Here Are the Best TV Shows to Stream this Weekend on HBO Max, Including ‘Abbot Elementary’

Max has a packed slate right now, with fresh premieres, returning fan favorites, and a few buzzy originals that are easy to jump into. Whether you want a comic book romp, a sleek family saga, or true crime that digs into real case files, there is plenty to fill your queue without any guesswork.

This list pulls from the newest weekly arrivals and what people are watching most on the service. New drops this week lead the way, then you will see standout originals and recent series that are ready for a smooth weekend binge.

‘The Heritage’ (2025)

This contemporary crime drama centers on three siblings and their partners whose late father’s estate triggers a high stakes inheritance fight. The story follows parallel legal and personal battles as wills, business interests, and buried history collide across the season. Episodes map out probate maneuvers and shifting loyalties as the family reckons with the legacy that holds them together and pulls them apart.

Presented as a Max Original, the series builds an ensemble around a layered dispute that touches corporate pressure and home front tensions. The first season frames each character’s agenda through meetings, filings, and family showdowns that push the case toward a decisive outcome while revealing what the patriarch left unsaid.

‘Peacemaker’ (2022)

This DC series follows Christopher Smith who calls himself Peacemaker as he takes on covert missions that twist the idea of keeping the peace. John Cena leads the cast with Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Jennifer Holland, and Steve Agee, with the character spinning out of ‘The Suicide Squad’. The new run brings the black ops team back together with fresh assignments connected to earlier fallout.

Created by James Gunn, the show mixes heavy action with ensemble dynamics as Peacemaker deals with the consequences of Project Butterfly and a fraught family past. Episodes track field work, briefings, and off the clock clashes that keep the mission in motion while expanding the DC corner built for the series.

‘Women Wearing Shoulder Pads’ (2025)

This adult animated stop motion satire follows a wealthy woman who relocates to Ecuador to run a guinea pig breeding venture that quickly tangles with a stalker and spirals into work and family complications. It arrives with handcrafted puppets and miniature sets from the Mexico City studio Cinema Fantasma, with creator Gonzalo Cordova shaping the show’s soap flavored twists.

Episodes are in Spanish with an all female lead ensemble and a tone that leans into satire and social bite. The production is led by the Cinema Fantasma team known for practical builds and vivid textures that give each sequence a distinct look and rhythm.

‘Abbott Elementary’ (2021)

Set inside a Philadelphia public school, this mockumentary style comedy follows teachers who do their best with tight budgets and big hearts. The ensemble features creator and star Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues with Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and William Stanford Davis rounding out the staff.

Episodes use a documentary crew format to show staff meetings, classroom wins, and daily improvisation. Storylines weave character arcs with school year milestones, giving the cast room to play through resource scrounging, field trips, and district curveballs.

‘The Cleaning Lady’ (2022)

This crime drama centers on Thony De La Rosa, a Cambodian and Filipino doctor in Las Vegas who starts cleaning crime scenes to protect her family while using her medical skills to survive. Élodie Yung stars as Thony alongside Adan Canto as Arman Morales, Martha Millan as Fiona De La Rosa, and Oliver Hudson as FBI agent Garrett Miller.

Adapted from an Argentine series, it maps a world of shifting loyalties where undercover work and family obligations constantly collide. The show follows investigations, deals, and close calls that test Thony’s judgment as law enforcement pressure and criminal demands tighten around her.

‘Chasing the West’ (2025)

This drama heads to the American frontier to follow a group of dreamers and outcasts trying to build lives in a rugged landscape. The series blends adventure and character driven storytelling as communities take root under tough conditions and hard choices.

Sweeping locations and frontier survival shape each chapter, with new alliances forming around resources, transport, and safety. Conflicts over land, trust, and leadership give the ensemble a clear path through danger and opportunity.

‘The Yogurt Shop Murders’ (2025)

This docuseries revisits the 1991 Austin case involving four teenage victims and the long investigation that followed. It brings together investigators, legal experts, and people close to the victims to lay out leads, evidence questions, and courtroom developments over time.

Episodes present a careful timeline with archival footage and records so viewers can follow how theories changed with testing and appeals. The series shows how decisions shaped the case’s trajectory and what remained unresolved across decades.

‘A Killer Among Friends’ (2025)

This true crime series examines cases where victims were harmed by people they knew, including classmates, neighbors, and friends. Each episode reconstructs events with interviews, documents, and step by step timelines to show where trust broke and how investigators put the pieces together.

Produced by Banijay Americas, the show presents self contained stories with clear investigative arcs. It explains charges and outcomes while detailing the personal connections that made each case so difficult to detect at the start.

‘And Just Like That…’ (2021)

Set in contemporary New York City, this series continues the story that began in ‘Sex and the City’ as Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte navigate work, family, and long running friendships. The show brings back familiar faces and introduces new characters connected through publishing, law, art, and neighborhood circles.

Seasons appear in order on the service so it is easy to start at the beginning of this chapter and follow ongoing arcs. For full context, the earlier series is also available, which lets you trace relationships and callbacks that appear throughout ‘And Just Like That…’.

‘The Gilded Age’ (2022)

Created by Julian Fellowes, this period drama unfolds in 1880s New York as old money families and new fortunes clash through society events, philanthropy, and business. Storylines move between grand homes and working neighborhoods while characters navigate marriages, alliances, and reputations.

Complete seasons are available to follow arcs that connect households through invitations, investments, and public appearances. Production design and ensemble storytelling give each episode continuity as social maneuvering and personal choices reshape the city’s pecking order.

Share your weekend picks in the comments and tell us which show you are starting first.