{{Infobox television , image = Generation (2021 TV series) Title Card.png , genre =

Dramedy Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

, 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'', 16 January 2008 a suburb of Phi ...

, starring = {{Plainlist, * Nathanya Alexander * Chloe East * Nava Mau * Lukita Maxwell * Haley Sanchez * Uly Schlesinger *

Nathan Stewart-Jarrett Nathan Lloyd Stewart-Jarrett (born 4 December 1985) is a British actor, best known for starring as Curtis Donovan in the E4 series ''Misfits'' and as Ian in the Channel 4 series ''Utopia''. Early life Stewart-Jarrett was born in Wandsworth ...

* Chase Sui Wonders *

Justice Smith Justice Elio Smith (born August 9, 1995) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the films '' Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'', '' Pokémon: Detective Pikachu'', and ''All the Bright Places''. Early life Smith was born in Ca ...

Martha Plimpton Martha Plimpton (born November 16, 1970) is an American actress. Her feature-film debut was in ''Rollover'' (1981); she subsequently rose to prominence in the Richard Donner film ''The Goonies'' (1985). She has also appeared in ''The Mosquito Co ...

, 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 known as the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series '' Girls'' (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations ...

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 sea ...

, 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 * Lake Theo * I Am Jenni Konner Productions , distributor = , budget = , network =

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netwo ...

, first_aired = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 11 , last_aired = {{End date, 2021, 7, 8 , preceded_by = , followed_by = ''Generation'' (stylized as ''Genera+ion'') is an American

dramedy Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

television series that premiered on

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 is composed of multiple 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 t ...

, the story centers on a group of high school students in

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, ...

who explore their sexuality in a modern world. This tests their deeply entrenched beliefs about life, love and the nature of family 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 as Naomi, Nathan's careless twin sister * Nava Mau 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 *

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. The site is updated several times a day, w ...

, date=August 25, 2020 , access-date=January 16, 2021 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. *

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=

, date=September 25, 2019 , access-date=January 16, 2021 a confident, openly gay student *

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=

, date=September 3, 2019 , access-date=January 16, 2021 Naomi and Nathan's highly-strung, conservative mother

Recurring

Sam Trammell Sam Trammell (born January 29, 1969) is an American actor, 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 Richard ...

as Mark, Megan's husband and Naomi and Nathan's father * Anthony Keyvan as Pablo, a bad boy and Riley's ex-hookup who works at the aquarium *

J. August Richards Jaime Augusto Richards III (born August 28, 1973), commonly known as J. August Richards, is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Charles Gunn on The WB television series ''Angel'' and Mike Peterson on '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D ...

as Joe, one of Arianna's fathers *

John Ross Bowie John Ross Bowie (born May 30, 1971) is an American actor and comedian 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 is of no known relation to s ...

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. She has worked in the theater and voiceover work and is a regular cast member on '' Reno 911!'' Early life Birdsong was born in Florida and grew u ...

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 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, notably '' Jericho'' a ...

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

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 as April

Episodes

{{Episode table , background=#FE9A2E , overall= , title= , director= , writer= , airdate= , released=y , episodes= {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 1 , Title = Pilot , DirectedBy =

, 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 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other ( LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and hum ...

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 refers to the unsecured ascent of rooftops, cranes, antennas, smokestacks, etc., usually illegally. Rooftoppers usually take photos or videos and panoramic photographs—either a selfie by themselves or with th ...

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 industry ...

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 r ...

, WrittenBy =

, OriginalAirDate = {{Start date, 2021, 3, 18 , ShortSummary = , LineColor = FE9A2E {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber = 5 , Title = Gays and Confused , DirectedBy = Chioke Nassor , WrittenBy =

, 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 = {{StoryTeleplay, t=Zelda Barnz & Daniel Barnz and Christina Nieves, s=Christina Nieves, tfirst=y , 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 Andrew Ahn (born 1985/1986) is an American film director and screenwriter who has directed the feature films '' Spa Night'' (2016), '' Driveways'' (2019), and ''Fire Island'' (2022). Early life Andrew Ahn was born and raised in Los Angeles. He i ...

, 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

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),

and

. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of 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

Casting

In September 2019,

, 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

joined the cast in a recurring role that same month. In August 2020,

was added to the main cast. In October 2020, Anthony Keyvan, Diego Josef,

, 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=

, date=October 16, 2020 , access-date=January 16, 2021 In December 2020,

, 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=

, date=December 8, 2020 , access-date=January 16, 2021

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 Monterey ...

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, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

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=

, date=February 10, 2021, access-date=February 10, 2021 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 On August 17, 2022, it was announced that

would be removing several series, including ''Generation''.

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. It was first known for its co ...

'',

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 American 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 cr ...

'' 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-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, and Stephen Wan ...

, the series holds an approval rating of 74% based on 27 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 a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

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=

, access-date=March 12, 2021{{cbignore

References

{{Reflist

External links

* {{IMDb title, tt11454722 {{Daniel Barnz {{HBO Max {{authority control 2020s American comedy-drama television series 2020s American high school television series 2020s American LGBT-related comedy television series 2020s American LGBT-related drama television series 2020s American teen drama television series 2021 American television series debuts 2021 American television series endings English-language television shows HBO Max original programming Teenage pregnancy in television Television series about teenagers Gay-related television shows Television shows set in Orange County, California Television shows filmed in California Bisexuality-related television series