Great decisions have been made regarding our favored content provider. HBO is making what appear to be changes for the better. The parent company, WBD, is restructuring, and HBO is getting the acknowledgment it deserves once again as the premium content that it is. The streamer is now HBO Max, and, if crossed fingers are any indication, it could return to being the focal point of that application someday soon. Yes, there will still be Discovery content on the site, but only the cream of the crop. Now, if we can just get rid of Zaslav, enough on that, let’s focus on the content for August 2025.
A few quick points:
- DC’s on a Roll with Superman and PEACEMAKER
- REAL TIME Returns After A Hiatus
- We Witness THE WOLF OF GOD from Mexico
- And some HORSES & HANGMEN
- Plus, Pedro Pascal in some FREAKY TALES
- And, We’re Shuffling Off to Buffalo with the Bills!
HBO Original Series: None of the big titles to announce this month, except THE GILDED AGE and its concluding episodes. Find them beginning SUNDAY, AUGUST 03 (9:00-10:00 pm ET/PT). Love and the seizing of opportunity have been the focal point this season. The series has examined forced love for poor Gladys Vere, Duchess of Buckingham (née Russell), and cautious love for Marian Brook and Peggy Scott, plus the opportunities for John “Jack” Trotter and Oscar Van Rhijn. How will the season conclude? Here are some hints –
–S3 Ep. 07 – “Ex-Communicated”
Debut Date: Sunday, August 03 (9:00-10:00 pm ET/PT)
Amid the release of a salacious book, Mrs. Astor discusses the future of her Newport ball with Bertha. After returning from Arizona, Larry shares a promising discovery with George, only to receive troubling news in return. Meanwhile, Mrs. Kirkland receives concerning information about Peggy, and the Russell household uncovers the source of recent leaks to the press.
–S3 Ep. 08 Season Finale – “My Mind Is Made Up”
Debut Date: Sunday, August 10 (9:00-10:10 pm ET/PT)
Despite objections from Mrs. Astor, Bertha finalizes the guest list for the ball – and finally faces the fallout of her actions. Meanwhile, Dr. Kirkland makes a decision about his future with Peggy, Oscar reconnects with a previous ally, and Marian struggles to move forward.
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER had intermittent installments in July but is back each week in August. The show begins the month on SUNDAY, AUGUST 03 from 11:10-11:51 pm ET/PT. What big stories will he scrutinize this month? REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER has some catching up to do. The show was on hiatus all of July, but returns with installment #701 in August. Who knows who he’ll have in the interview seat and who knows what he’ll say on the panel. You’ll find out when you tune in beginning FRIDAY, AUGUST 01 (10:00-11:00 pm ET/PT).
Original Series Exclusive to HBO Max: James Gunn is certainly off to a strong start with his DC content. After DC’s new relaunch with CREATURE COMMANDOS and Superman in theaters (on HBO, no doubt, about 6-7 months from now), he returns us to PEACEMAKER on HBO Max in August.
The Max Original series from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Television, created for television by James Gunn and starring John Cena, returns for its eight-episode second season THURSDAY, AUGUST 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on the streamer. In season 2, Peacemaker discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands. John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick return for season two. New cast members include Frank Grillo, David Denman, Sol Rodriguez, and Tim Meadows. Here is our first look at the full trailer:
Also, AND JUST LIKE THAT… will be wrapping up its third season this month. It has two episodes to go in its 12-episode run. It uploads beginning THURSDAY, AUGUST 07, with its Season 3 Finale on 08.14. As of this writing, we’ve just witnessed Aidan admitting he does not trust Carrie, causing her to end their relationship. Plus, we witness Charlotte’s medical woes and see Miranda, who you can check out displaying fashion trends from two different eras on HBO, revealing that she is a recovering alcoholic. How will it all resolve for our girls? For the better, we hope.
