Generation (TV series)

Generation (stylized as Genera+ion) is an American dramedy television series that premiered on HBO Max on March 11, 2021. In September 2021, the series was canceled after one season.

Premise
Featuring an ensemble cast, the story follows a unique group of high school sophomores and juniors all from different walks of life in Orange County, California as they explore modern sexuality, challenge deeply ingrained beliefs about life, love, and test the bonds of their families in their conservative community.

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
 * Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Sam, 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 as Chester, a confident, openly gay student
 * Martha Plimpton as Megan, Naomi and Nathan's highly-strung, conservative mother

Recurring

 * Sam Trammell 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 as Joe, one of Arianna's fathers
 * John Ross Bowie as Patrick, one of Arianna's fathers and a former evangelical
 * Mary Birdsong 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 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 brother

Guest

 * Tessa Albertson as Natalia, Naomi and Nathan's older sister
 * Rachel Stubington as April

Development
Generation was first announced in September 2019 with a pilot order. The pilot is written by Daniel Barnz 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 and Lena Dunham. 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.

Casting
In September 2019, Martha Plimpton, Justice Smith, 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 joined the cast in a recurring role that same month. In August 2020, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett was added to the main cast. In October 2020, Anthony Keyvan, Diego Josef, J. August Richards, John Ross Bowie, Mary Birdsong, Patricia De Leon, and Sydney Mae Diaz were cast in recurring roles. In December 2020, Alicia Coppola, Marwan Salama, and Marisela Zumbado joined the cast in recurring roles.

Filming
Filming for the pilot began at South Pasadena High School in September 2019. The series continued filming at the location during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Release
The series premiered on March 11, 2021, with the first 3 episodes available immediately. 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.

On August 17, 2022, it was announced that HBO Max would be removing several series, including Generation.

The series was added to Tubi on February 1, 2023.

Reception
Reviewing the series for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall 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 gave the series a B− and wrote, "once these teens start interacting with one another in a much more grounded manner, Genera+ion strengths emerge, as it dives meaningfully into serious issues meaningfully without getting too dark."

On Rotten Tomatoes, 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 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 gave the series a weighted average score of 60 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".