Generation

On my watch list for this weekend is GENERATION, a half-hour dramedy following a group of high school students navigating sexuality, identity and (you guessed it!) intergenerational conflict within the trappings of their conservative-leaning California town. Created by father-daughter duo Daniel & Zelda Barnz and starring Justice Smith among an exciting cast of newcomers, the series promises an unvarnished, neon-tinged look at Gen-Z in the vein of EUPHORIA and GRAND ARMY. Zelda Barnz was 17 years old when the show was picked up, and it was born out of her desire to see her experiences as a teenager depicted truthfully rather than shown through the diluted prism of an adult’s perspective. I’m intrigued to see if GENERATION turns out to be an all-out cringefest or a worthy addition to the #unfiltered teen-centric TV canon; with executive producer Lena Dunham in the mix, it’s bound to polarize! 

The first three episodes are available now on HBO Max.

—Neal Mulani, Development Assistant