HBO International Titles: Making up for the big-name titles is some international fare. We lead off with a documentary entitled MARCIAL MACIEL: THE WOLF OF GOD. It is a Mexican work examining the history of Marcial Maciel, who was the founder of the Legionaries of Christ in Mexico and a major fundraiser for the Catholic Church. It investigates accusations of corruption and contains testimonies from 
victims of sexual abuse carried out by the Father. He was discovered to have sexually abused at least 60 young boys during his career, fathering 6 children from 4 different women, and was a drug addict. Yet another fine example of humanity. It arrives THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 on HBO Max. The next title hails from Turkey and is a series in its second season. It’s called THE PRINCE (Prens) (find it on HBO Max here). Bongomia is a country that no one cares about, in a history that no one cares about. After the sudden and suspicious death of Thun, king of Bongomia, a complicated story begins when the Prince, whom no one takes seriously and whose family does not even bother to name, comes to the throne. The sophomore season comes to the streamer beginning FRIDAY, AUGUST 15.
Debuting a week later on FRIDAY, AUGUST 22 is THE HERITAGE (Mostenirea). After returning from Nice with his lost son, State makes glorious plans for his future: he will retire and be replaced by Gabriel as his only heir. But things are far from perfect: Minodora and Stiven envy the attention their newfound brother 
receives, so Stivan comes up with a plan to get rid of Gabriel and get State’s money. But he isn’t the only one after State’s heritage. Fabrizio, an old Mafia guy, returns with a view to making enough money to buy his place back into the Italian Family “La Mafia” after being banished from it. And so the quest for rightful heritage begins in this Romanian series. Now, come on, how many opportunities are you going to have viewing a series out of Romania, right? The last week of the month, we will get one more title. On FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, we get HORSES & HANGMEN (aka Hestepigen Fra Helvede) out of Norway. The translation of the language above actually reads “The Horse Girl From Hell.” It is a documentary lifted from a podcast about a unique murder case. Frank Dan Nørgaard Jørgensen was killed on July 14, 2022. He was beaten with an iron pipe and strangled. A total of six people have been convicted of having played a role in the case. “The Horse Girl from Hell” is the story of his murder. At the center of it all is the horse girl Maibrit. A seemingly ordinary woman who runs Haxholm Fjord Horses. But who is Maibrit? And how did she lure a group of seemingly ordinary people into a spectacular murder plot? So, you see, there is plenty of international content to explore in August. It will take you from Mexico to Turkey, then to Romania, and ends in Norway – all on HBO Max.
HBO & HBO Max Theatrical Movies: Though there are five Saturdays in August, at this time, we can only confirm new movies for the first three of them. They are Final Destination Bloodlines, Freaky Tales, and The Legend Of Ochi. Of course, there are plenty of curated, older movies to enjoy. We will look at a few of those further down. For now, we single out the new titles.
New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures’ FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES will debut on HBO linear on SATURDAY, AUGUST 02 @ 8:00 pm. ET and will make its global streaming debut exclusively on HBO Max the night prior. It stars Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Rya Kihlstedt, with Brec Bassinger, and Tony Todd. Come on, after five movies, can’t someone stop the death dreams from coming true?
Yes, in this direct-to-HBO feature, they get another chance. Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefani (Santa Juana) heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle – her grandmother, Iris (Gabrielle Rose and Brec Bassinger) – and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all. Ohhh, what wild, grisly demises will we get? That’s followed by the 
question, How freaky will the FREAKY TALES get? The movie, from Lionsgate, will debut on HBO on SATURDAY, AUGUST 09 @ 8:00 pm ET and on the streamer the night prior. It is another exclusive debut, so you might want to catch it. It stars Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo, Angus Cloud, and Tom Hanks. But what is it? Well, set in 1987 Oakland, it has been described as a multitrack mixtape of characters–an NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teen punks, neo-Nazis, and a debt collector–who are set on a collision course in a fever dream of showdowns and battles. Last on the slate is THE LEGEND OF OCHI. In a remote village on the island of Carpathia, a shy farm girl named Yuri is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when Yuri discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home. Starring Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, and Willem Dafoe. Written and directed by Isaiah Saxon. For now, we get a gander at the cute critter via the official trailer.
