HBO is promising some big things ahead. Can you get caught up in it? HBOWatch is here every step of the way because that is what we do. Jump in and explore what is coming for August.
A few quick points:
- Kit Harington Returns to HBO
- It’s Football with the Bears
- We HOP!
- And Get CHIMP CRAZY
- Plus, we seek the CITY OF GOD
- And get one last glimpse of the dragons
HBO Original Series: We lead off with the show that is returning this month due to HBO’s great relationship with the BBC. The world of high finance is in our sights with INDUSTRY. It gives an insider’s view of the black box of high finance following a group of young bankers as they forge their identities within the pressure cooker environment and sex and drug-fueled blitz of international bank Pierpoint & Co’s London office. The eight-episode third season, from creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, debuts SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max, with new episodes debuting weekly. In season three, as Pierpoint looks to the future and takes a big bet on ethical investing, Yasmin (Marisa Abela), Robert (Harry Lawtey), and Eric (Ken Leung) find themselves front and center in the splashy IPO of Lumi, a green tech energy company led by Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington), in a story that runs all the way to the very top of finance, media, and government. Since leaving Pierpoint, Harper (Myha’la) is eager to get back into the addictive thrill of finance and finds an unlikely partner in FutureDawn portfolio manager Petra Koenig (Sarah Goldberg).
Wow! If you love SUCCESSION, you should love INDUSTRY too. Plus, Kit Harington plays a bigwig this time around. Kit Harington as Sir Henry Muck, Sarah Goldberg as Petra Koenig, Miriam Petche as Sweetpea Golightly, Andrew Havill as Lord Norton, Roger Barclay as Otto Mostyn, Fady Elsayed as Ali El Mansour, and Fiona Button as Denise Oldroyd join the great returning players Myha’la, Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, Ken Leung, Conor MacNeill, Sagar Radia, Indy Lewis, Adam Levy, Sarah Parish, Trevor White, Elena Saurel, and Irfan Shamji. Can you handle the pressure that builds in INDUSTRY?
Season two was declared by The Atlantic as “the most thrilling show on TV” and an “emergent masterpiece… with cinematic confidence and killer acting.” GQ hailed it as “The First Great Gen Z Workplace Drama” while Vanity Fair lauded it as “the missing link between ‘Euphoria’ and ‘Succession,’” and Vogue praised it for “the most exciting performances on television.” The A.V. Club called it a “sensational and impeccable second season” and “one of the best workplace series of the 21st century.”
This is what we know of the debut episode of the third season:
— Season 3 Episode #1 Il Mattino ha L’Oro in Boca
Debut Date: SUNDAY, August 11 (9:00 – 10:05 pm ET/PT)
As Pierpoint gears up to take Lumi public, Eric gets a long-awaited promotion to partner, Yasmin tries to escape Harper’s shadow at the desk, and Robert struggles to manage Lumi CEO Henry Muck. Meanwhile, Harper sees an opportunity to get back in the game at hedge fund FutureDawn.
Of course, we have to also set the reminder that HOUSE OF THE DRAGON wraps up its second season on SUNDAY, AUGUST 04 (9:00 – 10:13 pm ET/PT). Alas, that’s about all we can tell you; it clocks in as a 1-hour 13-minute installment.
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER continues its eleventh season on SUNDAY, AUGUST 04 at 11:25 pm ET/PT. Note – The show usually gets pushed by a few minutes depending on how long the dramatic series that airs before it runs over its hour. Oliver has touched on a range of topics. For example, he has talked about UFOS, Corn Production, Deep Sea Mining, and, of course, thorough discourse on the latest politics. REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER, however, is on its usual summer hiatus. It will have some catching up to do as Biden and Harris swapped places in the run for President after the show started its break. It will return on FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 at 10:00 pm ET/PT.
Original Series Exclusive to Max: In the way we categorize titles, we find only one show, an unscripted 
one, that is an exclusive series for Max. Again, that means it is exclusive to the streaming service and not seen on the cable pay channel. That title is something called UNBELIEVABLY VEGAN WITH CHEF CHARITY. A noted cookbook by vegan chef Charity Morgan gets turned into a cooking series for the streamer. Do we need another one? Anyway, it debuts THURSDAY, AUGUST 22 for those who say we do.
