Best HBO shows this week – quick links
HBO Max: new this week
Outsiders Seasons 1-3 – 8 December
Series. Six comedians in the wilderness – will anyone thrive in the wild? Outsiders is a comedy series in which David Mitchell challenges three pairs of comedians to spend a week living in a forest where they learn new life skills to see which of them can best cope in the wild.
Each day is a separate show, with three distinct survival challenges, such as felling a 40-foot tree, milking goats or building a shelter. Mitchell chooses to return to his home comforts every evening rather than living in the forest, as he does not believe he is remotely equipped to survive post-apocalypse, and he is sceptical that any comedians will thrive. But can they prove him wrong?
Sarah Squirm: Live + In The Flesh – 13 December
Special. Sarah Sherman’s unholy alter ego Sarah Squirm slithers onto your screen this December with her first stand-up special. After four seasons (and counting) on Saturday Night Live, Sherman rips off the straitjacket, unleashing a festering hour of bodily fluids, open-wound confessionals and jokes that will leave skid marks on your soul. The special was taped at The Bell House in Brooklyn, New York earlier this year.
HBO Max: recently added
Heated Rivalry – from 28 November
Series. Two-episode premiere, followed by weekly episodes, same day as the US (six episodes). Created by award-winning Canadian writer-director-producer Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny, Shoresy) and adapted from Rachel Reid’s best-selling Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry chronicles the story of rival hockey players Shane and Ilya.
What starts as a secret fling ignites into an all-consuming blaze, culminating in a powerful love story. Watch the trailer.
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Director’s Cut) – 1 December
Film. To mark its 50th anniversary in 2025, HBO Max presents an exclusive new remaster of Picnic at Hanging Rock, Peter Weir’s 1975 mystery adapted from Joan Lindsay’s acclaimed novel.
Set in 1900, the film follows the students and staff of Appleyard College during a summer excursion to Victoria’s Hanging Rock, where a seemingly idyllic picnic unravels after several girls and a teacher mysteriously disappear.
A landmark of the Australian New Wave, the film earned both commercial and critical acclaim, becoming one of Australia’s most iconic and influential works. It was later voted the greatest Australian film of all time by the Victorian Centenary of Cinema Committee and the NFSA.
The Family McMullen – 5 December
Film. Written and directed by Edward Burns, the film takes place 30 years after the original indie hit The Brothers McMullen premiered in 1995. The Family McMullen stars Connie Britton and Michael McGlone, reprising their roles from The Brothers McMullen, alongside Tracee Ellis Ross, Juliana Canfield, Pico Alexander, Brian d’Arcy James and Halston Sage.
The sequel tracks the romantic entanglements of a now 50-something Barry McMullen (Burns) and his 20-something kids, as well as his brother Patrick (McGlone) and widowed sister-in-law Molly (Britton), who are also facing unexpected romantic hurdles. Watch the trailer.
Love, Lizzo – 24 November
Film. Follows Lizzo’s life from her humble beginnings to her meteoric rise. Having an intimate look into the moments that shaped her hard-earned rise to fame, success, love and international stardom. Watch the trailer.
Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty – 27 November
Mini series. Follows the investigation of Alex Murdaugh, a lawyer accused of murdering his wife and his son Paul on the night of 7 June 2021. Watch the trailer.
Holiday Harmony – 29 November
Film. A likeable and talented underdog gets momentarily sidelined from chasing her musical dreams when her van breaks down in a welcoming small town just before Christmas. Watch the trailer.
