It’s hardly surprising that a company with a slogan that once boasted “it’s not TV, it’s HBO” has a wealth of shows with perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores available on one of the best streaming services, but we’re not just talking about their classics from TV’s ‘golden age’ here, with HBO Max’s 2025 slate delivering a number of shows with 100% from the critics.
Of course, the list of this year’s best HBO Max shows would take far more column inches than I have here, but the likes of The Last of Us, White Lotus, The Gilded Age, Hacks and Peacemaker all deserving of an honorable mention.
But to narrow things down, I’ve chosen from the absolute best of the best according to those in the know, by giving my pick of the shows with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics. There’s dark comedy, true crime and a heart wrenching portrait of an entertainment legend, so read on to discover your next streaming obsession.
The Chair Company
Premiered: October 12
Episodes: 8
Cast: Tim Robinson, Lake Bell, Sophia Lillis, Will Price, Joseph Tudisco
From Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, the duo behind the hilarious and chaotic I Think You Should Leave, The Chair Company may initially seem like just another workplace comedy, before a botched presentation spirals into a paranoid investigation into corporate conspiracy.
As with most things Robinson turns his hand to, The Chair Company has been met with praise from critics, with The Times calling the show “utterly original in a time when so much isn’t.” Of course, those unfamiliar with the comedian’s specific brand of anarchic comedy may find the show takes some getting used to, but as The Hollywood Reporter pointed out, “those already turned onto his brand of weirdness are in for a bracing ride.”
The Chair Company has already proven to be one of the most out-there comedies of 2025 and with the last few episodes on the way, now’s a great time to catch up.
The Yogurt Shop Murders
Premiered: August 3
Episodes: 4
Cast: NA
One for true crime fans, this docuseries explores the aftermath and investigation of the murder of four teenage girls in an Austin yoghurt shop in 1991. While two men were convicted for the crime, they were later released and at time of airing, the case remained unsolved. Interestingly, a month after the series aired, modern DNA evidence identified deceased serial killer Robert Eugene Brashers as the likely perpetrator.
The show has been praised by critics for the sensitive way it covers such an awful crime, with TIME Magazine highlighting how the series walks the line between true-crime doc and a commentary on the genre, saying: “Unlike the anti-true-crime manifestoes that have, themselves, become a stock subgenre of true crime, The Yogurt Shop Murders also illustrates how telling such painful stories can be a path to healing.” While Rolling Stone call the series a “vivid meditation on grief and memory, and the power of each of these intangible forces to consume and define us,” a long way from the sensational ‘whodunnit’ style of true-crime documentary.
If you’re looking for something that delves a little deeper than your average real murder mystery, The Yoghurt Shop murders is unmissable TV.
Pee-wee as Himself
Premiered: May 23
Episodes: 2
Cast: Paul Reubens
Put together from over 40 hours of interviews between Pee-wee Herman actor Paul Reubens and film-maker Matt Wolf, Pee-wee as Himself is an intimate and raw exploration of a man who spent much of his career in a battle between his on and off-screen personas. It also serves somewhat as Reubens’ self-eulogy, with the actor aware he was terminally ill during production, even if Wolf was not.
The series offers a particularly intimate insight into a man who, between the Pee-wee persona and the tabloid headlines, few knew the genuine version of. “Pee-wee as Himself offers a touching portrait of an artist who rarely revealed himself publicly,” says NPR, while TIME Magazine echo “Wolf’s greatest contribution is in faithfully documenting his open, sometimes ugly dialogue with a figure who was widely known yet never, until now, understood.”
Whether full of nostalgia for one of children’s TV’s greatest entertainers, or just interested into an insight into a unique Hollywood life, anyone yet to catch up with Pee-wee as Himself can stream both gripping episodes right now.
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