HBO Max's New Answer to 'The Bear' Sets the Stage for a 'Dawson's Creek' Reunion

1 week ago 9

Published Feb 4, 2026, 2:34 PM EST

Adam Blevins began working in the entertainment industry in 2022 as a Staff Writer for Agents of Fandom, where he progressed to Senior Editor and interviewed talent from Marvel Studios, House of the Dragon, and Planet of the Apes. He joined Collider as a News Author in April 2024, was promoted to a Senior position in December 2024, and has written over 3,000 articles for the site, including exclusives relating to Avengers: Doomsday, The Penguin, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and more. He primarily writes about the latest box office numbers and the hottest movies and TV shows on streaming, while also covering superhero and sci-fi news. He has completed a set visit for The Chosen and even has several months of experience writing Gaming Features at ScreenRant. You can find him on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack.

The Bear has quietly become one of the biggest shows in the world in the last few years. The hit comedy, which is really more of a drama, has aired almost a new season every year since it first premiered in 2022, and it has left other streamers trying to replicate its Emmy-winning success. The show stars Jeremy Allen White (Deliver Me From Nowhere) and Ayo Edebiri (Opus) alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Fantastic Four: First Steps), and it follows a young chef from the fine dining world who returns home to Chicago after the death of his brother to take over his family’s sandwich shop.

It was recently announced that Ray Romano, famed for his role in Everybody Loves Raymond, had been tapped to star in How to Survive Without Me, a new HBO series from Greg Berlanti and Bash Doran following the De Angelis family, who have drifted apart but now have to come back together following their matriarch’s passing. The show is already drawing comparisons to The Bear due to the overarching themes of a complicated family drama, and while there may be some discernible differences, fans of The Bear are likely to enjoy HBO’s new drama.

News broke this afternoon that Joshua Jackson has also joined the cast of How to Survive Without You. He will play Cooper, a chef ready to open a members-only dining club in LA using his mother’s famous recipes. On the outside, he has his life together, but inside, he’s struggling with a secret that could destroy his life and the life of his friends. Jackson and Berlanti formerly worked together on Dawson’s Creek, the popular series that ran from 1998 to 2003.

What Else Is Streaming on HBO Max Right Now?

While it’s unclear at this time when the first season of How to Survive Without Me will be released, there are plenty of other shows on HBO Max to watch in the meantime. Topping the streaming charts right now is the debut season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the Game of Thrones spin-off show set between the events of the flagship series and the House of the Dragon prequel. Following behind the offshoot is the sophomore season of The Pitt, the medical drama starring ER’s Noah Wyle that has already been renewed for a third season.