing factors that show off answers to some of
the questions I’ve always had about the modern world. It’s an interesting take
on the way rich people are living, with high stakes games and laid back
attitudes.
As
people are growing into more consistent lifestyles, it’s good to have something
to hold onto from the young dreams that a lot of people in my generation have
had. This show gives homage to some of the factors that have really molded our
generation, and attempts to expose some of the curvature of the secret lives of
the rich.
Awkwafina is Nora
From Queens
(2020-2023)
TV-MA
Created by Awkwafina
and Teresa Hsiao
Superstar
Awkwafina is constantly bringing something cool to the table. In this show, her
take on a bridging-on-thirty woman still living with the people who raised her at
her home in Queens has a lot to say about the way people are really doing their
thing in this world full of big schemes and ambitious dreamers. Awkwafina is
your average American homegirl living the life of someone whose struggle to be
successful has left her with a thoughtful mind. Chasing her dreams is something
Nora never stops doing. Her message serves as a call to action for people to
realize what’s really going on in some of the deeper places in modern America.
The Chair Company
(2025-)
TV-MA
Created by Tim Robinson
and Zach Kanin
Tim Robinson
likes to keep things exciting. A dystopian take on a body of skepticism that
flows with tension with fluidity. The mysterious conspiracies that the main
character, Tim Robinson’s William Trosper, deals with are slowly taking their
toll on him, as he’s faced with wave after wave of responsibilities that act
like knives steadily digging into the psyche of Robinson’s average American
businessman.
The
intricacies of the normal world are exposed and turned into a vast array of
exciting and listless situations that appeal to the curious mind. Playing constant
games of cat and mouse that are thrilling and debilitating at the same time.
The energy of the show provides consistency to a plot that grows deeper with
every turn.
Room 104
(2017-2020)
TV-MA
Created by Jay
Duplass and Mark Duplass
An ironic
place full of wisdom brought to you by the legendary Duplass brothers. The
quirky characters spark in their own individual ways. It makes a small world seem
very large. Providing a window into a small portion of the lives of some very complicated
people. It’s a dramatic exploration in a situational placement that is fun and
clever, with the world around the characters consuming much more than meets the
eye.
