A reality TV show can take on a variety of different forms. Not everything has to be a survivalist drama where someone gets kicked out of the treehouse on a tropical island every week. Some reality TV shows are based on improv comedy routines, quirky contests, compelling stories, and important events, and leave it to HBO to have a selection that includes them all.
Even though not all of these shows are officially billed as comedies, there's something to laugh about in all of them. Some are funny on purpose, while others will shock and amaze in a similar way, and all of them can be found on HBO Max.
7 Family Style
Primarily billed as a food show, Family Style is also a documentary and travel show with plenty of laughs, although given the nature of the show most of it is unscripted and spontaneous. This is what happens when people get together and eat, and it's both fun and comical.
The show is focused on Asian food and pop culture, along with all of the biting commentary that these topics entail. Famous celebrities host each episode, which also includes politics, tradition, family, and laughs.
6 About Last Night
A mix of a game show and reality TV, About Last Night hosts Ayesha and Stephen Curry invite other celebrity couples over for a few drinks, maybe a board game or two, and some sensitive but funny questions about love and relationships. There's a nice mix of drama and shock as well, but despite the sensitive subject matter, it's more romantic than raunchy.
A few of the celebrities that have appeared on the show include Terry Crews and Zooey Deschanel, with some celebrities appearing with their "civilian" partners as well. Everyone participates in trivia and games that are uncensored the way HBO was always meant to be.
5 Hack My Life
Hack My Life is designed in the spirit of other shows like Mythbusters that explored common misconceptions that came from movies, pop culture, or urban legend. This time, it's "life hacks" that are under scrutiny, like using a pair of sunglasses to prop up a cell phone or discovering that a high-heeled shoe can be an improvised corkscrew. Hosts Kevin Pereira and Brooke Van Poppelen use their crack team to test which ones work and which ones don't.
The results aren't always intended to be comical, but it often ends up that way. What's really funny is the "undercover hack" portion of the show, which finds a way to present a life hack to an unsuspecting but needy individual.
4 Whose Line Is It, Anyway?
A show that's been running on both sides of the pond since the early 1990s, Whose Line Is It Anyway is currently available on HBO in its most modern incarnation. Some of the faces are the same, with stars like Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady, and Colin Mochrie making up the main cast.
The show is presently hosted by Aisha Tyler, and the older shows that were hosted by Drew Carey are also available on HBO Max. The show is a comedy, but it can also be found under game shows. There is a points system used to judge the performances, although the points awarded are totally arbitrary and the "prize" consists of reading the show's credits in a style of the audience's choosing.
3 Impractical Jokers
Impractical Jokers stars a comedy troupe known as The Tenderloins, and they also make appearances on other HBO productions like The Misery Index. As the name implies, the show includes playing certain practical jokes, but this time the trope itself is the target of the laughs instead of an audience member or passer-by.
Instead of involving the public, the cast members come up with a series of "dares" such as singing the national anthem at a baseball game (none of these guys can sing) or impersonating a motivational speaker. This is also a reverse game show in the sense that there's no prize for the winner but a punishment for the loser that must be delivered on an epic scale.
2 The Carbonaro Effect
People take a lot for granted, which is one of the reasons The Carbonaro Effect is as funny as it is. Michael Carbonaro impersonates a number of professions, from barista to museum curator, and gets it all on tape for the world to see in the tradition of classic shows like Candid Camera.
The reactions of the unsuspecting victim are funny enough, but the real hilarity comes from the various wacky personas that Carbonaro morphs into when playing a role. He doesn't even need a lot of props or makeup to do it, relying on his own unique talents for different voices, clothing styles, and body language.
1 Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
The follow-up to the equally popular No Reservations, Parts Unknown is labeled as a cooking and travel show, but the show's stark depiction of reality through foodie culture, along with the host's compelling and often comical narration, makes it more like a real-time documentary. Bourdain has an interesting attitude, born of being successful but not unscarred in a cut-throat industry, and much of what he says elicits laughs as much as thoughtful speculation.
In the tradition that Anthony Bourdain made his trademark style, he visits places that are isolated and often dangerous, seeking kinship through food and humor. His adventures in this series include trips to Myanmar, Colombia, and the Arctic Circle.