The nine most violent HBO shows
ComingSoon.net is changing the channel to figure out which HBO shows are the most violent. Check out our picks in the gallery below!
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Ever since its inception in the early 70s, nearly 50 years ago, the Home Box Office has been a name eponymous with sex, violence, and graphic content. (Of course, they’ve also responsible for putting out great comedies like Curb Your Enthusiasm and even syndicating British series like Mr. Bean.) Even before they began creating their own original shows and films, the premium cable network was spreading its wings and widening its reach across multiple continents. Now, in the year 2021, HBO represents all the greatness that the “Golden Age of Television” is capable of.
The most obvious way to see how HBO differs from regular cable networks is the sheer amount of mature content the channel is allowed to get away with—more specifically, just how violent their original programming can be. From shows about mobs to prison melodramas to Western throwbacks, the Home Box Office manages to blend great TV with strong violence across a whole plethora of genres. These are just some of the best examples.
HBO shows
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Barry (2018- )
The newest HBO show to join the ranks of these classics, Barry is about an assassin who dreams of becoming an actor—naturally, there’s plenty of splatters to be had.
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Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014)
Set in the late 1920s during the Prohibition Era in Atlantic City, Boardwalk Empire is one of the most underrated (and savage) programs to ever air on HBO.
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Deadwood (2004-2006)
Recently revived for a TV movie that doubles as a finale, Deadwood brought some of the most sadistic sequences in HBO’s history over its two yers.
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Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
While its final season will be contested for years to come, Game of Thrones proved to be a real bloody mess over its illustrious eight-year run.
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Oz (1997-2003)
One of the earliest HBO originals to really get people talking, Oz is a prison drama that refuses to shy away from the cruel nature of America’s prison system.
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The Sopranos (1999-2007)
20 years since its premiere, The Sopranos continues to impress audiences with its gripping storylines and its occasionally brutal violence.
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The Wire (2002-2008)
A crime drama from David Simon, The Wire is about as vicious as a police procedural could be.
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True Blood (2008-2014)
It’s right there in the title: True Blood is a vampire drama with so much violence and gore it’s ridiculous.
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Westworld (2016- )
The second Western in this slideshow, Westworld is actually futuristic where Deadwood is a period piece—still, the violence hits the same no matter if it’s against people or robots.