Okay, maybe not so much on the cute, but kinda cool. Find out for yourself when it debuts SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 @ 8:00 pm and on the streamer the night prior.
HBO Documentary Films: Not sure of the psychology behind it, but viewers seemed to be fascinated with true-crime tales. HBO delivers that in spades. In August is yet another multi-part documentary on the matter. The HBO Original four-part documentary series THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS, directed by 
Margaret Brown (Descendant), from A24 and Fruit Tree, debuts SUNDAY, AUGUST 03 (10:00-11:00 pm ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes will debut on subsequent Sundays at the same time for three weeks. In 1991, four teenage girls were brutally murdered at a frozen yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. What happened that night forever shook the Austin community and continues to mystify the police and haunt the families left in the wake of unthinkable loss. The series offers a unique window into the lasting effects of grief and the enduring impact of unrelenting crime coverage in mainstream media through poignant interviews with those closest to the crime and investigation. It reexamines every inch of the case. It includes interviews with the investigative teams, the victims’ parents and siblings, and the two men who served time for the crime, who just might be innocent. We are able to break it down for those interested after the official trailer.
Episode One: Fire and Water
Debut date: SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
In 1991, the murder of four teenage girls rocked the city of Austin, Texas. Amy Ayers (13), sisters Jennifer Harbison (17) and Sarah Harbison (15), and Eliza Thomas (17) were at the yogurt shop where Jennifer and Eliza worked at closing time but never returned home. They were found later that night in the rubble of the store, which had been set on fire. One week after the murders, 16-year-old Maurice Pierce is arrested at a local mall carrying a gun. Under questioning, he implicates his friends Forrest Welborn, Robert Springsteen, and Michael Scott in the crimes. As the families grieve and the community comes together to find ways to heal, the police are thwarted in their investigations by a lack of hard evidence.
Episode Two: The Fifth Victim
Debut date: SUNDAY, AUGUST 10 (10:10-11:10 p.m. ET/PT)
Trauma continues to haunt the community as family members search for healing, resolution, and ways to hold on to the memories of the girls. The initial suspicions around the four teenage boys led nowhere. After several false leads and wrongful arrests, homicide supervisor Hector Polanco is found to have coerced a suspect into a false confession and is reassigned. Lead investigator John Jones is diagnosed with PTSD and is taken off the case, suffering guilt about the department’s inability to solve the murders. The family of Amy Ayers even turns to a private investigator in their frustration with the lack of progress. Eight years after the murders, new lead investigator Paul Johnson revisits the case, and an interrogation video reveals Rob Springsteen claiming to have seen Maurice Pierce with a gun in his hand on the night of the murders.
Episode Three: Mental Evidence
Debut date: SUNDAY, AUGUST 17 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
As the investigation revisits the young suspects more deeply, the police call them in for new videotaped interrogations, which reveal conflicting and ever-changing information. In October 1999, all four boys were arrested. Welborn is released quickly, followed by Pierce, who never gave a confession. However, Springsteen and Scott are charged with murder after having confessed to killing the girls and are sentenced to death and life in prison, respectively. But in 2008, with new technology, a DNA sample from the crime scene turned the case upside down.
Episode Four: In Your Own Time
Debut date: SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
In 2009, Springsteen and Scott were released on bond, and the charges were dropped. But the men still live in a state of presumed guilt by many, despite no physical evidence tying them to the murder scene, and more being revealed about false confessions, and the mind’s susceptibility to confusion between truth and suggested truth. Three decades after the murders, a cold case detective continues to search for answers and closure for the families. Sonora Thomas, the sibling of one of the girls, works as a therapist, advocating storytelling to heal trauma and a way to change how memories live inside of us. Each of the families seeks solace in their own way as they grapple with their loss.
