Youth (Youth, 2026) — a decent "girly" series, that is actually far smarter and more honest than its title suggests.
It's an HBO dramedy from Sharon Horgan (creator of "Catastrophe" and "Bad Sisters"). She is also the lead — Alex, a 50-year-old London literary agent. Recently divorced, she tries to rebuild her personal life while caring for her elderly parents and supporting her grown son Ruairi (Aran Murphy), who supposedly should already be independent but keeps coming back.
What the series is about
The classic "sandwich generation": pressure from both sides. On one side, aging parents; on the other, a son who hasn't yet found his feet. And in the middle — Alex herself, who suddenly realizes she wants sex, attention and at least a little simple joy before it's too late. The title "Youth" is ironic here: it's more like the "youth of old age."
Horgan makes the heroine neither a victim nor a "girlboss." Alex is selfish, awkward, sometimes annoying, but very alive. She goes on dates that end in cringe, argues with her boss and best friend Sam (Charlene White), flirts with Patrick (Rupert Friend) and tries to figure out what she even wants from life at 50.
Why it works
- Honesty. The series isn't afraid to talk about sex after 50, about the fear of becoming invisible, about how hard it is to be both a mother and a woman at the same time. The humor is at times very British — dry, awkward, with elements of shame.
- Chemistry. Horgan and Friend look great together. Their relationship is not a fairy-tale romance but something more real and tangled.
- Tone. This is not a heavy drama and not a lightweight comedy. Horgan knows how to balance between the funny and the sad so that it becomes neither saccharine nor cynical.
Gaya's rating: 7.9/10 — for the sincerity, the atmosphere and those very awkward pauses after which you feel uneasy. A minus for the drawn-out conflicts and overly familiar turns.
7.9/10 — well deserved.
The series doesn't claim to be a masterpiece and doesn't try to be "deep for the sake of being deep." It's simply well shot, well written, and hits the mark for those who are no longer 25 but are still far from "quietly living out their days." If you like smart women's stories without excessive pathos and with a good sense of humor, it's worth watching.
The first season has 8 episodes. The premiere took place in September 2026 on HBO / Max. As of October 2026, most of the season had already aired.
"Youth" knows how to be beautiful: the light, the music, the chance close-ups, the feeling of an evening after school when seemingly nothing is happening, yet inside something has already changed. It's the kind of visual imagery you want to revisit for the mood alone.
