The US streaming giant HBO Max has become the latest American television export as it launches in the UK and Ireland this week, bringing a plethora of major series and films previously inaccessible to British audiences (without a VPN, that is).
HBO Max, the streaming service behind mega-hits like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, Euphoria and Succession, is not only a goldmine for award-winning original series but is also loaded with some truly spectacular Jewish and Jew-ish gems. The primary “home of prestige TV”, as HBO is often dubbed, boasts all 12 seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, so you can rest assured it has more to offer than a few newfangled dramas.
And so, in honour of one of the biggest streaming platform launches in years, we’ve rounded up all the best Jewish and Jew-ish TV series you can now binge on HBO Max – which is free if you’re already subscriber to Sky or Now TV. Hurrah!
The Pitt (2025-)
It’s the one you keep hearing about but haven't been able to watch thanks to pesky geo-blocking. No longer. This acclaimed medical drama about a Pittsburgh hospital and the obstacles its team of doctors faces is led by Jewish physician Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, played by Jewish actor Noah Wyle whose portrayal of Jewishness has been lauded by critics and audiences alike. The character Dr. Robinavitch turns to his faith for moral guidance and comfort in moments of tragedy, and one storyline of the series actually pays tribute to the victims of the 2018 shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue.
Noah Wyle in 'The Pitt'. (Photo: Warrick Page/HBO Max)Warrick Page/MAX
Reformed (2025-)
Judaism is front and centre in this French series about Léa, a newly ordained rabbi in a country where you can count the number of female rabbis on one hand. Inspired by real-life Rabbi Delphine Horvilleu, Léa (played by Elsa Guedj) must contend with challenges to her rabbinic authority and probing questions from her Jewish community and her atheist father, all the while juggling the personal and spiritual conundrums faced by any young woman, religious or otherwise. The series, set in the French city of Strasbourg, has been lauded for its realistic depiction of family and religious life, shining a light on the long way we still have to go towards gender equality in some Jewish spaces.
Elsa Guejdi as Rabbi Léa in 'Reformed'. (Photo: HBO Max)[Missing Credit]
The Plot Against America (2020)
This dystopian miniseries based on the eponymous Philip Roth novel follows a Jewish family in an alternate American history, where Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 presidential election instead of Franklin Roosevelt and plans to impose a fascist regime. The Levins live a normal, working-class Jewish life in New Jersey until Lindbergh’s presidency and the start of the Second World War, when things start to take a darkly antisemitic turn in the cities and suburbs of America. This series was revered when it came out in 2020; for many Americans, it’ll hit even closer to the bone in 2026.
Morgan Spector, Zoe Kazan, Caleb Malis, Azhy Robertson in 'The Plot Against America.' (Photo: Michele K. Short/HBO)[Missing Credit]
Valley of Tears (2020)
Set during the Yom Kippur War, this searing Israeli drama juxtaposes archival footage from 1973 with fictional scenes and battles to explore some of the country’s deepest wounds. The show (Israel’s biggest-budget series to date) focuses on the northern front of the war through the experiences of soldiers stationed at the Hermon Outpost, by the Syrian border, and at an armoured outpost in the Golan Heights. It has been praised for its diverse characters, acting and special effects. Kveller even called it the best Israeli TV show of 2020, the year it was released.
'Valley of Tears'. (Photo: VERED ADIR – HBO MAX)[Missing Credit]
High Maintenance (2016-2020)
This anthology explores the private lives of dozens of New Yorkers who are all connected by one man: their weed dealer. Jewish actor Ben Sinclair, also the show’s co-creator, plays a Jewish marijuana courier in New York City who frequently interacts with the Jewish community in the areas he services. Applauded for its heartfelt representation of contemporary Jewish life, the series features a Chanukah episode as a season finale and a delightful rotation of Jewish guest stars, from Bret Gelman to Ira Glass to Lena Dunham and beyond.
Rachel Kaly and Ben Sinclair in 'High Maintenance'. (Photo: David Russell/HBO)[Missing Credit]
Our Boys (2019)
Based on true events surrounding the kidnappings and murders of three Jewish boys in Israel in 2014, this American-Israeli miniseries is a tense investigative drama with real poignancy in today’s political climate. Rotten Tomatoes dubbed it “challenging and thoughtful,” adding that the series explores the tragedy with “grace and compassion.” But it managed to stir controversy, too, leaving viewers divided over its depiction of the killing of a Palestinian teen. Either way, this collaboration between an Israeli director and a Palestinian director tells an important story that may carry resonance in the current polarisation.
Adam Gabay and Jacob Cohen in 'Our Boys.' (Photo: Ran Mendelson - HBO MAX)[Missing Credit]
The Rehearsal (2022-)
Though this docu-comedy series by Jewish comedian Nathan Fielder is not explicitly Jewish, there is something about its underlying moral and existential anxieties that very much is. Self-declared “awkward guy” Fielder blurs the lines between reality and fiction by staging “rehearsals” of various scenarios with ordinary people, exploring the most extremes lengths one might go to in order to avoid the uncertainties of everyday life. From building an entire replica of a home to play out a family dynamic to hiring actors and stress-testing awkward conversations, Fielder tests whether it’s possible to mitigate the precarity of life’s basic unknowns. One example being what might happen if you reveal a years-long lie to a friend. Bizarre, yes, but with just enough Jewish flair to make the list.
Nathan Fielder in 'The Rehearsal'. (Photo: HBO)[Missing Credit]
Hacks (2021-2026)
Ava Daniels, played by Hannah Einbinder, is a young Jewish comedy writer sent to zhuzh up the outdated comedy stylings of a legendary Vegas stand-up played by Jean Smart in this dark, “odd couple” comedy. From mezuzahs to non-traditional bat mitzvahs to a gay formerly Chasidic secretary, Hacks offers plenty to tickle Jewish appetites – even if Einbinder herself has behaved insufferably.
Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in 'Hacks'. (Photo: HBO Max)[Missing Credit]
The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (2018)
This two-episode miniseries from Jewish legend Judd Apatow reflects on the life and career of late comedy legend Garry Shandling, a man who’s been called the master of turning Jewish dissatisfaction into comedy. Through personal journals, archival footage and dozens of interviews with family, friends and colleagues, viewers are given an intimate glimpse into the life of the man behind the Emmy-winning series The Larry Sanders Show, including his journey through spirituality, before his sudden death at the age of 66 in 2016. Notable Jewish appearances include James L. Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen, Sarah Silverman and many more.
Garry Shandling pictured in the 2000 movie 'What Planet Are You From.' (Photo By Getty Images)Getty Images
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-2024)
It doesn’t really need explaining, does it?
Larry David in 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'. (Photo: John Johnson/HBO)[Missing Credit]
HBO Max also boasts some classic Jewish-centred films, from older classics like Au Revoir Les Enfants and Europa Europa to newer films and documentaries, including The Brutalist starring Adrien Brody as a Jewish architect in postwar America; The Commandant’s Shadow, a critically acclaimed 2024 documentary that follows an Auschwitz commander’s son and grandson as they reckon with their patriarch’s dark legacy; and The Survivor, a biographical drama about the Holocaust survivor and boxer Harry Haft.
You have, chaverim, a lot of watching to do.
HBO Max launched on 26 March in the UK and Ireland.
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