Sharon Horgan’s ‘Youth’ Will Return to HBO for Season 2
If you haven’t checked out 'Youth' on HBO, we encourage you to binge it this holiday season.
HBO may have forgotten to market its latest comedy, Youth, on account of it arriving as parent company, Warner Media, was swallowed whole by Skydance and American State Television. But series creator and star Sharon Horgan has turned more than one underdog series into a solid hit, whether that’s the offbeat Sarah Jessica Parker series Divorce, the never-took-off-in-America Motherland, or the early Apple TV series Bad Sisters, which debuted when the streaming service was where celebrities still went to hide.
She’s now done it again with Youth, snagging a second-season renewal, despite the comedy being overshadowed by the DC drama Lanterns. According to the HBO press release, Horgan’s comedy ranked among the top five HBO comedy launches globally and earned widespread critical acclaim, debuting to a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. (This is a hell of a feat, considering both the HBO and Skydance brass all but forgot the show existed until its debut date was literally hours away.)
Horgan’s statement as part of the renewal announcement suggests she knows her solid track record, loyal fandom, and full-court press promoting the series are the main reasons for the show’s success. “I’m so happy to get another opportunity to live out my emotional and biological crises on HBO. I can’t think of a better platform to air my UTI problems on,” she said. “The response to Youth has been beyond what I could have hoped for. I’m so grateful for the chance to work with this incredible cast and creative team once more.”
There is no Season 2 synopsis as yet, but if you haven’t checked out Youth on HBO, here is the full plot rundown for Season 1 with our encouragement to binge it this holiday season:
Youth revolves around Alex, a London literary agent who is just about holding her life together. Her teenage son Ruari, is emotionally unraveling and her actor ex-husband is moving to another country with a younger woman. Meanwhile, her best friend Sam—who is also her boss—keeps trying to fix her up with older men, but Alex is still infatuated with Patrick, a rogue-ish Scot who seems more suited to a hookup than a long-term relationship.
(Please note, this synopsis is courtesy of Horgan’s Vanity Fair interview – HBO continues only to provide a useless logline that can’t even be bothered to learn the characters’ names.)
(Natalie Seery/HBO)
HBO also hasn’t bothered to learn who is actually in the series, crediting only Horgan, Aran Murphy (War), Sharlene Whyte (Mr. Loverman), Robbie Gee (Supacell), and Rupert Friend (Anatomy of a Scandal).
However, we are here to tell you the Season 1 cast is stacked with a supporting cast that includes some serious A-list actors, including Harriet Walter (Brian & Maggie), Anne Reid (Sanditon), Douglas Hodge (The Great), David Hargreaves (Ann Droid), Owen McDonnell (Killing Eve), Roisin Gallagher (Obituary), and Libby Mai (We Are Lady Parts).
(Natalie Seery/HBO)
The guest star list is also fantastic; Season 1 features hilarious turns from Freddie Fox (Slow Horses), Bríd Brennan (Trespasses), Nadia Parkes (The Spanish Princess), Karla Crome (Am I Being Unreasonable?), Tim McInnerny (Bookish), Freddie Meredith (Such Brave Girls), Jim Cesar (Grantchester), Vivienne Acheampong (The Sandman), Catherine Shepherd (Twenty-Twelve), Alice Lowe (Sherlock), German actor Steve Windolf (Berlin Wall), Danish actor Martin Hogsted (Julefeber), plus cameos from James Norton (Happy Valley) and Damian Lewis (Wolf Hall).
Horgan wrote all eight episodes, with director Dawn Shadforth (Kill Jackie) helming all episodes. The two also executive produce, alongside Jim Kleverweis and Faye Dorn for Merman.
Youth Season 1 is streaming on HBO Max. Season 2 is expected to go into production in 2027.
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