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HBO to Stream Dozens of Free TV Series and Movies Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

The Sopranos, True Blood, and Pokémon Detective Pikachu are among the nearly 500 hours of content HBO will make available for free during quarantine.

By Alec Bojalad | April 2, 2020 | | 0

HBO to Stream Dozens of Free TV and Movies Amid Coronavirus Pandemic — *Photo: HBO*

During the coronavirus pandemic, everyone has to do their duty by staying inside and watching a ludicrous amount of television and movies. Now HBO has provided the quarantined with an important tool in this mission.

Today HBO announced that it is making nearly 500 hours of original programming and some WarnerMedia-branded movies available for free to all for a limited time. Subscriptions to HBO via cable with HBO Go or via streaming with HBO Now usually cost $15 per month. But starting Friday, April 3, anyone with Internet access will be able to access nine original HBO series and a multitude of other free content via either platform. Just visit HBONow.com, HBOGo.com, or download either’s respective app to begin watching. HBO hasn’t revealed how long constitutes a “limited time” so get those bingeing muscles ready.

The nine HBO series for which every episode in every season will be made available are Ballers (five seasons), Barry (two seasons), Silicon Valley (six seasons), Six Feet Under (five seasons), The Sopranos (seven seasons), Succession (two seasons), True Blood (seven seasons), Veep (seven seasons), and The Wire (five seasons).

It’s hard to go wrong with any of those options but we would recommend starting with The Sopranos or The Wire if you haven’t seen them yet. Both are undoubtedly among the best TV drama series of all time and this is likely the best and most unprecedented opportunity many people will have to catch up on their lengthy runs. Though if a half-hour comedy is more to your liking (understandable given current circumstances), check out Veep or Silicon Valley. Barry and Succession are the only two current HBO shows on the list so be forewarned that you’ll likely have to get an HBO subscription to watch further seasons if you get hooked…and you will.

Also part of the free offerings are 10 HBO documentary and docuseries options. They include:

The Apollo

The Case Against Adnan Syed

Elvis Presley: The Searcher

I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

Jane Fonda in Five Acts

McMillion$

True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality

United Skates

We Are the Dream: The Kids of the MLK Oakland Oratorical Fest

Of those, McMillion$ is HBO’s latest release and had a considerable amount of buzz before Netflix’s Tiger King mauled everything in its path. The Inventor and I Love You, Now Die are also both excellent docuseries as well.