• The Last of Us series from HBO is one of the most anticipated TV shows of 2023. 
• The first episode will air in the United States via HBO Max on 15th January, with Showmax making it available to stream locally. 
• The nine-episode series will air weekly, and Showmax is one of the only ways to stream it in SA… legally.

As we kick off a new year, it is time to consider what entertainment we wish to watch. One of the most anticipated new series and one that we have been keeping tabs on ever since it was announced a few years ago is The Last of Us.

The first episode of the nine-episode first season is set to air in the United States on 15th January, with HBO Max making it available to stream in the region too.

HBO Max is not currently available in South Africa (legally anyways), which means local fans of The Last of Us games and interested in watching the series will need to turn to streaming platform Showmax in order to gain access.

With episodes available to stream weekly, as is the case in the US, the first episode will land on the local platform come 16th January.

It is already generating some buzz, which is understandable given how beloved the source material, and in particular the first game is.

“One of Variety’s Most Anticipated Streaming Titles of 2023, HBO’s The Last Of Us is set 20 years after modern civilisation has been destroyed,” highlights Showmax in a press release sent to Hypertext.

“Joel (Critics Choice Super Award winner Pedro Pascal from The Mandalorian and Game of Thrones) is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (BAFTA Award winner Bella Ramsey from His Dark Materials and Game of Thrones) out of an oppressive quarantine zone. But what starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal journey as the pair traverse the U.S., depending on each other for survival,” it adds.

With much expected from the series, and HBO still on a roll of late thanks to House of the Dragon, we too are eagerly awaiting the arrival of this show next week.