HBO International Titles: Some bigger titles drop in this category. There is big hype for this first one out of Latin America – CITY OF GOD: THE FIGHT RAGES ON. There was an acclaimed 2002 movie titled City of God, based on a novel of the same name by Paulo Lins. This series picks up the story two decades after the movie. So what is it? Well, the movie depicts the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus (City of God) suburb of Rio de Janeiro, between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s, with the film’s closure depicting the war between the drug dealer Li’l Zé and vigilante-turned-criminal Knockout Ned. The tagline 
is “If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you.” The series picks up in the early 2000s when the release of a young drug dealer from prison puts Cidade de Deus back into dispute. Residents find themselves trapped between drug traffickers, militias, and public authorities, but the need to escape this cycle makes the community unite to face the oppressor. With excerpts from the film in flashbacks to reconstruct memories and affective recollections of the protagonists, the story quickly shows that not much has changed in the shantytown. The cast includes big names such as Alexandre Rodrigues, Roberta Rodrigues, Thiago Martins, Sabrina Rosa, Kiko Marques, Edson Oliveira, Andréia Horta, Marcos Palmeira, Eli Ferreira, Luellem de Castro, Jefferson Brasil, Otávio Linhares, Rafael Lozano, Leandro Daniel, Luiz Bertazzo and debuting talents from communities in Rio de Janeiro such as Cidade de Deus, Vidigal and Mangueira. The six-part Brazilian series begins SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 with a new episode weekly until SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. I’m watching it, are you?
Two other titles come our way and they are both from Poland. On THURSDAY, AUGUST 01 is THE CONVICT (Skazana). It already has four seasons and Max now picks up the series in its entirety. It is a 
Polish crime drama series created by Ewa Ornacka and based on her book. It stars Agata Kulesza as a successful judge Alicja Mazur from Katowice, who is accused of a murder she did not commit. In prison, Mazur tries to survive among the women she previously sent to prison. Ooh, that could be nasty, especially in a Polish prison. Why on Max now? The third season in 2023 won a European award for Best Series. The fourth season was then imported over to Max when the service arrived in Poland, only then to become its final season. Thus, we now get it Stateside. The other title is also in mid-run. It is THE THAW (Odwilż). Its first season of six episodes is already on Max. The second season lands on the site on FRIDAY, AUGUST 23. In the sophomore season, an undercover operation goes awry and the lead detective, Zawieja (Katarzyna Wajda) goes to court hearings over it.
HBO & Max Theatrical Movies: How hard is it just to lock down a date? They often have trouble announcing dates for those titles that might appear late in any given month. Granted there are only so many days in a month, but how hard is it to pick one? Nowhere in the current press release does it state any new 
first-run movies for HBO & Max for August, but the official trailer for the month states the following titles are ‘Coming Soon.’ Are any of these movies arriving in August? They are FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA, THE WATCHERS, and HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA. The first in the fifth title in George Miller’s Mad Max franchise, now nowhere near Mel Gibson’s character. I predict it will premiere on SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, and a day or so earlier on Max. The second title is a recent horror film by M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter Ishana. Dakota Fanning stars as an American working in Ireland and learning what Watchers are. Being a Shymalan picture, those Watchers are something shocking. I’m beating we will find out for sure when it debuts on SATURDAY, AUGUST 24. The other title is the first in a film series that consists of four planned American epic westerns directed, co-written, and produced by, as well as starring Kevin Costner. I’m guessing it lands on SATURDAY, AUGUST 31. If I’m right all three will begin at the 8:00 pm hour. Here is the trailer for that last movie –
HBO Documentary Films: Two debuts in this category. The first is another entertainer biography and the second title is Max’s equivalent of Netflix’s Tiger King. The entertainer is the celebrated actress Elizabeth Taylor. Over the course of 1 hour and 45 minutes, viewers will get the details of her life and career in ELIZABETH TAYLOR: THE LOST TAPES. The film allows Taylor’s own voice to narrate her story, inviting audiences to rediscover not just a megastar of Hollywood’s Golden Age but a complex woman who navigated lifelong fame, personal identity, and public scrutiny on a global stage from an early childhood. Through newly recovered interviews with Taylor and unprecedented access to the movie star’s personal 
archive, the film reveals the complex inner life and vulnerability of the Hollywood legend while also challenging audiences to recontextualize her achievements and her legacy. It arrives on SATURDAY, AUGUST 03 (8:00-9:45 pm ET/PT) in place of a movie premiere. CHIMP CRAZY is a documentary series that will play out over four episodes with a weekly rollout on HBO and Max. It all starts on SUNDAY, AUGUST 18 (10:00- 11:00 pm ET/PT). What makes it crazy? How about former nurse-turned-exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix, who refers to herself as the “Dolly Parton of chimps”? She spends her days caring for animals in captivity. However, her limitless love for one chimpanzee in particular spins into a wild cat-and-mouse game with authorities and an animal rights group. Through Tonia’s and other “chimp mom” experiences, this series reveals the singular bonds that form between owners and their highly intelligent great ape pets. The series exposes the risks humans take when they try to raise these animals as members of their family, as well as the risks to the welfare of the animals themselves. Got to see it to believe it! We opt for the Taylor trailer here:
MAX Documentary Films: The streamer debuts a crime documentary that, I suspect, will have everyone guessing. Known as “the case that haunts the Midwest,” this 3-episode documentary series called TAKEN TOGETHER: WHO KILLED LYRIC AND ELIZABETH dives into the haunting 2012 double abduction of two cousins. They are 10-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins, of Evansdale, Iowa. With over seven years of exclusive access and insider interviews conducted by Sires, including an additional young girl who escaped her kidnapper against all odds, compelling footage of the two victim’s families over a crucial passage of time, and new information around the case, this series offers a searing and unforgettable lens on this unimaginable crime. It uploads to Max on THURSDAY, AUGUST 08.
