Best shows like The Last of Us for post-apocalyptic drama fans

Screen OD staff

The Last of Us has taken the TV world by storm since its release on HBO, winning rave reviews across the globe, including from Screen OD (see our video review below.) The excellent apocalyptic drama stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in one of the few screen TV shows (or movies) adapted from a video game that has really stunned audiences.

The show is based on the 2013 video game The Last of Us which was released on Playstation and has since seen a sequel and several other reworked versions released on new platforms. It tells the story of the starring pair’s journey across a zombie-ridden America in search of what could hopefully be the key to solving the issues of the fungus-like virus that began a chain of events in 2003 that have led to the state of the current world.

But with only one season of The Last of Us, once you’ve watched it and had your appetite for post-apocalyptic drama piqued, you’re going to need some more shows to watch… and luckily we’ve scoured the streaming services from Netflix to Prime Video and Disney+ to HBO Max to find some shows that we believe you’ll like if you loved The Last of Us.

If you’re ready, let us begin our journey into some great shows you can watch right now…

The best shows similar to The Last of Us

Snowpiercer

Another show set in the future when what is left of humanity appears to be hanging by a thin thread fighting for their very existence, this Netflix show which has also seen life in the past as a movie and a graphic novel is certainly post-apocalyptic. All that’s left of the humans in a future where the planet has been frozen solid and made uninhabitable is a train that goes around and around – but it’s one you’ll wish you had a first-class upgrade for, as things aren’t always happy on the Snowpiercer.

The Walking Dead

Without doubt one of the biggest and the best zombie series ever to have made it to screen, AMC’s masterful The Walking Dead has ten glorious seasons and spin-offs for you to enjoy should you get hooked on it. Set in a world where the zombies are taking charge and there is a desperate fight from those left to right wrongs, you will definitely enjoy this brilliant show if you like The Last of Us.

The 100

After a nuclear apocalypse means that all remaining humans are driven to space to live for almost a hundred years away from their home planet, it’s not lightly that people return to Earth. In the 100, a hundred delinquents from the space station are sent back to their home planet to ascertain if it’s ready for humans again – but as you might expect, a lot has changed and things are plain sailing for the escalation party. Expect zombies and trouble from the off in this thrilling sci-fi.

Z Nation

More light-hearted than anything else on the list, this is a comedy-drama rather than a straight drama or science fiction TV show, but it still deals with many of the same themes you’ll see across our selection. From zombies and humans trapped amongst them to viruses that need a cure – this is a show that is a left-field choice but certainly worth your consideration as you await more of The Last of Us.

The Leftovers

Another great sci-fi from HBO, The Leftovers deals with life after an extraordinary event where it appears that two per cent of the world’s population has simply disappeared into thin air. A mystery and a thrilling tale with an apocalyptic edge to it, this is a show that has plenty for fans of The Last of Us and this genre of TV.

Chernobyl

This may seem like a strange choice to be on the list, but the show looks and feels quite a lot like The Last of Us. There is a reason for this; it shares a chief writer in Craig Mazin and of course in telling the chilling tale of the nuclear accident in Ukraine in the 1980s also examines a theme that could very well have turned out to be completely apocalyptic for humanity. A brilliant and very moving drama, this is unmissable TV.

12 Monkeys

Loosely based on the 1995 movie of the same name, this TV series ran for four seasons and probably isn’t the most well-known of the genre, but is certainly worth a look. Telling the story of a man who uses time travel to go back from an apocalyptic future to try to stop a virus and save the future of humanity, there is a lot for fans of the Last of Us in this extraordinary story.