Sharon Horgan’s ‘Youth’ explores ageing, divorce and dating
Sharon Horgan’s new HBO series, “Youth,” follows Alex, a recently divorced creative professional balancing a teenage son with two elderly parents. Horgan said the show grew from the pressures and surprises of reaching her 50s, while drawing on both her own post-divorce experience and stories from friends.
Sharon Horgan’s new HBO series, “Youth,” centers on Alex, a protagonist caught between a teenage son and two elderly parents in what Horgan described as the “sandwich generation.” The character is also dealing with a recent divorce, dating and the demands of a creative professional life.
Horgan said she pitched the series to HBO using the phrase “sandwich generation” and received approval a week later. She had been developing some of the characters for five years.
The series draws on Horgan’s experience after divorce, although she said not every situation comes directly from her life and that she also used material from friends. She said reaching her 50s changed her outlook and gave her a desire to make time count.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
How might the series’ portrayal of post-divorce dating shape expectations about life in the 50s?
Which pressures of caring for older parents and a teenage child remain outside the show’s central perspective?
How much creative freedom does Horgan’s personal experience provide, and where might it constrain the story?
What assumptions about professional women are embedded in the phrase “sandwich generation”?
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · AUGUST 2026