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{{Infobox television , image = Generation (2021 TV series) Title Card.png , genre =
Dramedy Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
, creator = {{nowrap, Zelda Barnz &
Daniel Barnz Daniel Barnz (born 1970) is an American screenwriter and director. Life and career Barnz was born Daniel Bernstein in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania,Champagne, Christine"10 Directors to Watch: Daniel Barnz" ''Variety (magazine), Variety'', 16 January 2 ...
, starring = {{Plainlist, * Nathanya Alexander *
Chloe East Chloe East (born February 16, 2001) is an American actress. She started her career as a child actress, appearing in two 2013 episodes of ''True Blood''. She starred in the first season of ''Ice'' (2016–2017) and in the drama series ''Generatio ...
*
Nava Mau Nava Mau (born May 14, 1992) is an American actress and filmmaker, known for appearing in the Netflix British dark drama series '' Baby Reindeer'' (2024), and the HBO Max comedy ''Generation'' (2021). Her performance in the former earned her a ...
* Lukita Maxwell * Haley Sanchez * Uly Schlesinger *
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Nathan Lloyd Stewart-Jarrett (born December 4 1985) is a British actor. He starred as Curtis Donovan in the E4 series '' Misfits'' (2009–2012) and Ian in the Channel 4 series ''Utopia'' (2013–2014). He is also known for his theatre work, ...
* Chase Sui Wonders *
Justice Smith Justice Elio Smith (born August 9, 1995) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'' (2018), '' Detective Pikachu'' (2019), '' All the Bright Places'' (2020), '' Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Th ...
*
Martha Plimpton Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress and member of the Carradine family. She started her career as a teen actress in film before transitioning to adult roles on stage and screen. She has received several awards includ ...
, composer = Zachary Dawes , country = United States , language = English , num_seasons = 1 , num_episodes = 16 , executive_producer = {{Plainlist, * Daniel Barnz * Ben Barnz * Zelda Barnz *
Lena Dunham Lena Dunham (; born May 13, 1986) is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series '' Girls'' (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations and two G ...
*
Sharr White Sharr White is an American playwright and screenwriter. He's known for his Broadway plays '' The Other Place'' (2011), ''The Snow Geese'' (2013), and ''Pictures From Home'' (2023). He's also known as a producer and writer for Showtime series '' ...
*
John Melfi John P. Melfi is a United States–based television and movie producer noted for his work on ''Sex and the City'', ''Rome'', '' Nurse Jackie'', ''House of Cards'', and '' And Just Like That...''. Melfi has been nominated for Primetime Emmy Awar ...
*
Jenni Konner Jennifer A. Konner (born May 15, 1971) is an American television writer, producer, and director. She is best known as co-showrunner and writer with Lena Dunham of the HBO series '' Girls.'' In 2016, she directed the season finale of the fifth se ...
, producer = {{Plainlist, * Marissa Díaz * Michael P. Cohen * Paul F. Marks , editor = {{Plainlist, * Debra F. Simone * Nena Erb * Adam Burr * Todd Downing , cinematography = {{Plainlist, * Sean Porter * Xavier Grobet * Laura M. Gonçalves * Yaron Orbach , runtime = 27–39 minutes , company = {{Plainlist, * We're Not Brothers Productions *
Good Thing Going ''Good Thing Going'' is the 12th studio album released by Rhonda Vincent. The album was released on January 8, 2008, via Rounder Records. It was her third number-one album on the Top Bluegrass Albums chart, and her second Top 40 album on the T ...
* Lake Theo * I Am Jenni Konner Productions , budget = , network =
HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
, first_aired = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 11 , last_aired = {{End date, 2021, 7, 8 ''Generation'' (stylized as ''Genera+ion'') is an American
dramedy Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
television series that premiered on
HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
on March 11, 2021. In September 2021, the series was canceled after one season.


Premise

Featuring an
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...
, the story follows a unique friend group of high school
sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educatio ...
s and juniors all from different walks of life in
Orange County, California Orange County (officially the County of Orange; often initialized O.C.) is a county (United States), county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population ...
as they explore modern sexuality, challenge deeply ingrained beliefs about life, love, and test the bonds of their families in their conservative community.


