When it comes to small-screenwardramas, nobody does them better than HBO. The premium TV service effectively originated the modern war series, with other channels and production companies following in its wake.
Making a high-quality TV show about military combat isn’t easy, as it takes a hefty budget and considerable technical expertise. Yet,HBO has a habit of producing miniseries masterpiecesthat depict armed conflicts of historical significance. The Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiary is responsible for classic drama shows about World War II, Vietnam, and the Iraq War, among other historic conflicts.
Theseshows rank among the best on HBO Maxin any genre, as the broadcaster has managed to transform action-heavy battle sequences and personal journeys of heroism and trauma, into a form of fine art. Viewers looking for great war dramatizations no longer go in search of Stanley Kubrick or Steven Spielberg movies. They turn to HBO’s televisual epics.
7The Eastern Gate
2025–Present
Polish TV producers had already perfected theCold War TV showbefore they released this contemporary drama series about Poland’s geopolitical relations with Russia at the start of 2025.The Eastern Gateis a gritty portrayal of intelligence work on the periphery of war-torn Ukraine, but its greatest strength lies in the gripping stories of its two main characters.
As hard as it is to separate this series from the anti-Russian sentiments that have predominated in Poland since the Ukraine War began, it’s far more than simply a work of propaganda. The show is a genuine thriller which feels true to its artistic purpose throughout. It’s no surprise thatThe Eastern Gatehas already earned a second season.
6The Pacific
2010
The Pacificis the most expensive HBO showever made, but it’s fair to say that much of its budget was money well-spent on a work of grand audacity and technical ingenuity. The show’s most famous scene, during the episode “Peleliu Landing”, is among the most daring feats of visual art ever attempted, given the scale of what’s being depicted.
Nevertheless,The Pacific’s stunning visual set-pieces and engrossing storylines are all superbly executed, with the kind of polish we’ve come to expect from theBand of Brothersfranchise. This miniseries isn’t quite as emotive as its more famous forerunner, but it’s just as accomplished as a work of television.
5Generation Kill
2008
It was a daring move, to say the least, for HBO to green-light a dramatization of the American invasion of Iraq while the U.S. was still engaged in fighting the Iraq War. ButGeneration Kill’s close adherence to its source material, Evan Wright’s reportage of the same name, gives it the authority to confront this moment in history head-on.
In addition to stunning visuals and a clinical approach to dialogue, the show gets its portrayal of warfare spot on.Generation Killhas received a near-perfect accuracy ratingfrom Iraq War veteran Jay Dorleus, indicating that it’s pretty much as close to what actually happened as a TV show could possibly get.
The series doesn’t shy away from difficult questions about the nature of the invasion and subsequent American occupation of Iraq, and does an excellent job of presenting the real feelings of soldiers on the ground during the operation. We’re able to observe how the Iraq War transformed into something very different from what was promised in real time.
4The Sympathizer
2024
One of the most singularly brilliant satirical dramas of modern times,The Sympathizeris very different from your typical screen portrayal of the Vietnam War. Based on the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, the show tells the story of a North Vietnamese spy who ends up going to the United States following the fall of Saigon.
Besides having his loyalty to the communist regime in Vietnam tested by a new life in California,The Sympathizer’s protagonist, Captain, often finds himself at odds with the American state. The miniseries combines wicked satire with elements of farce to present both the Vietnam and the Cold War in a completely different light.
Robert Downey Jr. adds another show-stealing performance to his collection, playing several different villains during the course of the series, beforeThe Sympathizerendswith one final flourish, back in Vietnam. This unmissable series is quite unlike anything else on HBO Max, and is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys dark comedy or wartime satire, in particular.
3Parade’s End
2012
Widely hailed as one of the greatestUK period dramasof all time,Parade’s Endis part war story, part social study, as it examines the various aspects of British life which transformed during the course of World War I. It’s about the effects of the war, but it’s also about the even further-reaching changes which took place alongside it.
The military combat happens in the background of this series, whereas the everyday struggles of its characters back in Britain – both male and female – are right at the forefront of its plot. With spellbinding lead performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall,Parade’s Enddraws the maximum emotional gravitas from its rare combination of a war with unrelated personal struggles.
Beautifully intertwining the fear and horror of serving in the trenches with the private turmoil of a broken marriage, the show showcases the pedigree of its writer, Tom Stoppard, who’s generally considered one of the UK’s best modern playwrights. For those who’d rather come to terms with war without watching spectacular battle sequences, there’s no better drama out there today.
2SAS: Rogue Heroes
2022–Present
SAS: Rogue Heroesputs its all-star castto excellent use, in an exhilarating depiction of one of the world’s foremost special forces at work during the Second World War. The brainchild ofPeaky Blinderscreator Steven Knight, this is another of his sumptuously rendered period dramas with all the thrills and pithy dialogue we’ve come to expect from the screenwriter.
Jack O’Connell is a force of nature in one of the lead roles as Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Mayne, an actual figure of history who was involved in setting up the real-life SAS (Special Air Services). He’s ably supported, meanwhile, by the likes of Sofia Boutella and Dominic West.
It’s hard to imagine any other historical war drama being quite as enjoyable or exciting as this one, which spans most of the Mediterranean in its first two seasons.SAS: Rogue Heroesdoesn’t avoid the horrors of war, but it certainly indulges in the perks of being shipped thousands of miles from home, and is all the better for it.
1Band Of Brothers
2001
It’s no exaggeration to say thatBand of Brothersis HBO’s greatest miniseriesof any genre, bar none. The show has absolutely everything you could possibly ask from a war show, from epic set-pieces, to unflinching portrayals of death and destruction, and great personal triumphs and tragedies. It isn’t just technically supreme. It’s warm, funny, and – most of all – real.
Each of the series’ 10 episodes is a masterpiece of television in its own right, from the profoundly moving “Bastogne”, to the uplifting (but equally tearjerking) finale “Points”. Each part of theBand of Brothersstory gives weight to different names in Easy Company’s long list of heroes, with everyone from company leaders to medics given their due.
What’s more, this show was thoroughly groundbreaking when it first arrived on HBO. Everything in thewargenre that’s come since, on both the big and the small screen, owes some form of debt toBand of Brothers.
