Let's face it, I'm a TV junkie. Between cable and the internet, I've spent countless hours enthralled by the lives of fictional characters through a wide variety of genres. Quality programming has always relied on a combination of great writing, fantastic performances, and articulate directing, and even though we have services like Netflix and Hulu providing us all the shows and movies we'd ever want to watch, I'd argue that HBO is the best. Why?
1. The quality of the original programming.
Three words: Game of Thrones. The worldwide phenomenon has captivated millions with its seamless blend of medieval fantasy and political intrigue while utilizing movie quality cinematography and astounding direction. This caps off a list of amazing shows produced by HBO which includes "The Wire," "The Newsroom," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's "Ballers," "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," and "True Detective" (season one, of course). These shows are either a full 30 minutes or an hour because unlike network, HBO doesn't rely on ads for its revenue so the story flows non-stop. Yes, Netflix has "Daredevil," "House of Cards," and "Orange is the New Black," but I'll pull HBO over Netflix because...
2. It's weekly.
Who doesn't love a good binge watching? On days where there are no major responsibilities, it's fun to sit back and relax while tearing through three seasons of "Parks and Recreation." For the most part, though, that feels like a waste of a day, especially with responsibilities toward family and utilities. Winding down at the end of the day to catch your favorite show as it airs can be a bit of a reward to a rough day. HBO tends to stack their major shows on Sunday nights, which brings the weekend to a perfect end as we all prep for the dreaded Mondays, and it gives you multiple weeks (often ten) to tune in. This allows for anticipation of the upcoming week's episode and plenty of water cooler talk over the course of the week. Sure, Netflix provides the entire season of "Jessica Jones" from the day the season debuts, but that often leads to a long binge followed by the sadness that accompanies the knowledge that it'll be at least a year before the next one. "Game of Thrones'" weekly schedule we typically get a good idea of when the next season will air within a month or two of the season finale, which keeps the stress of waiting low.
3. The latest movies.
One of the things that HBO, along with its fellow premium cable networks, does well is ensuring that the latest movies are brought to its network. The waiting period may be a bit long, but this year alone, HBO added some of the biggest movies in the past 12 months, including "The Martian," "Jurassic World," "Straight Outta Compton," "Spy," and "Ted 2." Some people don't care to Redbox or buy movies, so this makes it convenient for them to check out movies they missed in the theaters.
4. It's streaming.
As far as convenience goes, HBO set up its HBO Now service last year for $15 a month, which allowed for those without cable to subscribe and tune in to all of its movies and shows. This plays well to millenials who are giving up their pricey cable services more for the affordability and convenience of internet services. Even if you have an HBO subscription through your cable provider, you can access the HBO Go app, which does the exact same thing HBO Now does. The great thing about HBO Now and HBO Go is they works in perfect tandem with the network itself, allowing viewers to watch the season premiere of their favorite show at the exact same time as anybody watching through their cable service. Once the show is finished airing, it's added to the list of all previously shown episodes of that series, from the first season all the way up to the current one, which means that if you missed "Ballers" on Sunday at 10 p.m., you can check it out when you have free time afterward. If you jumped on the GoT bandwagon two years late, you can still fill yourself in. Nothing says you have to watch these shows when they first air... but if you have Facebook, it's probably in your best interest to do so anyways.
None of this is to say that network, basic cable, or Netflix are terrible, because they're not. They all have great programming worth watching, but when push comes to shove, I'll take HBO any day of the week.
