IS THERE A better chronicler of the joys, pains and absurdities of women’s lives than Sharon Horgan?

The writer, actor and showrunner has brought us many excellent shows over the years, from Pulling through to Catastrophe and on to Motherland and Bad Sisters. She’s charted what it’s like to be a woman at many stages of life, and now her new series Youth takes on single life in your 50s. 

Here’s what you need to know about Youth.

What’s it all about?

Sharon Horgan Colin Hutton Colin Hutton

Youth is about Alex (played by Horgan herself), a literary agent in her 50s who is divorced, single and has a son who’s about to head to college.

She’s trying to figure out how to move forward in life, in romance and in work. Meanwhile, she’s also trying to care for her aging parents and parenting her son.

But she’s also dealing with the aches and literal pains that come with being in your 50s, and how they might impact on her plans for the rest of her life. No pressure, eh?

Who stars in it?

Aside from Sharon Horgan, there’s Sharlene Whyte as her best friend Sam, who she works with and who is trying to match her with older men.

Then there’s Rupert Friend, the younger man she hooks up with.

Aran Murphy plays her slightly wayward son, Ruairi (we do salute Horgan’s commitment to always including Irish names in her shows). And if Aran looks familiar, it’s because his dad is Cillian Murphy.

What has Horgan said about Youth?

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Horgan said she wanted to look at ageing “through the lens of a divorced woman who feels that she has a very specific amount of time left to find happiness”.

“She wants to have this valuable, creative, couldn’t-give-a-fuck kind of life, but she’s not there yet,” Horgan told Vanity Fair of Alex. “I guess I’m just trying to be honest.” 

The idea for the show emerged during chats with HBO about Horgan’s next series, as she filled them in on her own life. She’s described it as “autofiction” (Horgan herself is divorced and a mum to grown-up kids). It’s brave to mine your real life for TV, but we trust Horgan to tell a nuanced, funny story about life today.

Who’s behind it?

Sharon Horgan and Aran Murphy HBO Max HBO Max

Youth is produced by Merman, a production company founded by Horgan and Clelia Mountford, which also makes shows like Amandaland, Bad Sisters, and Vladimir. Sharon Horgan is not just starring in Youth, but writes and executive produces the series too.

Its director is Dawn Shadforth, who was behind music videos for Garbage and, notably, Kylie’s video for Spinning Around. She’s also directed an episode of His Dark Materials, and the series Adult Material and Mood.

When can we watch Youth?

The first two episodes will debut Monday, 21 September on HBO Max, and will be followed by one new episode weekly. There are eight episodes in total.