HBO Max Reveals Today’s 10 Most Popular TV Series
By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – Buy Me a Coffee!
HBO Max publishes a daily Top 10 list of the TV series that are most popular with its subscribers on that day. Let’s take a look at today’s (December 9, 2025) and offer some explanations as to why so many people are watching:
1. It: Welcome to Derry
The horror continues with the HBO original series, It: Welcome to Derry, the latest in the ‘killer clown’ It saga based on the Stephen King novels. The eight-episode series promises to explain the origins of the Pennywise monster (played by Bill Skarsgard) while, of course, scaring the bejesus out of you. Episode eight, the season finale, is scheduled this Sunday so people are clearly catching up.
2. Mad Men
Mad Men starred Jon Hamm as the suave but mysterious Don Draper, an advertising executive who charmed both the ladies and clients in 1960s New York. The show, which was created by Matthew Weiner, a writer on The Sopranos, was designed as a vehicle to offer commentary on the issues of the time, including women in the workforce, media manipulation and traditional masculinity. However, it was the Draper narrative that kept viewers glued to Mad Men week in and week out. Hamm, who was a relatively unknown when he took the part, rendered an unforgettable portrayal of a man in crisis, a crisis that he keeps secret from all including his friends and loved ones. HBO added the series in 4K and HD and HBO Max subscribers seem to be loving it.
3. Heated Rivalry
The gay hockey drama is getting a lot of buzz three episodes into season one which accounts for the high ranking here. It’s Brokeback Mountain meets Slap Shot (okay, not quite.)
4. I Love LA
Rachel Sennott (pictured above) stars (and wrote the series) as a young woman in the tony Silver Lake section of Los Angeles who sees her friend’s growing profile as a social media influencer as her ticket to becoming an entertainment talent agent. If that sounds complicated to you, welcome to LA, at least the LA of today’s Zennial set where self-esteem is measured by feeling seen, not heard, and contentment is unattainable. Show is also getting lots of buzz and episode seven of the eight-episode first season is set for Sunday.
5. 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way
The latest installment in the TLC marriage reality show just aired its season 7 final episode so people are checking it out.
6. Holiday Baking Championship
Bakers compete in a holiday kitchen for a chance to win $25,000. Holiday food can’t miss this time of the year.
7. Smiling Friends
The silly (and funny) animated series about a small company whose employees live to bring happiness to the world recently completed its third season. People are catching up.
8. Hard Knocks: NFC East
Can someone please explain what on earth is happening with the NFC East? The Super Bowl defending champion, the Philadelphia Eagles, keeping losing. The Dallas Cowboys suddenly look like the best team in the division. And the Washington Commanders have been everything but commanding. Well, let’s hope we get some answers from HBO’s new edition of Hard Knocks which takes us behind the scenes of the suddenly unsettled division. Judging from its Top 10 ranking, a lot of fans are as puzzled as I am.
9. Sister Wives
The TLC reality series features your average American family except the Dad is a polygamist. Yikes. That has certainly gotten the HBO Max audience’s attention.
10. Before 90 Days
Americans travel aboard to meet their online loves before deciding to get hitched in this yet another spinoff of the original TLC show.
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