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It’s a new year, and with that comes twelve fresh months of all the TV you can handle. HBO may have a lot more company in the prestige TV game than ever before, but that’s not going to make them back down from an aggressive 2016 schedule. If you watched their 2015 year-ender video — and can we take a moment and reflect on how dependably excellent those HBO year-enders are? If that network knew what was good for it, they’d make their whole library of year-enders available to stream; I might not get anything done ever — you caught tantalizing glimpses of everything they’ve got lined up for the new year, and it is indeed exciting.
So when will our HBO GO or HBO NOW be overflowing with these new and returning shows this year? We’ve got you covered…
Vinyl [NEW]
The brand new series from the Boardwalk Empire team of Terrence Winter and Martin Scorsese — this time with Mick Jagger onboard as well — is taking a look at the rock music scene in 1970s New York, which is a subject that so fits this specific testosterone-y corner of the HBO brand that it’s astounding it hasn’t been done before. Bobby Cannavale, last seen winning an Emmy for his scenery-devouring work on Boardwalk Empire, is playing the lead music producer here, with Ray Romano, Olivia Wilde, and Juno Temple rounding out the main cast. Premieres February 14
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
John Oliver is soon to return from hiatus, and will no doubt have no shortage of absurdity, injustice, and hypocrisy in the world to rail against in his now-signature style. Returns February 14
[Stream Last Week Tonight on HBO GO.]
Girls
At the very end of last season we got the off-season revelation (it was so strange to see the characters of Girls in winter!) that Hannah had gotten together with nice-guy Fran (Jake Lacy), ending a rather turbulent season for her and perhaps putting the kibosh on her and Adam (at least for now). The new season will also delve into Marnie impending superbad-idea wedding to Desi, as well as Adam and Jessa continuing to be BY FAR the most interesting characters on the show. Returns February 21
Togetherness
The Duplass brothers’ series sometimes got brushed aside as middle-aged white Los Angeles ennui, but that kind of dismissal misses what’s quietly wonderful about the show, particularly the performances of Melanie Lynskey, Amanda Peet, and Steve Zissis. Returns February 21
[Stream Togetherness on HBO GO.]
Game of Thrones
IS JON SNOW ALIVE OR DEAD OR WHAT, YOU GOTTA TELL MEEEEEEE. Ahem. So season six of Game of Thrones has quite a few things to get excited about, with perhaps the biggest one being that the show has now outpaced George R.R. Martin’s novels, so almost all the story we’re getting from here on out will be a total surprise to book readers and non-readers alike. There are also the cast additions, including Max Von Sydow as the Three-Eyed Raven, UnREAL‘s Freddie Stroma as Dickon Tarly (Sam’s brother; seems we’ll be getting into that Tarly family tree this year), and Ian McShane for one episode as Unspecified Yet Probably Really Important Character. Plus something about Jon Snow, I gather? Returns in April
[Stream Game of Thrones on HBO GO.]
Silicon Valley
One of last year’s sneakily best comedies, Silicon Valley might be this writer’s most anticipated non-Westerosi returning show. The Pied Piper gang is coming off a massive win in the second season finale, but as this show is always so good at depicting the terrifying flip side of success, there will surely be plenty of story material. Returns in April
[Stream Silicon Valley on HBO GO.]
Veep
President Selina Meyer … but for how much longer? The season four finale saw the presidential election end in an unprecedented electoral tie, which through whatever convoluted bit of constitutional hoo-ha might shake out with Hugh Laurie’s veep, ironically, leapfrogging Selina to become president. Which is just too perfect a setup for season five to resist. Returns in April
Ballers
HBO tends to keep consistent when it comes to the time of year its seasons run, so season two of the Dwayne Johnson sports-agenting comedy will probably be back in the summertime. Andy Garcia was recently announced as a cast addition for the series as The Rock’s nemesis, which really doesn’t seem like something you’d ever want to be. Just ask Mankind. Returns TBA
Codes of Conduct [NEW]
This one sounds like it could be amazing. Steve McQueen, director of 12 Years a Slave, is writing and directing this limited series about a young man with a mysterious past who enters New York’s high society. Newcomer Devon Terrell stars as the lead character, with Paul Dano, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Rebecca Hall among the supporting cast. Premieres TBA
Divorce [NEW]
Sarah Jessica Parker back on HBO for the first time since Sex and the City is big news in and of itself. She’ll be co-producing and starring in the series about an agonizingly protracted divorce, co-starring Thomas Haden Church and Molly Shannon. Premieres TBA
High Maintenance [NEW]
Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld bring their web series — about Sinclair as a friendly pot dealer encountering a bevy of eccentric characters — to HBO. Premieres TBA
The Leftovers
We’re all still recovering from the resolution of season two of The Leftovers, but HBO did announce that the show would be coming back for a third (YES!) and final (AW!) season. Don’t expect that to happen until next fall, though. Returns TBA
[Stream The Leftovers on HBO GO.]
Looking
Andrew Haigh’s lovely, unfairly-maligned-in-some-circles dramady about a trio of gay men in San Francisco got cancelled after its second season. But HBO promised a second season, and much to the surprise of the folks who are still waiting for, oh, say the Deadwood movie, for example, this one’s actually happening. Looks like we’ll get closure on Dom’s chicken-restaurant venture after all. Returns TBA (though probably in the spring)
Vice Principals [NEW]
Danny McBride may have put Eastbound and Down to bed, but he’s not finished with HBO. He’s creator, executive producer, and star of this ensemble comedy about high-school vice principals. Don’t expect them to be particularly virtuous. Walton Goggins and Busy Philipps co-star. Premieres TBA
Westworld [NEW]
This one feels like it’s been in development forever, but we’re set to finally lay eyes on it in 2016. Inspired by the Michael Cricton film of the same name, starring Yul Brynner and James Brolin about robots gone bad at a theme park, expect an update for the 21st century, or as HBO is promising “a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin.” Sounds good! Premieres TBA
The Young Pope [NEW]
This is a limited series from Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, Oscar-winning director of The Great Beauty and this year’s Youth. Jude Law stars as the titular pontiff who will struggle between things like faith and modernism. Pope Francis has people really into the idea of the Pope as reformer lately, so there may be an added bit of timeliness to this series, which will also star Diane Keaton and James Cromwell. Premieres TBA
