7 Best HBO Max Shows To Binge Over Christmas

December 22, 2025, 5:00pm

It’s no secret that some of the best streaming around is on HBO Max, so if you’re looking for the perfect holiday binge, it’s the place to start. Maybe you have an odd assortment of relatives flying into town, or maybe you’re planning a cozy Christmas on the couch. Regardless, the tricky part is often deciding on a great new show to fill the extra hours.

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From stylish classics to small-town horrors, from feel-good favorites to tropical escapes, from steamy romance to comedy Christmas spectaculars — we’ve got you covered with the seven best HBO Max shows to binge this break.

7) Mad Men

Finally on HBO Max, AMC’s Mad Men is an iconic period drama that ran for seven seasons, starring Jon Hamm as enigmatic advertising executive Don Draper alongside a stellar ensemble that includes Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, and Christina Hendricks. The show’s nostalgic 1960s offices, apartments, and cocktail parties make for especially cozy viewing during the season of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra tunes. Several episodes even feature holiday parties. If you’re in the mood for witty writing, vintage vibes, and a series with a ton of episodes to dive into, Mad Men is perfect, even on rewatch.

6) The Last of Us

HBO’s adaptation of iconic video game The Last of Us, developed by Craig Mazin and co-creator Neil Druckmann, finished out its second season this year and remains one of the most acclaimed live-action game adaptations ever made. Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, it’s a post-apocalyptic zombie survival character study unlike anything else on the platform. If you haven’t already seen, Season 2 also includes a snowy epic setpiece that’s become one of the year’s most notable TV moments.

5) IT: Welcome to Derry

In Stephen King’s fictional town of Derry, IT: Welcome to Derry expands the mythology of Pennywise the dancing clown and the cursed town across multiple timelines. Fans and critics are loving it in equal measure for the way it resurrects King’s potion of coming-of-age and supernatural horror. This is an ideal binge for anyone who secretly misses Halloween each Christmas season. Eerie streets, looming dread, and bursts of terror make it the best late-night fright while everyone else is streaming Hallmark specials.

4) The White Lotus

Mike White’s The White Lotus has turned wealthy vacationers at luxury resorts into some incredibly suspenseful TV, with each season setting a fresh cast of alluring guests and staff against the sun-drenched backdrop of beachy locales in Hawaii, Italy, and Thailand. It’s a biting satire wearing the clothes of a vacation fantasy. When it’s below zero out, try The White Lotus for a little vacation from your vacation. As a bonus, it’s sure to spark some interesting conversations at Christmas dinner.

3) The Seduction

The Seduction is a French period romance based loosely on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s novel Les Liaisons dangereuses. It stars Anamaria Vartolomei, Diane Kruger, and Vincent Lacoste in a six-episode limited series. A perfect bite-sized binge, the story follows Isabelle de Merteuil’s rise from betrayal and humiliation toward power in 18th-century Parisian high society. Tangled emotions, stunning period costumes, and The Seduction’s feminist reimagining of the classic tale make it great for a cozy, intimate Christmas curled up on the couch.

2) Holiday Baking Championship

Holiday Baking Championship is Food Network‘s seasonal sweets competition where bakers face off in festive challenges that feature holiday flavors and some mind-blowing artistry. Plus, with multiple seasons streaming, it’s easy to drop in and immerse yourself in the holiday spirit without the intense emotional investment of HBO’s scripted prestige programming. Feel-good fun for all ages, Holiday Baking Championship is an entertainment choice for family gatherings, and might even inspire your own kitchen exploits.

1) Hacks

Topping the Christmas binge list is HBO Max original Hacks, the award-winning comedy created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, starring icon Jean Smart as comedian Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as struggling writer Ava. Having aired its fourth season this spring, the series continues to earn widespread acclaim for its exceptional writing and comedic performances. It’s funny, heartfelt, and entirely capable of bridging the generational divide this Holiday season. Plus, if you haven’t seen it yet, you won’t be disappointed by Season 3’s “The Deborah Vance Christmas Spectacular.”

Which HBO Max show are you binging this Christmas? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!