HBO Max is the streaming home of all HBO TV shows. Some of the most talked-about shows you can find on there are House of the Dragon, Succession, and The White Lotus. After a merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery, the streaming service has been going through some changes in programming. For example, they have been canceling shows in the middle of production and completely removing others from the site with no warning. Recent shows to get axed include Westworld after four seasons and Minx in the middle of shooting its second season. This has landed them in some hot water from people like John Oliver, who said on Last Week Tonight (via NY Post): “HBO Max: It’s not TV. It’s a series of tax write-offs to appease Wall Street.” But they seem committed to reworking their content plan.
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On the other hand, HBO continues to produce high-quality, prestige television, and there is a lot to look forward to in January 2023. Some shows are continuing into the new year, and others are premiering for the first time. If you’re a fan of the shows produced at HBO, look no further because we have the list of all the best shows coming to HBO Max in January 2023
Doom Patrol Season Finale — January 5
Warner Bros.
DC’s Doom Patrol is a show following a group of people who received superhuman abilities as a result of terrible accidents. They are brought together by The Chief, a mad scientist studying, and protecting the world from, the strangest phenomena he can find. The Chief is played by Timothy Dalton, known for the roles of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, James Bond in The Living Daylights and License to Kill, and Simon Skinner in Hot Fuzz. Also in the cast are Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane, April Bowlby as Rita Farr, Matt Bomer as Larry Trainor, and Brendan Fraser as Cliff Steele.
Beginning with its first episodes in 2019, the show is now in its fourth season. The first two episodes of season four were released on December 8, with the rest of its episodes coming out weekly from that point onwards. Season four’s final episode will air on January 5, and depending on its potential cancelation, it may be the final episode of the entire show.
Gossip Girl Season 2 Cont’d — January 5
Warner Bros
HBO Max’s reboot of Gossip Girl has the same premise as the original: a group of students at a prestigious New York City high school has their secrets revealed by an anonymous online blogger. Although, in contrast, the reboot makes it clear from the outset who’s behind Gossip Girl. With a whole new cast of characters, the show stars Whitney Peak and Jordan Alexander as rival half-sisters Julien Calloway and Zoya Lott, with fellow students played by Thomas Doherty, Evan Mock, Emily Alyn Lind, Zión Moreno, and Savannah Smith. But rest assured there is just as much privilege, pettiness, and drama this time around.
This reboot’s first season hit the streaming platform in 2021, with its second season beginning in December 2022. After its first two episodes were released on December 1, it is being released weekly, and the final four episodes will air in January 2023, beginning January 5. After a promising start to the season, these final episodes will definitely be juicy.
The Last of Us Series Premiere — January 15
HBO
A highly anticipated project coming to HBO Max in January is The Last of Us. This is a television adaptation of the acclaimed video game of the same name. The series finds America ravaged by a brutal pandemic, with main characters Joel and Ellie on an arduous and deadly trek across the country. Our two leads are played by Pedro Pascal — known for his roles in Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, and Narcos — and Bella Ramsey, who also featured in Game of Thrones as Lyanna Mormont. Guest stars to watch out for include Anna Torv, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, and Storm Reid.
In conversation with GQ, Pascal admits that he hasn’t played the game out of fear that he would “imitate too much.” But he also assures that fans of the game won’t be disappointed as it was made by, and for, “the people that love it.” With so much hype and anticipation around The Last of Us, its premiere on January 15 is not to be missed.
Game Theory with Bomani Jones Season 2 Premiere — January 15
The final show coming to HBO Max in January is the only non-fiction show of the month: it’s season two of Game Theory with Bomani Jones. Emmy-winner Bomani Jones is a sports journalist known for the show High Noon on ESPN. The show features Jones with a series of guests as he discusses contemporary issues in and around the sporting world. He is praised for his unique approach to journalism and presenting. Some of the previous guests on the show include Tracy Morgan, known for 30 Rock, Vince Staples from Black Panther, and Roy Wood Jr., a regular feature on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
Game Theory with Bomani Jones’s first season of six episodes aired early in 2022 and was renewed just weeks after the final episode was released. The second season will air its first episode on January 15, and will continue weekly from then on. Jones’ individual angle on sporting issues makes the show a must-watch for all sports fans.
