This is a listicle recommending five HBO shows that have slipped from public attention despite the network's reputation for high-profile, critically acclaimed programming, arguing that some genuine gems have been overshadowed by more famous titles like The Wire, The Sopranos and Deadwood. The piece frames HBO's selectivity as a double-edged sword: while it ensures quality and star power, it also means less-marketed shows can vanish from cultural memory even when they deserve renewed attention.

Two of the highlighted titles are Mr. Show with Bob and David, a cult sketch comedy series from David Cross and Bob Odenkirk noted for linking its sketches into a broader narrative and ageing well due to its avoidance of dated pop-culture references, and The Plot Against America, a David Simon-produced adaptation of Philip Roth's novel imagining a 1940 US presidential win for far-right isolationist Charles Lindbergh over Franklin Roosevelt, exploring rising antisemitism through one Jewish family's experience. The article (cut off before listing the remaining three shows) frames both as overlooked works from major creative talents that merit rediscovery.