HBO's Raunchy New 8-Part Series Is Officially a Streaming Smash After Landing Near-Perfect RT Score

From Hung and True Blood to Sex and the City and Tell Me You Love Me, HBO has been home to all manner of raunchy stories over the years, and its latest hit is no exception. Created by award-winning writer, director, and comedian Sharon Horgan, the new series made its debut on the streaming service Sept, 20 to rave reviews, and now, after just two days, it’s already one of the biggest shows in the world.

HBO’s Newest Hit Delivers the Raunchy Goods

Starring Horgan as Alex, a 50-year-old divorced literary agent living in London, Youth is a midlife coming-of-age story that fits in nicely with her past work. Where Pulling dealt with women in their 30s and Catastrophe explores the 40s, her new series moves things further along to examine what happens when an aging woman realizes she still has life left in her.

Also starring Rupert Friend, Youth sees Alex going through a major transition. Her son is heading off to college, her marriage is long over, and her parents aren’t getting any younger, so they rely on her more and more for help. All of this leads to her wanting something for herself, and, as such, she reenters the dating scene to reclaim her freedom.

What ensues is a raunchy, sarcastic and brutally honest series that’s as funny as it is emotionally messy. Horgan pulls no punches in this one, often delving into the crude and self-deprecating, but Youth isn’t raunchy for the sake of being raunchy. There’s a truthful purpose to it all that elevates it into the realm of prestige TV, so it’s no wonder that the show has been so well received by critics.

Called “precise, witty and defiantly silly” by critic Rebecca Nicholson, Youth currently holds a near-perfect rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, signifying its greatness. “Laced with Horgan’s signature combination of unsparing honesty and sparkling wit, Youth is a fleet and frisky reminder that growing into yourself is a lifelong endeavor,” adds Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter. While it doesn’t have enough reviews to give it an audience score, the series has clearly made an impact in a short time, as is evident by its placement on the charts.

‘Youth’ Is Officially a Global Streaming Smash

Sharon Horgan and Rupert Friend in Youth

As mentioned, Youth debuted on HBO with a two-episode premiere on Sept, 20, and it wasted no time making its presence felt on streaming. Per Flix Patrol, the series is not only the sixth most popular show in the Top 10 in the United States, but it also sits in fifth place on the global TV chart.

With six weekly episodes still to come until its conclusion on Nov. 1, look for Youth to be one of those shows that will stick around in the Top 10 for a while. Considering it comes by way of the award-winning Horgan, we’d expect nothing less from the series, which is easily one of her best efforts to date.