By
Greg MacArthur
Published 37 minutes ago
Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant who also covers Movies and Music. He's published over 2400 articles at SR and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.
Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently resides in the Greater Boston area.
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Looking for the perfect show to binge-watch on HBO Max this week? Screen Rant has got you covered with five of the most talked about, brand new, and culturally relevant series that you can easily start and finish by Friday night.
For the week of December 1–7, 2025, Screen Rant's TV experts have hand-picked five critically acclaimed, fan-favorite, and top-trending new HBO Max series, most of which just premiered and are going viral worldwide right now. Our top selection even earned a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, making it a must-watch masterpiece for all HBO Max subscribers.
Screen Rant also has fresh options for what to binge-watch this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Paramount+. Grab your remote and cue up your watchlist – these are the top 5 shows to binge-watch on HBO Max this week to kick December 2025 off right.
Heated Rivalry
Logline: "Two rival hockey stars at the top of their game face an unexpected challenge when they develop feelings for each other, complicating their careers and the sport's expectations."
Heated Rivalry has rapidly become a massive streaming hit on HBO Max, particularly in the U.S., where it is currently the #2 show on the platform. The 2-episode premiere dropped on November 28, with new episodes releasing every Friday until December 26.
Hard Knocks: In Season With The NFC East
Logline: "The award-winning football series chronicles the inner workings of NFL franchises on and off the field, as it follows teams in season."
The behind-the-scenes NFL series Hard Knocks has been on HBO since 2001, but its spinoff series Hard Knocks: In Season just premiered in 2021. This year, the series follows the NFC East, which consists of the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, and the defending Super Bowl champs, Philadelphia Eagles.
IT: Welcome To Derry
Logline: "In 1962, a couple with their son move to Derry, Maine, just as a young boy disappears. With their arrival, very bad things begin to happen in the town."
IT: Welcome to Derry has been the #1 streaming show on HBO Max worldwide for several consecutive weeks. With just two episodes left in season 1, now is a great time to dive into the viral prequel series to Stephen King's IT, especially while you wait for Stranger Things season 5, part 2.
The Chair Company
Logline: "Follows a man who investigates a conspiracy after an embarrassing incident at work."
Season 1 of Tim Robinson's offbeat comedy thriller series The Chair Company is now available to stream on HBO Max from start to finish. The acclaimed show is one of a few released in 2025 to receive a rare perfect 100% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score and is currently #4 on HBO's U.S. streaming chart.
Mad Men
Logline: "A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper."
For the first time ever, all seven seasons of Mad Men – one of the greatest TV series of all time – are now available to stream on HBO Max. Winner of 16 Emmys, Mad Men earned a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and ranks #107 on IMDb's Top 250 TV shows. If you're a fan of Jon Hamm or love all prestige TV, add Mad Men to the top of your HBO Max watchlist this week.
Looking For More Streaming Options This Week?
Check out Screen Rant’s binge-watching guides for last weekend's top shows.
- 3 Best Netflix Shows To Binge-Watch This Weekend (Nov 28–30, 2025)
- 3 Best Prime Video Shows To Binge-Watch This Weekend (Nov 28–30, 2025)
- 3 Best Paramount+ Shows To Binge-Watch This Weekend (Nov 28–30, 2025)
- 3 Best HBO Max Shows To Binge-Watch This Weekend (Nov 28–30, 2025)
- 3 Best Apple TV Shows To Binge-Watch This Weekend (Nov 28–30, 2025)
- 3 Best Peacock Shows To Binge-Watch This Weekend (Nov 28–30, 2025)
- 3 Best Disney+ Shows To Binge-Watch This Weekend (Nov 28–30, 2025)
- 3 Best Hulu Shows To Binge-Watch This Weekend (Nov 28–30, 2025)
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