The Last of Us Episode 2: TV show UK release time, where to watch HBO series - is it on Sky or Now TV?

The Last of Us is already shaping up to be one of the early television highlights of 2023. Sure, film and TV adaptations of video games are always welcomed with a hefty pinch of trepidatious salt - and by definition they often exist to suit a niche audience - but HBO’s latest tentpole series could change that.

Ahead of broadcast, it’s receiving rave reviews - NationalWorld’s own Alex Moreland called it a “clear, emphatic triumph” - the kind that suggest genuine crossover potential, likely to draw in hordes of new viewers who’ve never picked up the PlayStation classic.

Indeed, whether you’ve held a controller in your hands to guide Joel and Ellie through the ruins of post-apocalyptic Pittsbugrh or not, critical response to the show suggests the taut thriller is likely to have you hooked and along for the ride.

But just when exactly can viewers in the UK watch The Last of Us on TV? Here is everything you need to know about it.

What is The Last of Us about?

Based on the 2013 video game, the series is set in the United States after a horrific mutated pathogen has wiped out most of the population.

It follows a smuggler, Joel Miller, who escorts teenage girl Ellie across the hostile wreck of the country on a mission to save the last remnants of humanity.

Meanwhile, Joel’s younger brother Tommy is a leader in a resistance movement fighting to restore order in the chaotic world, risking death every day.

Joel and Ellie trek across the country, encountering rabid humans who have been infected - these victims of a fungal parasite are not zombies although they look very zombie-esque.

Joel believes that Ellie, who appears resistant to the parasite, holds the key to a cure and is transporting her out west where survivors are working to bring an end to the epidemic.

As he embarks on his quest, he must keep a watchful eye over his precious cargo to ensure that she comes to no harm, and that his theory of her immunity to the pathogen isn’t wrong.

How can I watch The Last of Us in the UK?

The Last of Us released its first episode in the US on HBO and streaming service HBO Max on Sunday 15 January. The series will arrive a day later in the UK.

The show will technically be released at the same moment on both sides of the pond - but because of time differences it will land in the UK at 2am on 16 Monday January on Sky Atlantic.

The second episode will air on 22 January in the US and 2am on 23 January in the UK - with a repeat airing at 9pm on Sky Atlantic the same day.