The 4 HBO shows that are better than ‘Game of Thrones,’ according to critics

HBO

"Game of Thrones" is HBO’s biggest TV series ever, but it’s not its most critically acclaimed.
Shows like "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" have higher critic ratings at review aggregator Metacritic.
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"Game of Thrones" is HBO’s biggest hit ever, but it’s not the premium cable network’s best show of all time if you ask critics.

As the epic fantasy series heads for its finale on Sunday, we’ve looked back at some HBO classics, and there are a few that critics have praised above and beyond.

While the final season of "Game of Thrones" has been divisive, it’s been a ratings giant for HBO. The show’s recent penultimate episode, "The Bells," scored the series’ biggest ratings yet across all platforms with 18.4 million viewers.

We turned to Metacritic to find the shows that critics have adored more than "Game of Thrones," and they include "The Wire" and a couple of surprises.

Below are four HBO shows better than "Game of Thrones," according to Metacritic:

5. "Game of Thrones" — Eight Seasons, 2011-2019

HBO

Average Metacritic score: 86

HBO summary: "Summers span decades. Winters can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne begins. Based on the bestselling book series by George R.R. Martin and created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss."

What critics said: "The show has stepped up its pacing. For the most part, that has been immensely satisfying, yielding crowd-pleasing moments that the and that the series generally avoided in the often-grim journey, especially for the Stark kids, which has led to this point." — Brian Lowry, CNN (Season 8, 2019)

4. "The Night Of" — Limited Series, 2016

HBO

Average Metacritic score: 90

HBO summary: "Created by Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List) and Richard Price (The Wire), this limited series tracks a young man whose perfect night out becomes a nightmare when he’s arrested for murder."

What critics said: "[A] tense and exquisite limited series on HBO. The later episodes become a more conventional legal story, as Stone patches together a defense, and the case becomes Nancy Grace-ified in the media. There are nods to TV legal series throughout." — James Poniewozik, New York Times

3. "The Wire" — Five Season, 2002-2008

HBO

Average Metacritic score: 91

HBO summary: "In the drug-ridden streets of West Baltimore, there are good guys and there are bad guys. Sometimes you need more than a badge to tell them apart."

What critics said: "Here’s one other thing I blame The Wire for: It’s ruined other TV for me. How am I supposed to go and watch CSI now, or freaking Prison Break? It saddens me to know that there are no more new episodes of The Wire for me to watch, and never will be. And now, in its shadow, everything else pales." — Adam Sternbergh, Vulture (Season 5, 2008)

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Source: Business Insider – tclark@businessinsider.com (Travis Clark)