Alan Ritchson in a scene from Reacher. Nick Santora’s Reacher is, without a doubt, one of the biggest small-screen hits of our time. Inspired by Lee Child’s beloved Jack Reacher novels, the show follows the exploits of its titular hero, bringing huge helpings of charisma and his particular brand of justice to various crimes and conspiracies across the country.

It’s a fun, entertaining action series anchored by its larger-than-life protagonist, but it’s not exactly without equal. Over the years, HBO has delivered several iconic action and thriller series, ranging from pulp to prestige, many of which rival and even surpass Prime Video's Reacher on multiple fronts. After all, HBO has built a reputation for high-quality content, subverting mainstream expectations in favor of bold storytelling.

Here are 8 brilliant HBO shows that are even better than Reacher:

1. ‘Banshee’

Created by Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler, Banshee is an action crime thriller series that follows a charismatic former conman who escapes to the titular town after swindling a powerful crime lord. Assuming the identity of Lucas Hood, the murdered sheriff of the town, he tries to reconcile with his former lover and accomplice, as he struggles with his new identity and gets into a conflict with the local mob.

Antony Starr plays the leading role of Lucas Hood, with Ivana Miličević, Ulrich Thomsen, Hoon Lee, Frankie Faison, and Ben Cross in other main roles. One of Cinemax's first original series since the '90s, Banshee is a stylish and inventive crime thriller that fans of Reacher are sure to find entertaining.

Banshee is fast-paced, with more visceral action and stronger character development, forgoing the traditional case-of-the-week, procedural structure that most popular crime shows tend to follow. Despite earning increasingly wider viewership and ratings across its four seasons and winning a Primetime Creative Emmy Award for the visual effects, Banshee has remained a very underrated thriller series.

2. ‘The Wire’

An award-winning crime drama created and written by David Simon, The Wire explores law, order, and crime in the city of Baltimore, where a maverick police officer, Jimmy McNulty, starts investigating a dangerous drug lord and his business partner. As McNulty wages a risky war, it sparks off a series of events involving the city government, port authority, education department, and local media.

The show also features Idris Elba, Lance Reddick, Wood Harris, Wendell Pierce, Michael K. Williams, and Andre Royo in lead roles. A multi-award-winning crime drama, The Wire is an HBO landmark that continues to earn praise for its complex, gritty narrative and powerhouse performances, which launched the careers of several of its stars.

Unlike most crime shows of its time and the present day, The Wire thrives on slow-burning storytelling, forgoing fast-paced action in favor of a more realistic, almost journalistic exploration of the dysfunction of public systems.

3. ‘Mare of Easttown’

Created by Brad Ingelsby and starring Kate Winslet as the titular character, Mare of Easttown follows Marianne “Mare” Sheehan, a local police detective in a small town outside Philadelphia, who investigates the murder of a teenager. Having failed to solve a similar case a year earlier, Mare grapples with the guilt and pressure of her diminished reputation, her complicated emotions, and a crumbling personal life as she seeks the truth.

The crime drama thriller also stars Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart, Angourie Rice, Guy Pearce, and Evan Peters in significant roles. Mare of Easttown was an instant success on its release, earning critical acclaim for its realistic storytelling, powerful characters, and deeply emotional arcs.

The series is anchored by Kate Winslet’s award-winning performance, which has been hailed as one of her best. Unlike most popular crime shows, Mare of Easttown proves that swapping fun, physical action for atmospheric staging and nuanced characterizations can bring more gravitas to crime stories, leaving a truly lasting impression on the audience.