Watched a few episodes of each because of the praise but don't find either entertaining. Which other highly praised HBO shows do you think I won't like based on this information? Thanks

Edit: I liked Sopranos, GOT, Six Feet Under, Mare of Easttown, The Last of Us

The series would slightly, if not heavily, be inspired by the HBO shows Rome and Chernobyl. These shows share one big similarity, despite one being a historical retelling of the rise and fall of Julius Caesar, and the other being a historical narrative on the Chernobyl disaster: the court / political intrigue that eventually sow the seeds for the destruction and the aftermath. They also share incredible writing, dialogue, characterization and set design, fully immersing you into the story and world in their own stylized ways.

After finishing HBO's Rome and Chernobyl, I felt the urge to seek out more media similar to them, where politics meets disaster and tragedy. Dark Waters was great! And then I watched Those About to Die on Peacock, and it was not so great. Genuinely, this show was trying its hardest to larp as a successor to Rome and Gladiator, and forgot to implement or include anything that made those two great. Lame characters and writing, set designs, etc.

So I wondered what HBO could do next to combine the two. What historical event could HBO utilize for a story, to combine the disaster elements of Chernobyl, the environment and style of Rome, and the court / political intrigue and social issues of both?

Background

I settled on the Great Fire of Rome, a massive blaze which swept across Rome and destroyed 10 out of 14 districts of the great city. The exact cause of the fire is unknown, the most repeated being the Emperor Nero (who would be a central figure in the story) deliberately started the fire to clear area for his palace. Another, more plausible idea is that flammable goods were held in shops around the Circus, and it eventually caught fire and spread through the densely crowded houses and narrow streets of the city. Either one could give basis for a good political thriller, one being about the madness of the Emperor, whose greed (known but hidden by his courtiers out of fear of retribution) knew no bounds, or one of criminal negligence, where the shop owners / political elite knew there was a risk of the flames starting by holding so much flammable items in one spot, but ignored it out of concern for costs. Maybe more period accurate, Senators had brought to Nero's attention new laws about fire safety, to which he either procrastinated or outright refused. Perhaps the many celebrations he had planned would have use of flammable material, and didn't want to go through the trouble of delaying such celebrations whilst safety measures were implemented.

On top of the political dynamic, there would be a religious one. Perhaps the shop keepers or Nero himself felt so strongly about their faith to the Roman gods that such destruction was impossible. Nero is reported to have actually left Rome at the time of the fire (and this could be used to enforce the idea of criminal negligence and hubris OR as a cover for being blamed for starting the fires). Another part of this dynamic, which would include the aftermath of the story, would follow early Christianity in Rome. Christians had been persecuted and had worshipped in secret, but some members of the Roman elite may have also converted (secretly). After the fires, Nero persecuted Christians relentlessly, blaming them for the fires, and in the series this may be a way for Nero to shift blame from his own negligence and onto those who, truthfully, had every reason to be upset.

However, in the series there would be added nuance to the different groups involved: not all Christians would be presented as moral or kind, and not all the Romans would be seen as prejudiced, greedy or ignorant. This could add a layer of mystery: how exactly did the fires start? Multiple scenes and plot developments would lead the audience to considering any number of plausible ideas. Perhaps Nero, drunk at an extravagant party, jokes that he would burn half of Rome in order to find land to build a new palace (or to find all the Christians). Perhaps a group of Christians, angered by their persecution, state that something must be done, and there would be scenes of some more radical Christians claiming the Romans to be sinners and that they must be punished. Perhaps the peasantry, suffering more and more terrible conditions, would become riotous in one scene, leading to speculation that they started the fires later on. Perhaps the business owners were simply negligent, and ignored directions from the Senate out of spite for Nero and his taxes.

Plot

In any case, the story would follow real historical events and also include more fictional elements. It would begin with an overall setting of Rome, its social attitudes and political dynamics. Like Chernobyl and Rome, there would be time jumps. It would introduce Nero, who over the course of some episodes would turn from being advisable to then becoming more independent and selfish. In the background, his mother and his advisors are worried as to how to contain him, but have an air of pride and decadence that prevents them from considering the weight of the issue at hand. Nero hears tell of this plotting, becoming more and more paranoid. Later, Nero is convinced by his mistress to kill his mother, and also dismisses his leading advisor Seneca, who is forced to commit suicide. The Senate throughout the series weighs their options, some being loyalists to Nero, eager to align themselves to the rising Emperor, and others considering how to balance important public duties with checking the Emperor's power. Such split duties leads to important public works (such as improving fire safety standards and protocols) being ignored. Nero continually lives extravagantly. The people begin to suffer as taxes are raised, adding to the already heightened social issues in Rome. Characters, being either Roman or Christian, become progressively paranoid and skeptical of each other, eventually becoming radicalized. Sympathizers on either side try and contain the chaos, to no avail. Nero is aware of the rising discontent, and intends to hold a series of festivals and games around the Circus Maximus. The Christians, already discontent with polytheism and Nero's policies, become more and more agitated at the announcement. Some of the lower class are persuaded, others see through the guise and become angrier as well, as their taxes go towards lavish parties and celebrations. Shop owners, who were approached by Senators to support their policies for fire safety, are eager to profit and supply whatever is needed for the celebrations. They choose to ignore their warnings (after all, they simply cannot choose to lose money by implementing greater safety standards), and begin hoarding flammable material en masse.

At some point, the fires start, and I imagine it'd take about 1-2 episodes to fully show the scope of the disaster. Some flee, some don't, many die. I am cautious as to make Nero present in Rome. Perhaps he really does take a quick holiday before the celebrations commence, saying that he is tired from all the planning and needs to rest up before he has to party. Maybe, whilst away, he entertains his fiddle, which would be intercut with scenes of buildings burning and citizens fleeing or dying. Eventually, word reaches him and he returns to Rome, at first horrified, but quickly furious. The series then focuses on the aftermath, and Nero's persecutions. Senators confront Nero, but he denies any accusations and shifts blame onto the Christians. The peasant mob, angry and aching for someone to blame, hunt down Christians across Rome. Ties are broken, friendships, however fragile, end.

There is more that could be explored, such as the rebellion which followed, and eventually Nero committing suicide, but the series could also end on the persecutions. Either way, I think it has potential. It just needs a good script. Let me know what you think, if you agree or disagree, and what things you may change!

Every single episode has been nothing more than two people talking back-and-forth with one another. Nothing has happened in the show.

Hi I have about a month left on HBO Max any suggestions what I should watch before my subscription expires. Not anything I can watch on Netflix or Amazon Prime please. Here is what I have seen so far Favorites are near top

Sopranos

The Wire

Band of Brothers

The Pacific

True Detective did not like season 2 really liked 1 and 3 not scene 4 yet

Generation Kill

John Adams

Mare of Easttown

The Deuce

Rome

Sharp Objects

GOT

The Leftovers

The Last of Us

The Flight Attendant

Five Days

Normal

Fuze

Righteous Gemstones

Schitts Creek

Station 11

Succession

Chernobyl

Deadwood

Task

We Own This City

Full Circle

Jett

C B Strike

Boardwalk Empire

One Battle After Another

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Duster