HBO’s ‘Youth’ Is TV’s Best New Show for Grown-Ups

Colin Hutton / Colin Hutton/HBO It is more than a bit ironic that the new show Adults follows Gen Z-ers trying to grow up, while HBO’s new series Youth centers on Gen X-ers doing whatever they can to stay young.

Youth , premiering on HBO on Sept.

20, displays the full spectrum of adulthood.

The 50-year-old protagonist, Alex, is played by the prolific Sharon Horgan ( Bad Sisters ), who also created, wrote, and executive produced the show.

She has aging parents with health issues, a son (Aran Murphy) who just graduated high school, and a series of past and present romantic entanglements who fill in a spectrum of manly immaturity.

In the first two episodes, her ex-husband barely parents and gallivants off to space (acting on a TV show).

Then there’s Michael (Tim McInnery), who her boss/friend Sam (Sharlene Whyte) sets her up with.

He’s not that old, but every time he comes near Alex, she cringes.

Finally, there’s Patrick (Rupert Friend), a playful ex-fling, who maybe, just maybe, is ready for a real relationship with Alex, if only she can stay out of her own way.

In press materials, Horgan describes Youth as “auto-fiction-y,” the latest in a trilogy that began with Pulling, about being a young, single woman.

The project progressed to Catastrophe, which is about relationships and parenting young kids.

Finally, we’ve arrived here at Youth.

In the trailer, Alex says, “When did it all stop being fun?” which pretty much encapsulates Alex’s problems and is a relatable way to describe the phase of adulthood many people find themselves in when everything is a little ruined all the time.

She tells Patrick, “I can only handle one calamity at a time.” Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way, and all at once her parents and son need her, work is calling, and her burgeoning return to having a love life isn’t going as smoothly as she hoped.