Here Are All the TV Shows Coming to HBO Max This Week, Including ‘Scariest House in America’

If your watchlist needs a refresh, this week brings a grab-bag of reality staples, true-crime deep dives, food competitions, docuseries, and kid-friendly animation—all dropping from Monday, September 15 through Sunday, September 21. Below you’ll find the essential, no-fluff details on what each project is about and who’s behind it, plus the exact day each one lands so you can plan your queue.

From custom trucks and haunted baking to docu-crime casefiles and home makeovers, these picks span Food Network, HGTV, ID, Nat Geo and Sesame Workshop franchises that now live under the Max umbrella. Read on for quick primers with cast, creators and core premise—no spoilers, just the good-to-know stuff before you hit play.

‘Truck Universe’ (2005)

The hands-on auto series formerly known as ‘Truck U’ focuses on practical upgrades for trucks, 4x4s and SUVs, guided by monster-truck expert Matt Steele and drag racer/master mechanic Bruno Massel. Episodes dive into lift kits, suspension, performance tuning and accessory installs with step-by-step demos from the hosts and a shop team that tests the mods on and off road. It arrives Monday, September 15.

Produced by Brenton Productions, the show debuted in the mid-2000s on the Speed/MotorTrend ecosystem and built a following among DIY enthusiasts for its straight-ahead how-to format. Steele and Massel anchor most seasons; segments often include parts rundowns, product testing and track trials that show the real-world effect of each build.

‘Signs of a Psychopath’ (2020)

This true-crime docuseries re-examines high-profile murder cases through interrogation footage, 911 calls and archival reporting, spotlighting language, behavior and manipulation patterns common to psychopathic offenders. Forensic voices such as N. G. Berrill, Chitra Raghavan and Charles A. Morgan III appear across episodes to contextualize traits and tactics. New episodes hit Monday, September 15.

The series is produced by Red Marble Media for Investigation Discovery and is structured as compact case studies—typically 20–30 minutes—each built around one offender. The format emphasizes primary-source audio and video, with clinical commentary layered over timelines, making it an accessible watch whether you follow every season or dip into stand-alone entries.

‘Chopped’ (2009)

The long-running cooking competition returns with host Ted Allen presiding over three timed rounds—appetizer, entrée and dessert—where four chefs must transform “mystery basket” ingredients under pressure. A rotating panel of judges including Alex Guarnaschelli, Amanda Freitag, Aarón Sánchez, Chris Santos, Scott Conant and Geoffrey Zakarian delivers critiques and the final verdict. New episodes land Tuesday, September 16.

Created by Michael Krupat, Dave Noll and Linda Lea and produced by Notional, ‘Chopped’ films in New York on a fully kitted pro kitchen set, complete with pantry and specialty gear (blast chillers, ice-cream machines, smokers). Episodes range from open-format battles to theme nights and tournament arcs, all anchored by Allen’s play-by-play and the judges’ tasting notes.

‘Halloween Baking Championship’ (2015)

Seasonal pastry competition meets spooky storytelling as bakers tackle pre-heat and main-heat challenges inspired by haunted houses, monsters and classic horror motifs. John Henson hosts, while judges Carla Hall, Zac Young and Stephanie Boswell evaluate flavor, technique and theme execution. This year’s thrills arrive Tuesday, September 16.

The show blends elaborate display work (sculpted cakes, sugar pieces, chocolate showpieces) with classical pastry fundamentals like laminated doughs, custards and glazes. Episodes are shot on a themed set that evolves across the season’s narrative, with mid-challenge twists and elimination bakes that keep the stakes high for the $25,000 prize.

‘Truck Dynasty’ (2025)

This reality series follows Joe and Ashley Ghattas of Apocalypse Manufacturing, a Florida custom shop known for outrageous 6×6 builds and celebrity commissions. Executive produced by Drew and Jonathan Scott, the season features headline projects—including an Apocalypse Hellfire build for Guy Fieri and a superhero-themed “Super Truck” for Shaquille O’Neal—alongside the family’s day-to-day fabrication and sales. It rolls in Wednesday, September 17.

Episodes track concepting, design, fabrication, paint and testing, with Ashley leading sales/marketing alongside her family and Joe overseeing the shop floor. Cameos from clients and test-drive sequences punctuate the builds, while the production documents the business realities of timelines, budgets and custom parts sourcing inside the boutique truck market.

‘100 Day Dream Home’ (2020)

Husband-and-wife team Mika (realtor/designer) and Brian Kleinschmidt (developer/builder) guide clients through designing and constructing custom homes—start to finish—in roughly 100 days, primarily around the Tampa Bay area. The new drop arrives Wednesday, September 17.

The HGTV staple mixes lot selection, floorplan design, permitting, and accelerated construction with Mika’s interior selections and Brian’s site management. Episodes often highlight local trades and problem-solving around weather, supply chains and client wish lists, culminating in a reveal tailored to each family’s budget, layout needs and style.

‘Destruction Decoded’ (2023)

A documentary series that unpacks major disasters—air crashes, train wrecks and structural collapses—using archival footage, CGI reconstructions and expert analysis to explain the physics and cascading human factors behind each event. The latest installment hits Thursday, September 18.

Each episode ranks incidents within a theme (for example, collapses or dam failures), breaking down chain-of-events timelines, engineering weak points and emergency-response challenges. The format favors clear visualizations—stress simulations, failure points, load diagrams—so viewers can see how small errors escalate into large-scale catastrophes.

‘Sin City Rehab’ (2025)

Designer Alison Victoria returns to her Las Vegas roots, taking on high-value flips and client projects that pair mid-century desert design with luxury finishes—and the risk that comes with tight timelines and big budgets. Season 1 arrives Thursday, September 18.

Produced by Big Table Media and Briefly Gorgeous Productions with Victoria as an executive producer, the series follows acquisitions, design development, contractor coordination and punch-list walkthroughs. Episodes spotlight neighborhood context, cash-flow stakes and finish-level choices (stone, millwork, glazing, lighting) that can make or break resale in Vegas’s competitive market.

‘Bea’s Block’ (2024)

From Sesame Workshop, this preschool animated comedy centers on five-year-old Bea and best friends Ty and Lexi as they model empathy and problem-solving on “kindness adventures” around Blocktown. Voice talent includes Everly Carganilla (Bea), Zai Stevens (Ty) and Lena Josephine Marano (Lexi). New episodes drop Thursday, September 18.

With 11-minute stories designed for early learners, the series uses bright, block-styled animation and music cues to reinforce social-emotional skills like sharing, listening and inclusivity. Episodes introduce neighbors, community helpers and everyday dilemmas, giving kids concrete language and steps for resolving conflicts together.

‘Scariest House in America’ (2024)

Hosted by comedian Retta, this unscripted series tours bizarre, eerie homes across the U.S.—from ex-jails to oddball mansions—before crowning the most terrifying property. Designer Alison Victoria then awards the winning homeowners a $150,000 renovation to tame the frights. The latest batch arrives Saturday, September 20.

Episodes blend homeowner backstories with room-by-room walkthroughs, highlighting architectural oddities, questionable DIYs and legitimately hazardous design choices. The season finale’s renovation planning segment outlines scope, budget and design priorities to convert the top “scariest” space into a safer, more functional home.

Share what you’re most excited to queue up this week—and which titles you’ll be watching first—in the comments!