New Sharon Horgan Series 'Youth' Tackles Midlife Dating and Ageing

A new comedy-drama series titled Youth, created by Sharon Horgan, premiered on HBO Max on Monday 21 September, according to a review published by The Guardian's culture section.

The review describes the show as centering on Alex, a divorced woman in her 50s played by Horgan, who works as a literary agent while caring for her teenage son Ruarí and her ageing parents. According to the review, the series explores what it calls the "sandwich years" of middle age, when adults juggle responsibilities for both younger and older family members.

The Guardian review characterizes the show's title as a play on words, noting that the 50s decade has been described as "the youth of old age." The review states that Alex is depicted as returning to dating under social pressure, and quotes a line in which the character tells her best friend she wants someone to fall in love with her "so there's a bit of time with the present version of me, before the 'old me' is here."

The review situates the series within a broader cultural commentary about ageing among what it terms "middle-aged and perimenopausal elder millennials and xennials." According to the reviewer, this generation is caught between an online culture that emphasizes appearance and physical limitations that make maintaining that appearance increasingly difficult. The review also notes that dating apps and social media connect users across generations, which it suggests can blur perceptions of age.

Horgan is credited in the review as the creator of the earlier comedy series Motherland. The Guardian review praises Youth as "humungously funny" and describes it as "acutely observed," while also noting it addresses "the perils of ageing and the horrors of finding post-divorce romance."

Youth is available for streaming on HBO Max, according to the source.