Cast


Main

* Nathanya Alexander as Arianna, the rich, foul-mouthed best friend of Naomi who hides her insecurities with bigoted jokes *
Chloe East Chloe East (born February 16, 2001) is an American actress. She started her career as a child actress, appearing in two 2013 episodes of ''True Blood''. She starred in the first season of ''Ice'' (2016–2017) and in the drama series ''Generatio ...
as Naomi, Nathan's careless twin sister *
Nava Mau Nava Mau (born May 14, 1992) is an American actress and filmmaker, known for appearing in the Netflix British dark drama series '' Baby Reindeer'' (2024), and the HBO Max comedy ''Generation'' (2021). Her performance in the former earned her a ...
as Ana, Greta's aunt, who is taking care of her and her brother * Lukita Maxwell as Delilah, Arianna and Naomi's activist friend * Haley Sanchez as Greta, a shy lesbian with a crush on Riley * Uly Schlesinger as Nathan, Naomi's neurotic twin brother who begins to explore his bisexuality *
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Nathan Lloyd Stewart-Jarrett (born December 4 1985) is a British actor. He starred as Curtis Donovan in the E4 series '' Misfits'' (2009–2012) and Ian in the Channel 4 series ''Utopia'' (2013–2014). He is also known for his theatre work, ...
as Sam,{{cite web , last1=Petski , first1=Denise , title='Generation': Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Joins Lena Dunham-Produced HBO Max Series , url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/generation-nathan-stewart-jarrett-joins-lena-dunham-produced-hbo-max-series-1203023239/ , work=
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
, date=August 25, 2020 , access-date=January 16, 2021 , archive-date=January 16, 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116224936/https://deadline.com/2020/08/generation-nathan-stewart-jarrett-joins-lena-dunham-produced-hbo-max-series-1203023239/ , url-status=live
the school's new guidance counsellor who forms a bond with Chester * Chase Sui Wonders as Riley, a popular student and budding photographer who is best friends with Nathan. *
Justice Smith Justice Elio Smith (born August 9, 1995) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'' (2018), '' Detective Pikachu'' (2019), '' All the Bright Places'' (2020), '' Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Th ...
as Chester,{{cite web , last1=Ramos , first1=Dino-Ray , title='Generation': Justice Smith, Chloe East and 8 More Join Lena Dunham-Produced HBO Max Dramedy , url=https://deadline.com/2019/09/generation-lena-dunham-justice-smith-chloe-east-michael-johnston-uly-schlesinger-haley-sanchez-nava-mau-nathanya-alexander-lukita-maxwell-chase-sui-wonders-sam-trammell-hbo-max-1202744665/ , work=
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
, date=September 25, 2019 , access-date=January 16, 2021 , archive-date=February 9, 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209063408/https://deadline.com/2019/09/generation-lena-dunham-justice-smith-chloe-east-michael-johnston-uly-schlesinger-haley-sanchez-nava-mau-nathanya-alexander-lukita-maxwell-chase-sui-wonders-sam-trammell-hbo-max-1202744665/ , url-status=live
a confident, openly gay student *
Martha Plimpton Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress and member of the Carradine family. She started her career as a teen actress in film before transitioning to adult roles on stage and screen. She has received several awards includ ...
as Megan,{{cite web , last1=Petski , first1=Denise , title=Martha Plimpton Joins Lena Dunham-Produced HBO Max Pilot 'Generation' , url=https://deadline.com/2019/09/martha-plimpton-joins-lena-dunham-produced-hbo-max-pilot-generation-1202709827/ , work=
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
, date=September 3, 2019 , access-date=January 16, 2021 , archive-date=January 22, 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122042434/https://deadline.com/2019/09/martha-plimpton-joins-lena-dunham-produced-hbo-max-pilot-generation-1202709827/ , url-status=live
Naomi and Nathan's highly-strung, conservative mother


Recurring

*
Sam Trammell Sam Trammell (born January 29, 1969) is an American actor, best known for his role as Sam Merlotte on the HBO fantasy drama series ''True Blood''. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Richa ...
as Mark, Megan's husband and Naomi and Nathan's father *
Anthony Keyvan Anthony Keyvan (born 13 August 2000) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Love, Victor'' (2021), ''XO, Kitty'' (2023) and The Rookie. Early life Keyvan was born on August 13, 2000, in Long Beach, California Long Beach i ...
as Pablo, a bad boy and Riley's ex-hookup who works at the aquarium * J. August Richards as Joe, one of Arianna's fathers *
John Ross Bowie John Ross Bowie (born May 30, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Barry Kripke on ''The Big Bang Theory'' and Jimmy DiMeo on '' Speechless,'' in addition to over 100 film and TV credits. He appeared in ''What t ...
as Patrick, one of Arianna's fathers and a former evangelical *
Mary Birdsong Mary Evans Birdsong (born April 18, 1968) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and singer. In addition to her work in theater and voice acting, she was a regular cast member on '' Reno 911!'' and appeared in the HBO series '' Succession''. ...
as Mrs. Culpepper, the overly earnest head faculty member of the GSA * Patricia De Leon as Sela, Greta's mother * Sydney Mae Diaz as J, a bisexual stoner and philosopher who is friends with Chester *
Alicia Coppola Alicia Coppola (born April 12, 1968) is an American actress. She became known for playing Lorna Devon in the soap opera '' Another World'' from 1991 to 1994. Afterwards, she made regular and guest star appearances in various television series, ...
as Carol, Riley's suburban, meddling mother * Marwan Salama as Bo, an under-the-radar student * Marisela Zumbado as Lucia, a confident, lesbian student * Diego Josef as Cooper, an outgoing heterosexual student, protective of his trans-identifying brother


Guest

*
Tessa Albertson Tessa Albertson is an American actress. She plays Caitlin Miller on the television series '' Younger''. Early life Albertson was born in New York City. After high school graduation, she took time off for her acting career before attending Pri ...
as Natalia, Naomi and Nathan's older sister *
Rachel Stubington Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...
as April


Episodes

{{Episode table , background=#FE9A2E , overall= , title= , director= , writer= , airdate= , episodes= {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 1 , Title = Pilot , DirectedBy =
Daniel Barnz Daniel Barnz (born 1970) is an American screenwriter and director. Life and career Barnz was born Daniel Bernstein in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania,Champagne, Christine"10 Directors to Watch: Daniel Barnz" ''Variety (magazine), Variety'', 16 January 2 ...
, WrittenBy = Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 11 , ShortSummary = In a flash-forward, Naomi helps an unseen friend give birth in a bathroom stall at a mall. Three months earlier, Chester arrives at school and is reprimanded for violating the school's dress code. He is taken to Sam, the new guidance counselor, who tries to connect with him but Chester is resistant. Nathan, a
closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for LGBTQ people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior. This metaphor is associated and sometime ...
bisexual, uses Riley's phone to invite Chester to Riley's party. Nathan and his twin sister Naomi have a turbulent home life due to their uptight mother Megan, who is stressed due to planning the wedding of their older sister Natalia. Nathan takes a picture of Naomi's hickeys and jokingly threatens to show their mother; she in turn blackmails him by taking a photo of him sexting a guy, though Nathan denies being gay. At Riley's party, Nathan briefly hooks up with Naomi's boyfriend Jack but feels guilty about it and then ruins his first meeting with Chester. Greta leaves her aunt, who is taking care of her and her brother and goes to the party where Riley attempts to get her to open up. After putting Nathan to bed following the party, Riley jumps into the pool and floats at the bottom. , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 2 , Title = Dickscovery , DirectedBy = Daniel Barnz , WrittenBy = Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 11 , ShortSummary = Three months into the future, Naomi rushes around the mall trying to find supplies to help her friend give birth. In the present, Greta accidentally sends a string of awkward messages to Riley. Sam confronts Chester after he sends him a picture of him
rooftopping Rooftopping, sometimes called roofing (or climbing), refers to the (typically illegal) unsecured ascent of rooftops, skyscrapers, towers, cranes, antennas, smokestacks, or other tall structures. Rooftoppers usually take photos or videos of the ...
though Chester tells him there is nothing to worry about. In an attempt to keep him distracted, Sam advises Chester to join the
GSA GSA may refer to: Commerce * Citroën GSA, a French automobile * GameSpy Arcade, a utility for use with network computer games * General sales agent, an airline sales representative * Global mobile Suppliers Association, a not-for-profit indust ...
and he agrees under the condition that Sam joins too as a faculty supervisor. Nathan panics about Naomi finding out about him and Jack after she notices a birthmark in the picture she took of his phone. Arianna encourages Naomi to lose her virginity to Jack before being forced to attend a GSA meeting after making homophobic jokes in front of her dads. A lockdown causes Chester, Nathan, Riley, Greta, Arianna, and Sam to be stuck in the GSA meeting, and Naomi in the bathroom while on the toilet. While initially flippant about the situation, Chester grows increasingly hostile and confesses to Sam that he has an irrational fear of death after his mother died of cancer, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother. Greta and Riley grow closer when Riley opens up about her anxiety and Greta explains that her mother was wrongly deported. Naomi sees Jack's birthmark while hooking up with him in the bathroom and realizes that it was him sexting Nathan. , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 3 , Title = Toasted , DirectedBy = Daniel Barnz , WrittenBy = Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 11 , ShortSummary = In the flashforward, Arianna arrives at the bathroom and it is revealed that Delilah is the one giving birth, though her friends are unaware of who the father is. Riley invites Greta to get high at an aquarium, exciting Greta though she is deflated when she finds that Chester has also been invited along. She is upset when she sees Riley hook up with one of the employees and begins to bond with Chester. Riley tells them that they can crash Natalia's rehearsal dinner to get free food. Naomi has begun ignoring Nathan, though Megan orders them to act civil so as not to embarrass the family at the dinner, which is held on a docked boat. At the dinner, Nathan and Arianna get high and begin to bond. Megan forces the twins to give a toast and Naomi fills hers with insults towards her brother. An intoxicated Nathan apologizes to her during his and reveals his bisexuality to the shocked wedding party. Natalia berates him for ruining the dinner and Megan dismisses Nathan's declaration about his sexuality, though Naomi forgives him. An embarrassed Nathan jumps overboard but is rescued by Chester. , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 4 , Title = Pussy Power , DirectedBy =
Channing Godfrey Peoples Channing Godfrey Peoples is an American writer, director, and producer. Her feature film directorial debut '' Miss Juneteenth'' received critical acclaim. Early life and education Peoples was raised on the south side of Fort Worth in what she re ...
, WrittenBy =
Sharr White Sharr White is an American playwright and screenwriter. He's known for his Broadway plays '' The Other Place'' (2011), ''The Snow Geese'' (2013), and ''Pictures From Home'' (2023). He's also known as a producer and writer for Showtime series '' ...
, OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 18 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 5 , Title = Gays and Confused , DirectedBy = Chioke Nassor , WrittenBy =
Lena Dunham Lena Dunham (; born May 13, 1986) is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series '' Girls'' (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations and two G ...
, OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 18 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 6 , Title = The Wheels on the Bussy , DirectedBy = Chioke Nassor , WrittenBy = Max Saltarelli , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 25 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 7 , Title = Desert Island , DirectedBy = Daniel Barnz , WrittenBy = Eli Wilson Pelton , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 25 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 8 , Title = The Last Shall Be First , DirectedBy = Daniel Barnz , WrittenBy = {{WritingCredits, order=t, t=Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz and Christina Nieves, s=Christina Nieves , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 4, 1 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 9 , Title = Deepfake , DirectedBy = Catalina Aguilar Mastretta , WrittenBy = Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 6, 17 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 10 , Title = Built for Pleasure , DirectedBy = Catalina Aguilar Mastretta , WrittenBy = Christina Nieves , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 6, 17 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 11 , Title = Absolute Zero , DirectedBy = Andrew Ahn , WrittenBy = Michelle Denise Jackson , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 6, 17 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 12 , Title = The High Priestess , DirectedBy = Andrew Ahn , WrittenBy = Max Saltarelli , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 6, 24 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 13 , Title = There's Something About Hamburger Mary's , DirectedBy =
Anu Valia Anu Valia is an American television and film director, writer, actress, and producer best known for writing and directing the short film ''Lucia, Before and After'', which won the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award. Early life ...
, WrittenBy = Sono Patel , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 6, 24 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 14 , Title = Click Whirr , DirectedBy = Anu Valia , WrittenBy = Sharr White , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 7, 1 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 15 , Title = L'Amour , DirectedBy = Daniel Barnz , WrittenBy = Sono Patel , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 7, 1 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 16 , Title = V-Day , DirectedBy = Daniel Barnz , WrittenBy = Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz , OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 7, 8 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E


Production


Development

''Generation'' was first announced in September 2019 with a pilot order. The pilot is written by
Daniel Barnz Daniel Barnz (born 1970) is an American screenwriter and director. Life and career Barnz was born Daniel Bernstein in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania,Champagne, Christine"10 Directors to Watch: Daniel Barnz" ''Variety (magazine), Variety'', 16 January 2 ...
and his daughter Zelda Barnz. Daniel Barnz also directed the pilot. In December 2019, the series was officially ordered to series. The series is created by Daniel Barnz and Zelda Barnz. Executive producers include Daniel, Zelda, Ben Barnz (who is Daniel's husband and Zelda's other father),
Jenni Konner Jennifer A. Konner (born May 15, 1971) is an American television writer, producer, and director. She is best known as co-showrunner and writer with Lena Dunham of the HBO series '' Girls.'' In 2016, she directed the season finale of the fifth se ...
and
Lena Dunham Lena Dunham (; born May 13, 1986) is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series '' Girls'' (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations and two G ...
. Production companies involved with the series were Good Thing Going Productions, We're Not Brothers Productions and, I Am Jenni Konner Productions. On September 14, 2021, HBO Max canceled the series after one season.{{Cite web, url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/generation-canceled-hbo-max-one-season-zelda-barnz-and-her-father-daniel-barnz-lena-dunham-1234833719/, title='Generation' Canceled By HBO Max After One Season, work=Deadline Hollywood, first=Nellie, last=Andreeva, date=September 14, 2021, access-date=September 14, 2021, archive-date=September 15, 2021, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915010745/https://deadline.com/2021/09/generation-canceled-hbo-max-one-season-zelda-barnz-and-her-father-daniel-barnz-lena-dunham-1234833719/, url-status=live


Casting

In September 2019,
Martha Plimpton Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress and member of the Carradine family. She started her career as a teen actress in film before transitioning to adult roles on stage and screen. She has received several awards includ ...
,
Justice Smith Justice Elio Smith (born August 9, 1995) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'' (2018), '' Detective Pikachu'' (2019), '' All the Bright Places'' (2020), '' Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Th ...
, Chloe East, Michael Johnston as Ollie, Nava Mau, Haley Sanchez, Uly Schlesinger, Nathanya Alexander as Arianna, Lukita Maxwell and Chase Sui Wonders were cast to star while
Sam Trammell Sam Trammell (born January 29, 1969) is an American actor, best known for his role as Sam Merlotte on the HBO fantasy drama series ''True Blood''. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Richa ...
joined the cast in a recurring role that same month. In August 2020,
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Nathan Lloyd Stewart-Jarrett (born December 4 1985) is a British actor. He starred as Curtis Donovan in the E4 series '' Misfits'' (2009–2012) and Ian in the Channel 4 series ''Utopia'' (2013–2014). He is also known for his theatre work, ...
was added to the main cast. In October 2020, Anthony Keyvan, Diego Josef, J. August Richards,
John Ross Bowie John Ross Bowie (born May 30, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Barry Kripke on ''The Big Bang Theory'' and Jimmy DiMeo on '' Speechless,'' in addition to over 100 film and TV credits. He appeared in ''What t ...
,
Mary Birdsong Mary Evans Birdsong (born April 18, 1968) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and singer. In addition to her work in theater and voice acting, she was a regular cast member on '' Reno 911!'' and appeared in the HBO series '' Succession''. ...
, Patricia De Leon, and Sydney Mae Diaz were cast in recurring roles.{{cite web , last1=Petski , first1=Denise , title='Generation': Lena Dunham Series Adds Seven Recurring To Cast , url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/generation-lena-dunham-series-recurring-cast-anthony-kevya-diego-josef-j-august-richards-john-ross-bowie-mary-birdsong-patricia-de-leon-sydney-mae-diaz-1234598905/ , work=
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
, date=October 16, 2020 , access-date=January 16, 2021 , archive-date=November 2, 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102005614/https://deadline.com/2020/10/generation-lena-dunham-series-recurring-cast-anthony-kevya-diego-josef-j-august-richards-john-ross-bowie-mary-birdsong-patricia-de-leon-sydney-mae-diaz-1234598905/ , url-status=live
In December 2020,
Alicia Coppola Alicia Coppola (born April 12, 1968) is an American actress. She became known for playing Lorna Devon in the soap opera '' Another World'' from 1991 to 1994. Afterwards, she made regular and guest star appearances in various television series, ...
, Marwan Salama, and Marisela Zumbado joined the cast in recurring roles.{{cite web , last1=Petski , first1=Denise , title='Generation': Alicia Coppola, Marwan Salama, Marisela Zumbado To Recur In Lena Dunham's HBO Max Series , url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/generation-alicia-coppola-marwan-salama-marisela-zumbado-recur-lena-dunhams-hbo-max-series-1234652146/ , work=
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
, date=December 8, 2020 , access-date=January 16, 2021 , archive-date=January 16, 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116150417/https://deadline.com/2020/12/generation-alicia-coppola-marwan-salama-marisela-zumbado-recur-lena-dunhams-hbo-max-series-1234652146/ , url-status=live


Filming

Filming for the pilot began at
South Pasadena High School South Pasadena High School (SPHS or "South Pas") is the one public high school serving grades 9–12 in the city of South Pasadena, California. With the South Pasadena Middle School and three elementary schools (Arroyo Vista, Marengo, and Montere ...
in September 2019. The series continued filming at the location during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


Release

The series premiered on March 11, 2021, with the first 3 episodes available immediately.{{cite web, title='Generation': Creators And Stars Talk 'Euphoria' Comparisons & Ripping Open Stereotypes With "Incredible Specificity" – TCA, url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/generation-hbo-max-creators-stars-talk-euphoria-comparisons-stereotypes-incredible-specificity-1234691204/, last=Del Rosario, first=Alexandra, work=
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
, date=February 10, 2021, access-date=February 10, 2021, archive-date=February 10, 2021, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210211501/https://deadline.com/2021/02/generation-hbo-max-creators-stars-talk-euphoria-comparisons-stereotypes-incredible-specificity-1234691204/, url-status=live
The season was divided into two 8-episode parts, with the first part ending on April 1, and the second one premiering on June 17 the same year.{{cite press release , title=HBO Max Dramedy GENERA+ION Returns June 17 , url=https://pressroom.warnermedia.com/ca/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-returns-june-17 , work=Warner Media , date=May 26, 2021 , access-date=June 17, 2021 , archive-date=June 24, 2021 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200126/https://pressroom.warnermedia.com/ca/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-returns-june-17 , url-status=live On August 17, 2022, it was announced that
HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
would be removing several series, including ''Generation''. The series was added to
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on February 1, 2023.


Reception

Reviewing the series for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'',
Alan Sepinwall Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with ''The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He ...
gave a rating of 3/5 and said, "''Generation'' arrives at a moment when TV has no shortage of shows about, as Megan sarcastically describes it, 'this secret life of teenagers' hoo-hah.' It's lighter than some of its peers, but still self-conscious... Still, there's promise here." Saloni Gajjar of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' gave the series a B− and wrote, "once these teens start interacting with one another in a much more grounded manner, ''Genera+ion''{{'s strengths emerge, as it dives meaningfully into serious issues meaningfully without getting too dark." On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the series holds an approval rating of 75% based on 28 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Genera+ion''{{'s salacious flourishes can feel more try-hard than authentic, but this inclusive portrayal of Gen Z shines when it identifies the universal pains of being a teenager."
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
gave the series a weighted average score of 60 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".{{cite web, url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/generation/season-1, title=Generation: Season 1, website=
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, access-date=March 12, 2021{{cbignore


References

{{Reflist


External links

* {{IMDb title {{Daniel Barnz {{Max (streaming service) {{authority control 2020s American comedy-drama television series 2020s American high school television series 2020s American LGBTQ-related comedy television series 2020s American LGBTQ-related drama television series 2020s American teen drama television series 2021 American television series debuts 2021 American television series endings American English-language television shows HBO Max original programming Television shows about teenage pregnancy American television series about teenagers Gay-related television shows Television shows set in Orange County, California Television shows filmed in California Bisexuality-related television series