There’s a moment in Sharon Horgan’s new show, Youth, when the protagonist Alex (Horgan) is seeing her son off to university, and she inadvertently starts running after the car taking him away. Then she catches herself and slows down. Then she starts up again. It was such a tender, vicious glimpse into the future that I found myself sobbing into the sofa and cursing her name. All of which is to say: Sharon Horgan is back and better than ever. Youth is the representation every woman who has ever slapped on an oestrogen patch after a divorce, looked around and thought “What the hell now?” has been waiting for. Horgan herself has described it in interviews as forming the third part of a loose trilogy that began with Pulling. Co-written with Dennis Kelly, Pulling was about three thirtysomething women who were the antithesis of Bridget Jones, whose dark chaos apparently scared the BBC so much they unexpectedly cancelled it just as it was truly hitting its stride. That was followed by Catastrophe, written by and starring Horgan alongside Rob Delaney, about a couple who have a fling, find out she’s pregnant, and end up making a brutal, hilarious go of things. Youth is Horgan’s even more brutal, even more hilarious take on life’s third act. Alex is a fiftysomething literary agent and divorcee. She has ageing parents to her left (losing toes to diabetes and faculties to early dementia) and a troubled child and useless ex-husband to her right. But hope springs eternal even in the most wearied breast, and she is hoping to start dating again, and maybe even improve her standing at work too, now that her son Ruari (Aran Murphy) is at least off her hands for 10-week terms at a time. At her workplace, she explains her timetable to Sam (Sharlene Whyte), her friend and boss – or boss and friend (the fluctuating proportions and resulting stresses and strains in their relationship is one of the many thickening agents Horgan has stirred into her rich stew). “I’ve got 10 years left as a sexual person, tops. I need someone to fall in love with me now so there’s a bit of time left with this me before the old me is like ‘I’m here now’.” All she has to do is muster some “new dick energy” from somewhere, recover from a dislocating jaw (“Just an age thing!” her young doctor tells her), and stop crying as she clears up the smelly mess in Ruari’s room. Can she resist giving in to booty calls to and from her never-quite-boyfriend Patrick (Rupert Friend, perfectly written as a charming borderline cad), and stop finding older men’s wattle and sagging balls a turn-off? The wattle belongs to Michael (Tim McInnerny). The balls too, in fact, though it turns out they are still defying gravity at least as much as you can ever hope for testicles. This is discovered during a sex scene that should be entered into the pantheon of greats. Move over Basic Instinct, Wild Things, 9½ Weeks and whatever else counts as your formative memory, and make way for tears. “I just don’t know if there’s anything left to my life that I like any more!” wails Alex, as she negotiates cunnilingus instead. “I can’t return the favour. But I don’t know you well enough yet to be selfish in bed,” she notes, before deciding that a hand job will do. It is the mark of Horgan’s genius that Michael does not contribute to this decision. It’s absolutely not about him. And it’s a mark of how beautifully she writes all her characters and how well they are always cast that we know Michael is not the kind to mind. He just waits cheerfully for his next instruction. And we know we want to see more of Michael (not literally – I’ll take his word for it about the balls) and that she should, too. But we do see the attraction of Rupert Friend – I mean, Patrick. At work, there is the deeply disgruntled former client Malcolm (Douglas Hodge), who has written a dreadful romantasy book (The Goblin Seed) that duly takesA TikTok sensation turns him into a valuable asset they need to win back. Then there’s a bestselling elderly author (Anne Reid) whose books have taken a porno-racist turn that her editors may no longer be able to rescue. Finally, we meet a gifted foreign writer whom Alex is trying to sign without Sam finding out. Then Ruari comes home, under a cloud and soon permanently under a duvet, while Alex desperately tries to discover what’s wrong. All of human life is here – all its heart, all its humour. That is Horgan’s territory. Not just the female part, not just the perimenopausal part (though no one is sharper or funnier on either). Her men, her children, her colleagues – they are as real, as rounded, as ridiculous (and at times heartbreaking) as we all are in reality. Not that Horgan has lost her talent for grotesques – the publishing types satirised here are mesmerisingly perfect and awful – but she always dwells in the truth, and there is nothing more bitterly funny or compelling than that.
Youth is on HBO Max
This article was amended on 22 September 2026 to correct the spelling of Tim McInnerny’s surname.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the return of the show Youth and Sharon Horgans performance
What is Youth about
Its a comedydrama series created by and starring Sharon Horgan It focuses on the messy funny and painful realities of family marriage and getting older
Is this a new season or a brandnew show
Its a new season of the existing show The headline is that Sharon Horgan is back in the lead role and critics are saying shes even better than before
Who is Sharon Horgan
Shes an Irish actress writer and comedian Shes known for creating and starring in shows like Catastrophe Bad Sisters and Motherland
Why are people saying shes better than ever
Because shes playing a character who is more vulnerable more chaotic and more honest than some of her earlier roles She mixes sharp comedy with real emotional pain and she makes it look effortless
Do I need to watch the earlier seasons first
Not strictly You can jump in here but youll get more out of it if you know the characters history A quick recap online will help
What makes this season different from the last one
The writing is tighter the jokes land harder and the emotional stakes feel higher Horgans performance carries more weight and the supporting cast is stronger
Is it a comedy or a drama
Its both Its a dramedy Youll laugh out loud in one scene and feel heartbroken in the next
What are the main themes
Aging regret family loyalty reinvention and the gap between who you meant to be and who you actually are
Is it suitable for younger viewers
No It has strong language adult situations and mature themes Its best for adults
Where can I watch it
It depends on your country In the US its usually on a streaming platform like HBO or Max In the UK its on the BBC or a similar service Check your local listings
How many episodes are in this season
Most seasons are shortusually six to eight episodes That makes it easy to binge in a weekend
