HBO Max: A look into the first waves of originals

There is an already crowded market of streaming platforms that consumers can choose from and now a heavyweight in the entertainment industry is looking to join the fold tomorrow. Warner Media launches HBO Max on May 27 and they are hoping to make a splash in the streaming subscription service.

 On day one, HBO Max will begin with 10,000 hours of content including the entire HBO service along with fan favorite franchises and past and present programming from Warner Bros. There is an extensive library to draw from for both film and television such as New Line, a selection of classic films curated with TCM, titles from DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more.

Like its competitors, HBO Max will also develop its own exclusive originals to help draw viewers to their platform. They have already announced their first two waves that will air at launch and this summer. Though we’ve briefly covered the first wave titles, we’ll take a closer look at the early Max Originals that will debut in the next few months.

For the Kids

The streaming service has a variety of programming that can cater to all ages. In The Not Too Late Show with Elmo, the loveable monster hosts his very own talk show where he’ll interview celebrity guests and have musical performances from popular artists. Some of his Sesame Street friends are set to make appearances.

Also, from the makers of Sesame Street is Esme & Roy; two best friend monstersitters who help little monsters overcome big challenges. Tig n’ Seek is about the zany adventures of a young boy and his pet cat while they work at the Department of Lost and Found in their home town of Wee-Gee City.

For those kids who are a little bit older is the new Adventure Time: Distant Lands – BMO. It is the first of four specials that visits unexplored areas of the world with new and old characters. Here, the adorable BMO sets off on a new quest.

Other beloved animated characters making a comeback are them Looney Tunes rapscallions. In Looney Tunes Cartoons, the gang will be featured in familiar, joke-filled stories but will be updated for todays audiences.  

Reality TV

The past decades, reality shows have established a place for themselves in the TV landscape and they will have a presence in the Max Originals slate. House of Ho features married couple, Binh and Hue Ho, who own a multimillion-dollar bank and development company. Take a look at their extravagant lifestyle and family drama in their hometown of Houston.

Pet lovers might want to catch The Dog House, which takes place in a rural British Dog Rescue Centre. Each episode begins with a tragic tale of an abandonment but ends joyously with the staff finding the pets a complementary match with new owners.

What’s reality without a bit of competitions. Legendary pits teams of vogueing houses against each other in a round-robin format until only one team remains and solidifies their status as “legendary” in their showmanship and dance skills.

Contestants, between the ages of nine to fifteen, flex their creative muscles in Craftopia. They must make incredible creations in a series of diverse challenges. Karma is like a teenage Survivor where sixteen competitors are taken to a secluded area without their parents to decipher brain teasing puzzles and conquer demanding physical challenges. Know that actions have consequences and karma eventually comes around.

Documentaries

HBO Max will air a pair of documentaries highlighting the struggles of women. On the Record is the evocative story of Drew Dixon; the music producer who publicly accused hip hop mogul, Russell Simmons, of sexual misconduct. Expecting Amy is a raw look at the comedian’s life including her complicated pregnancy and her marriage all while preparing for a stand up special.

Scripted Shows

Although other genres of television have made headway in the industry, scripted shows still rule and draw the most viewers. Search Party is moving over from TBS for its third season. In the comedy thriller, the relationships between the young and affluent group of friends begin to fracture as their loyalties are tested in their search for a missing comrade.

Also making the jump is Doom Patrol, with its second season airing on both DC Universe and HBO Max. Find out what new threat DC’s strangest group of heroes must confront to save the world while they integrate their newest member, Dorothy Spinner.

Not all the Max Originals are returning. There is the rom-com anthology launch series, Love Life. Arriving later is the comedy, Frayed, where a wealthy London housewife returns to her hometown in Australia and must revisit her past and the reasons why she left in the first place.

Then the creator of Regular Show has a new animated series entitled, Close Enough. The surreal comedy is about a married couple, their young daughter and their two divorced best friends all living together in East L.A. It spotlights that transitional time in your 30’s where you learn to grow up but not grow old.

Movies

HBO Max is also developing their own films. Their first is An American Pickle, which is based off of the short story, Sell Out, by Simon Rich. Seth Rogen pulls double duty playing Herschel Greenbaum, a laborer who immigrates to the U.S. in 1920 but falls into a vat of pickles to be perfectly preserved until he wakes 100 years later. Herschel searches for any surviving relatives but only finds his great grandson, Ben (also played by Rogen).

You can still preorder HBO Max for the discounted price of $11.99 a month until tonight at 11:59 PT. Afterwards, it will be $14.99 a month once it launches on May 27. What are you most excited for? Any of these Max Originals draw your interest?