HBO (and by extension Max) remains one of the premier homes for TV, with a number of TV shows that drum up a lot of fan excitement. One just wrapped up with The Penguin, but as the cable network likes to do, as one show ends it gives fans a preview of its upcoming slate to keep them enticed (and subscribed). And there was plenty to be intrigued by in the HBO coming soon preview for the rest of 2024 and 2025.
Unsurprisingly, confirmation that already established shows like The White Lotus season 3 (with some new first look footage), The Last of Us season 2 and Hacks season 4 are coming in the new year are getting a lot of attention. But there were also a number of shows that I knew little or next to nothing about that I am now thoroughly intrigued by. Namely: The Chair Company, Duster, The Pitt and Task.
Starting off with The Chair Company, this is a brand new comedy from comedian Tim Robison, who has amassed a loyal fanbase with his previous shows I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson and Detroiters. Robinson is again starring, writing and executive producing this new series that sees Robinson’s character investigating a far-reaching conspiracy. Also attached to star are Lake Bell, Sophia Lillis, Will Price, Joseph Tudisco and Lou Diamond Phillips as a guest star.
Next is Duster. I was actually intrigued by this one because the preview actually showed very little so I wanted to do some more digging, and what I found further piqued my interest. Duster is going to be a crime drama set in the 1970s southwest US following a getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate. Even if more info is still scarce and there’s not any real big names attached to the cast, that premise is enough for me. The series was created by LaToya Morgan, who previously wrote for Shameless, Parenthood, Turn: Washington’s Spies and The Walking Dead, but this is her first TV series that she created.
HBO is then getting into the medical drama genre with new series The Pitt, hailing from two producers very familiar with the genre from their time on ER, Noah Wyle (who is also set to star) and R. Scott Gemmill. The Pitt is described as a “realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh. Given HBO’s cable standards allowing them to go further in showing some stuff, this series may not be for the squeamish (you may end up like the med student that faints in the brief clip), but that should only ratchet up the drama.
Finally is a new HBO limited series (a format the network has had plenty of success with) Task. From Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby and starring Mark Ruffalo as an FBI agent, the series follows a task force in a Philadelphia suburb (are we getting more of the Delco accents Kate Winslet made famous?) to put an end to a string of drug-house robberies. Silvia Dionicio, Emilia Jones, Owen Teague, Tom Pelphrey, Raul Castillo, Alison Oliver, Fabien Frankel, Sam Keeley and Thuso Mbedu are also listed as part of the cast.
Unfortunately, when in 2025 we’re getting any of these shows is still unknown, as HBO has only listed them as debuting in 2025. Best guess is that they’ll be sprinkled throughout the year.
There were a couple of other returning shows that are worth mentioning. Bookie season 2, one of my favorite new shows from last year, is coming back in December (exact premiere date not announced yet). Also, Conan O’Brien Must Go season 2, which will again premiere sometime in 2025.
Check out all of the upcoming shows HBO/Max highlighted in the 2025 preview right here: