Adam Gunton
The Last Of Us
Sky Atlantic/NOW TV, 16 January
“This is your chance, our best shot. You keep her alive, and you set everything right. Save who you can save.”
Twenty years ago, a mutant fungus changed the world, turning people into infected, violent creatures. Joel (The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal) is tasked with smuggling new cargo out of the quarantine zone to the rebel militia known as the Fireflies. His cargo is a fourteen-year-old called Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey, from Game Of Thrones). Ellie is immune to the infection and the Fireflies think they can use her to make a cure and it’s up Joel to make sure Ellie makes it across the country safely. With military groups, bandits, infected and worse, it could be an impossible task. The Last Of Us is based on the award-winning and critically acclaimed video-game and the show has been created by the game’s writer, Neil Druckmann, and the showrunner of the recent phenomenal series Chernobyl, Craig Mazin. It’s a gripping story full of action and scares but what really draws you in is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. Joel tries to just see her as cargo but he can’t help caring like a father. With a stellar supporting cast and a sublime musical score from video-game composer, Gustavo Santaolalla, this show is set to be the first big series of 2023.
Watch the trailer here.
Welcome to Chippendales
Disney+, 11 January
When I first heard about this new show, I was disappointed to learn that it has nothing to with Chip’n’Dale, the lovable Disney chipmunks who had a detective agency in the early Nineties. If you thought the same and were planning on watching this with your young child, you might want to pick something else and save this for when they’ve gone to bed. This is all about the Indian American entrepreneur who started the strip troupe, the Chippendales, and it’s full of dancers, drama and murder.
Watch the trailer here.
The Great British Bake Off
Prime Video, 13 January
The Hunters are back! This show has been a victim of pandemic-related delays – the first season came out back in 2020 and it’s finally returned for one last series. The show, set in 1977 New York, follows a secret group of Nazi hunters seeking out Nazis that have been hiding in America since World War Two and are now working on creating a Fourth Reich. Following last season’s finale, it’s hard to guess where the story is going but entertainment aside, the show is a chilling reminder of the atrocities the Jewish people suffered and shows why facism has no place in the world.
Watch the trailer here.
Kaleidoscope
Netflix, 1 January
This mini-series spans twenty-four years and is all about the largest heist that ever attempted, loosely based on the real-life story of seventy billion dollars that went missing during Hurrican Sandy. But what’s different about this show, and also really hard to explain, is that the series is non-linear. This means no matter what order you watch the episodes, the story will still make sense. There’s eight episodes and so, in theory, you could watch episode eight first, then episode three, then episode one etc. until you’ve watched them all. I have no idea how this will actually work but I’m excited to find out! It’s certainly going to be one to talk about over your first coffee back at work.
Watch the trailer here.