Max Kids & Family: If you hadn’t noticed we moved on to kid fare. Debuting on THURSDAY, AUGUST 15 is a whole new batch of episodes from Marc Brown’s HOP. In these brand-new episodes, Hop (David Connolly), an enthusiastic, empathetic frog with one leg shorter than the other, and his quirky friends continue to navigate the mud puddles of life with a healthy dose of laughter, silliness, and adventure. Set in the aspirational community of Fair Village, every episode is grounded in emotional reality but soars into the world of fantasy, populated by dragons, trolls, and talking banjos. With a gentle balance of humor and heart, our heroes promise to captivate audiences of all ages with delightful journeys filled with friendship, valuable life lessons, and endless possibilities. In short, it is a success in kids’ programming so, it is back for more!
Speaking about ‘back’ August is back to school time so Max has two specials to make it all a bit better going back to class with MINI BEAT POWER ROCKERS: BACK TO SCHOOL and COOKIE MONSTER’S BAKE SALE: BACK TO SCHOOL. They launch MONDAY, AUGUST 05 and THURSDAY, AUGUST 29 respectively.
HBO Sports: HARD KNOCKS is hitting hard this season. We had the debut of HARD KNOCKS: OFF SEASON… and now we get HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP… to be followed by HARD KNOCKS: IN SEASON in December. Let’s talk football! HBO and NFL Films are teaming up this summer for HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE CHICAGO BEARS. The five-episode series debuts TUESDAY, AUGUST 06 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. New episodes will debut subsequent Tuesdays through September 03. This time out the series is delivering all-access coverage at the Chicago Bears training camp in Lake Forest, Illinois this summer. General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus will be at the helm, guiding 2024’s first overall draft pick, quarterback Caleb Williams, 2024’s ninth overall pick, wide receiver Rome Odunze, and an array of veteran players including DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Jaylon Johnson, and Montez Sweat. So gear up for football Chicago-style.
Other Shows On HBO or Max: There is plenty of content imported over from WBD’s other properties to fill up Max. Out of all of them, mostly unscripted drivel, is an animated series I’ll single out. It is a pairing familiar to most with a new twist. Imported over from Adult Swim comes RICK AND MORTY: THE ANIME because, well, people just don’t tire of those two, I guess. In this 10-episode anime series, Rick relaxes in a pseudo-world between multiverses, Summer helps Space Beth fight the evil Galactic Federation, and Morty falls in love with a mysterious girl who happens to be an atemporal being. Oh, hell, just watch this:
It arrives on Max FRIDAY, AUGUST 16. Max is also promoting 52 horror titles this month. Well, if you drop them all now, what will you offer in October? Anyway, out of that long list, I’ll mention series that you can catch up on from the chosen genre. They are 30 COINS (2021), FOLKLORE (2018) LOS ESPOOKYS (2019), LOVECRAFT COUNTRY (2020), My Horror Story (2019), THE BABY (2022), THE OUTSIDER (2020), The Vampire Diaries (2009) and Wellington Paranormal (2021).
Next Month’s Tease: If I gave you the lead actor in a work you’d be able to guess the show right away, but what if I gave you the supporting actor’s names? Coming next month you will see the likes of Clancy Brown, Carmen Ejogo, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Michael Zegen, and Cristin Milioti in what title?
Last Month’s Tease: We asked if you knew where the tagline “If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you.” hailed from. The answer is City of God, the saga that continues in the new series CITY OF GOD: THE FIGHT RAGES ON.
Final Clip: Oh, come on, we’ve got to end with CHIMP CRAZY, right?
Enjoy HBO & HBOWatch!
