YOUTH premieres Sunday, September 20, 2026 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will also be available on HBO Max. HBO is launching the first two episodes together, then releasing one episode every Sunday until the eight-episode season ends on November 1.
YOUTH release details at a glance
- Premiere date: Sunday, September 20, 2026.
- HBO time: 10 p.m. ET/PT.
- Where to watch: HBO and HBO Max.
- Launch format: Episodes 1 and 2 arrive together.
- Season length: eight episodes.
- Weekly day: Sundays after premiere night.
- Finale date: Sunday, November 1, 2026.
- Creator and star: Sharon Horgan, playing Alex.
YOUTH full episode release schedule
HBO has announced the dates and rollout pattern, but not individual episode titles or runtimes. The first night includes two episodes; every remaining date has one new episode. Unless HBO changes the calendar, this is the complete Season 1 schedule:
- Episodes 1 and 2 — Sunday, September 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
- Episode 3 — Sunday, September 27.
- Episode 4 — Sunday, October 4.
- Episode 5 — Sunday, October 11.
- Episode 6 — Sunday, October 18.
- Episode 7 — Sunday, October 25.
- Episode 8 — Sunday, November 1, the season finale.
The official release says new episodes debut weekly on Sundays at the same HBO time. It does not publish a separate minute-by-minute international HBO Max calendar, so viewers outside the United States should check the local service listing rather than assume a universal regional time.
Where and when to watch YOUTH
In the United States, the linear HBO premiere is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET/PT and the series will be available to stream on HBO Max. HBO’s announcement does not describe a broadcast rerun plan, an ad-supported delay, or a separate release window for individual HBO Max subscription tiers.
There is no need to wait eight weeks before starting: the two-episode premiere establishes the season on September 20, followed by six weekly episodes. The official trailer is embedded on this page, while the Pixel Twelve YOUTH hub keeps the release status and future coverage attached to the same series record.
What YOUTH is about
YOUTH follows Alex, a 50-year-old divorcee looking for sex, love, and a workable next chapter while caring for her ailing parents and parenting a son who is not as independent as she hoped. The central tension is not one isolated crisis. Her romantic life, family responsibilities, career, friendships, and anxieties about aging all demand attention at the same time.
Vanity Fair’s first look adds the workplace and family context. Alex is a London literary agent. Her teenage son Ruari is struggling, her actor ex-husband is preparing to move abroad with a younger partner, and her boss and best friend Sam keeps trying to steer her toward older dates. Alex, meanwhile, remains interested in Patrick, a relationship prospect whose priorities may not line up neatly with hers.
Why Alex’s literary-agency job matters
The publishing setting is more than a neutral office backdrop. Alex wants to represent ambitious writers, while Sam has to keep the agency commercially healthy. Their different priorities turn a close friendship into a workplace negotiation: Alex wants creative value, Sam sees the sales and long-term security that keep the business alive. The first-look interview says the season also reaches the Frankfurt Book Fair, extending that tension beyond one London office.
That professional conflict gives the series a second way to examine age and relevance. Alex is experienced and deeply invested in her work, but the books, trends, and online culture surrounding her son keep moving. Ruari is absorbing ideas about masculinity from internet influencers, while Alex is trying to judge which voices deserve a platform in publishing. Horgan told Vanity Fair that Aran Murphy shared real examples from young people’s feeds with the production, grounding that part of Ruari’s world in contemporary behavior rather than a generic “phones are bad” storyline.
YOUTH cast and characters
- Sharon Horgan as Alex — a divorced London literary agent trying to balance desire, work, parents, and motherhood.
- Rupert Friend as Patrick — the man Alex remains drawn to as she considers what she wants from a relationship.
- Sharlene Whyte as Sam — Alex’s best friend and boss at the literary agency.
- Aran Murphy as Ruari — Alex’s teenage son, whose problems complicate her attempt to reclaim time for herself.
- Robbie Gee as Frank — a member of the principal cast; HBO has not yet published a fuller character description in the release.
The first-look interview also identifies Harriet Walter in a guest role connected to Alex’s publishing work. HBO’s announcement names the five principal cast members above, so additional appearances should be treated as supporting or guest casting until the network releases a complete episode-by-episode list.
Who created YOUTH?
Sharon Horgan created the series and serves as writer, star, and executive producer. Merman, the production company behind Bad Sisters and Amandaland, produces it. Faye Dorn executive produces for Merman alongside Jim Kleverweis and Dawn Shadforth, who also directs.
Horgan describes the project as autofiction rather than a literal account of her life. Her interview frames Alex’s story around the gap between the confident freedom people associate with turning 50 and the complicated reality of work, family, desire, and self-image. That explains why HBO labels YOUTH a comedy even though its premise includes ill parents and a troubled son.
What HBO has not announced yet
- Episode titles: none are listed in the August 27 release.
- Episode runtimes: HBO has not published them.
- International rollout times: the U.S. HBO time is confirmed, but regional schedules are not detailed.
- Season 2: HBO has not announced a renewal.
- Complete guest cast: the current release names the five principal performers, not every appearance.
Those gaps do not change the confirmed launch plan: two episodes on September 20, one each Sunday afterward, and eight episodes in total. This guide will need an update only if HBO publishes titles, adjusts a date, or changes availability.
Follow YOUTH on Pixel Twelve
The YOUTH series page keeps the premise, HBO status, official trailer, release date, and related coverage together. You can also browse the Pixel Twelve TV hub for other current schedules and new-series coverage.
