When revisiting your favorite television shows, some series require a chronological rewatch in order to fully appreciate the emotional investment of the seasons-long experience of the narrative being unfurled. But then there are other shows that work just as well dipping in and out almost at random.
For example, only the most obsessive of “Game of Thrones” fans would turn on an out-of-order episode to unwind with on a Friday afternoon. The propulsive nature of dramatic storytelling lends itself to episode-by-episode consumption; but that’s not true for most comedies and many procedurals. To that end, this week HBO Max unveiled a new “Shuffle” button for its desktop users that is unlike what you can find on other streaming platforms.
While many streamers will allow viewers the opportunity to cede control of their screen to the all-knowing algorithm to pick a show or movie to watch for the evening, HBO Max is honing in a little more on the idea. The shuffle button is be available on 45 curated shows and will pick an episode at random from the specific series’ catalog.
The variety of shows included at launch feature some of the best sitcoms, sketch comedies, reality shows, animated series, and more on the service. Users can select the shuffle button on the series detail page titles like “Friends,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Looney Tunes,” “Rick & Morty,” “Teen Titans Go!,” “Selena + Chef,” “Whose Line is it Anyway,” and more.
HBO Max Series Available to Shuffle
- A World of Calm
- Adventure Time
- Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
- Apple & Onion
- Chappelle Show
- Courage the Cowardly Dog
- Craig of the Creek
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Ed, Ed and Eddy
- ER
- Flight of the Conchords
- Fresh Prince
- Friends
- Full House
- Great Pottery Throwdown
- Hot Ones
- How It Really Happened
- Impractical Jokers
- Key and Peele
- Looney Tunes
- Martin
- Mike & Molly
- Regular Show
- Reno 911!
- Rick & Morty
- Robot Chicken
- Scooby-Do, Where Are You!
- Selena + Chef
- Sesame Street
- South Park
- Teen Titans Go!
- The Amazing World of Gumball
- The Big Bang Theory
- The Boondocks
- The Mentalist
- The Middle
- The Nanny
- The Office
- The Shot: Uninterrupted
- Tom and Jerry
- Total Dramarama
- Two and a Half Men
- We Bare Bears
- Whose Line is it Anyway
- Young Sheldon
Using this unique function almost feels like turning to cable in the early evening when you know a certain show that you like is going to be on in syndication, but there’s no telling which episode is going to be up on any given day. You know that whatever episode it is, you’re going to enjoy it, so it doesn’t really matter if it’s from the first season, the fifth, or the final; and half the fun is the suspense of seeing what comes up next.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.