HBO is bringing a new comedy about love, family and starting over to television this fall with YOUTH, an eight-episode series created by and starring Sharon Horgan.
The HBO Original comedy premieres Sept. 20, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, with the first two episodes debuting that night. The series will also be available to stream on HBO Max, with new episodes arriving weekly through the season finale on Nov. 1.
YOUTH centers on Alex, a 50-year-old divorcee navigating the complicated search for sex and love while simultaneously dealing with responsibilities that have little to do with romance. Her life includes caring for her aging parents and parenting a son who, at least on paper, should be old enough to manage himself.
The result is a comedy that places midlife relationships at the center while exploring the often messy reality of family obligations.
Horgan leads the cast as Alex, joined by Rupert Friend as Patrick, Sharlene Whyte as Sam, Aran Murphy as Ruari and Robbie Gee as Frank.
For Horgan, YOUTH continues a creative career built around sharp observations about relationships, family and modern life. The series gives her an opportunity to examine what happens when the expectations associated with getting older collide with desires that refuse to disappear.
Rather than presenting romance as something reserved for younger generations, the series follows a woman who is actively trying to reclaim that part of her life while juggling the demands of those around her.
That balance creates plenty of opportunities for comedy, particularly as Alex attempts to make room for dating while dealing with the realities of caring for parents and a grown child who still needs her.
Horgan also serves as a writer and executive producer on the series. Additional executive producers include Faye Dorn for Merman, Jim Kleverweis and Dawn Shadforth, who also directs.
The series is produced by Merman, the production company behind projects including Amandaland, Bad Sisters and Vladimir.
With its focus on dating, family responsibilities and the complications of beginning again at 50, YOUTH arrives as a comedy about a stage of life that television does not always place at the center of the story.
For viewers looking for a series that mixes humor with the awkward realities of adulthood, YOUTH is positioning itself as a candid look at what happens when the search for a new chapter collides with the responsibilities of the old one.