Only two shows from last month’s list of the 10 most popular shows on Max are still on the list in October: Last Week Tonight and The Real Elm Street Murders. Thankfully, the HBO original series The Penguin is on top of the chart, with The Franchise close behind. The one animated offering on the list this month is the horror anime Uzumaki, which seems to be turning heads.
But aside from those shows and HBO’s documentary I Am Not a Monster, the rest are all Discovery reality series, two of which are 90 Day Fiancée spinoffs. But if you hate reality TV, feel free to skip those choices.
Keep reading for our complete countdown of the 10 most popular shows on Max as of October 17.
Looking for something else? We’ve also rounded up the 10 most popular movies on Max, the best movies on Max, the best shows on Max, and the best new shows to stream. For Netflix fans, check out the 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now and the 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now.
10. The Real Murders on Elm Street (2024)
9. 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way (2019)
8. Sister Wives (2010)
7. Uzumaki (2024)
6. 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days (2017)
5. The Franchise (2024)
66%Superhero movies and TV shows are ripe for parody, but HBO’s The Franchise goes in a different direction by lampooning the making of a superhero flick. The show focuses on Daniel (Himesh Patel), the assistant director to his director, Eric (as played by the MCU’s Daniel Brühl). Eric is attempting to adapt the comic book hero Tecto for the big screen, and his star, Adam (Billy Magnussen), has bet everything on this role saving his career.
Keeping Tecto from erupting into a full-blown disaster is a constant struggle for Daniel, especially since his ex-girlfriend, Anita (The Boys‘ Aya Cash), is supposedly in charge of the film. But no one can control the chaos that comes from this set, and Tecto may be doomed from the start.
4. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014)
76%
8.9/10April 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Comedy Central is probably still kicking itself, knowing Oliver wasn’t signed to replace The Daily Show from Jon Stewart. Oliver has had staying power in the realm of late-night comedy and politics, and his series continues to be among the most popular shows on HBO and Max.
Presidential election years tend to bring out the best of Oliver, and 2024’s election cycle is already poised to be strange. It’s hard to come up with great comedy when reality is so absurd, but Oliver and his collaborators have been keeping us laughing for years.
3. 1000-lb Sisters (2020)
TLC’s 1000-lb Sisters bills itself as the inspiring story of Amy and Tammy Slaton — two sisters who collectively weigh around 500 pounds each — and their decision to lose weight to alleviate their health problems and live longer lives.
That’s some of it, for sure. But there’s also a lot of melodrama that’s likely been scripted to give the show’s fans something else to grab on to. So it’s a lot like every other reality series.
2. I'm Not a Monster: The Lois Riess Murders (2024)
At first glance, Lois Riess looks like the ordinary grandmother and wife that she used to be. But in 2018, Lois murdered her husband, David, and went on the run. As police investigated the murder, they uncovered more of Lois’ crimes, and her husband wasn’t her only victim.
I’m Not a Monster: The Lois Riess Murders gives Lois the chance to tell her side of the story. Don’t mistake this as giving her undue sympathy. She comes off like a monster even as she tries to explain why she did what she did.
1. The Penguin (2024)
72%
8.8/10The sequel to The Batman is still two years away, but The Penguin is filling the gap by putting Oswald “Oz” Cobb (Colin Farrell) in the middle of a crime epic. After making a serious mistake by killing someone important in his crime family, Oz realizes that he has a chance to become the new kingpin of Gotham. And he’s bringing along his new driver, Victor “Vic” Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), for his journey into darkness.
To get to the top, Oz has to betray a lot of people, but even he has to watch out for Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti). She’s the daughter of the late crime boss Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong), and she wants Gotham City’s underworld for herself. Once Sofia realizes that Oz is her real enemy, she’ll come gunning for him … literally.
