Sharon Horgan’s comedy series “Youth” will return for a second season after HBO renewed the show. The first season, which runs for eight episodes, is currently available to stream on HBO Max. The renewal gives the Peabody and BAFTA winner another season of a series in which she serves as star, writer and executive producer.
Horgan plays Alex, a 50-year-old divorced woman dealing with pressures across several parts of her life. Alongside navigating relationships, Alex is contending with her parents’ declining health and concerns about her troubled son, who is having difficulty settling into his new college.
The ensemble also includes Rupert Friend as Patrick, Sharlene Whyte as Sam, Aran Murphy as Ruari and Robbie Gee as Frank. In statements accompanying the renewal, both Horgan and HBO comedy executive Amy Gravitt welcomed the opportunity to bring the cast back together for another season.
Horgan greeted the news with a joke about the personal difficulties she gets to explore through the show. “I’m so happy to get another opportunity to live out my emotional and biological crises on HBO,” she said in a statement. She added that the response to “Youth” had exceeded her hopes and expressed gratitude for the chance to work with its cast and creative team again.
HBO described “Youth” as ranking “among the top five HBO comedy launches globally.” The series also has a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes and has drawn positive notices from critics. Variety’s assessment praised both Horgan’s presence as a performer and her skill as a comedy writer.
Gravitt, executive vice president of HBO Programming and head of HBO and HBO Max comedy series, praised Horgan’s ability to combine humor with emotionally affecting moments. She also singled out the ensemble’s performances and said HBO and its partners at Merman were thrilled to have the actors returning.
Merman, whose credits include “Amandaland,” “Bad Sisters” and “Vladimir,” is the company behind “Youth.” Gravitt’s statement highlighted that partnership as HBO confirmed a further season for the comedy.
Alongside Horgan, the executive producers are Faye Dorn for Merman, Jim Kleverweis and Dawn Shadforth. Shadforth also directs the series, taking on a role behind the camera in addition to her executive producing responsibilities.