HBO Original Specials: HBO is able to get us a comedy special. For August, we get a second go-around for an artist who must have thought his first HBO gig went well. In his second HBO special, comedian and podcaster Marc Maron offers up his nuanced perspective on our increasingly uncertain world. Debuting FRIDAY, AUGUST 01 is MARC MARON: PANICKED. Mr. Maron dropped a quote that reads, “I feel that this is the best work I’ve done. Everything came together. The direction, the production design, the shirt, and the bits. HBO gets me, and I’m thrilled to be presented by them.” This time out, he offers up his perspective on our uncertain and anxiety-filled world. Taped at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater, Maron’s set delves into various aspects of modern life, such as finding purpose while running errands, attempting to herd his three chaotic cats in an emergency, and dealing with an unusual rat situation. Care to check it out?
Also, we note that once again, top recording artists and celebrities from film and television unite to help raise funds to support urgently needed research and groundbreaking new treatments for cancer in STAND UP TO CANCER 2025, which is presented on FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 (8:00-9:00 pm ET/PT).
HBO Max Kids & Family: I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, for a company that says it is getting out of the Kids & Family business, there sure is a lot of content being presented. Perhaps they are just waiting to burn off all their contracts for these titles, because there is plenty to watch. Yes, they’re all newer titles, not classic oldies that they have indeed purged. Here are the titles for the month. LET’S GO 
BANANAS debuts on FRIDAY, AUGUST 01, and HOP! continues Season One on THURSDAY, AUGUST 14. Also, with more installments for their first seasons are TOAD AND FRIENDS beginning FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, SILLY SUNDAYS on TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, and IYANU on THURSDAY, AUGUST 31. Plus, there is one more full month of the classic SESAME STREET to go before it ends its season and its run for WBD. It uploads on THURSDAYS. This month, they teach us that there is “No Wrong Way to Be You.” So, go bananas!
HBO Sports: HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE BUFFALO BILLS marks the first time the iconic franchise has been selected to take part in the 19-time Sports Emmy-winning series. Head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane will be featured alongside the 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player, quarterback Josh Allen, and an array of veteran and rookie players training at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York. The series will be narrated by Liev Schreiber and plays out over a fast, hard-hitting five installments as the Buffalo Bills stampede into the stadium to get ready for another season of NFL football. Catch it when it debuts on TUESDAY, AUGUST 05 (9:00-10:00 pm ET).
Other Shows On HBO or HBO Max: It should go without saying, but all six Final Destination films are available to stream now on HBO Max. In addition, there will be a franchise movie marathon featuring all films from the franchise on HBO Linear ahead of the premiere of the debut film this month on SATURDAY, AUGUST 02. Beginning at 12:10 pm is Final Destination from 2000, then Final Destination 2 from 2003, then 
Final Destination 3 from 2006, followed by The Final Destination from 2009, and Final Destination 5 from 2011, before Final Destination Bloodlines at 8:00 pm. Other movies appearing on HBO and the streamer include It Happened in Brooklyn, It’s Always Fair Weather, Jamboree!, Survive The Night, The Nun, The Peanut Butter Falcon, and Enter The Warriors Gate. There are, of course, some imported shows from across WBD’s outlets. We often single out Adult Swim, and we do so again with the launch of WOMEN WEARING SHOULDER PADS on MONDAY, AUGUST 18. It is a new stop-motion series which follows a wealthy Spaniard living in Ecuador as she journeys through the complicated world of love, family, commercials, and cuyes, a.k.a. South American guinea pigs. The new series will mark Adult Swim’s first-ever Spanish-language series, along with its return to the stop-motion animation format.
Next Month’s Tease: He wrote Ben Affleck’s The Way Back before coming to HBO. He returns to HBO in September with a work that takes place in the same region as his first HBO foray. Who is he, and what is his next HBO offering?
Last Month’s Tease: We asked if you recognized Sean McDermott and Josh Allen. They are, respectively, the head coach and star quarterback for the Buffalo Bills featured in HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE BUFFALO BILLS in August.
Final Clip: Are you still curious about that FREAKY TALES movie? Maybe this will help.
Enjoy HBO & HBOWatch.
