# Generation (2021 TV series)
**Genera+ion** (also written **Generation**) is an American teen comedy-drama television series that premiered on [HBO Max](https://www.edgepedia.org/hbo-max) on March 11, 2021. Created by the father-daughter team Daniel Barnz and Zelda Barnz, the half-hour series follows a diverse group of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality tests entrenched beliefs about life, love, and family in their conservative community.[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-debuts-march-11) It was canceled after one season of 16 episodes in September 2021 and later removed from HBO Max entirely.[2](https://www.tvline.com/news/generation-cancelled-season-2-hbo-max-1234695169/) • [3](https://time.com/6240853/hbo-max-shows-leaving/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network and premiere | HBO Max, March 11, 2021, with three episodes[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-debuts-march-11) |
| Creators | Daniel Barnz and Zelda Barnz; Zelda was 17 when the pilot was greenlit and 18 when the show was picked up to series[4](https://www.assignmentx.com/2021/generation-creators-daniel-barnz-zelda-barnz-exclusive-interview/) |
| Executive producers | Lena Dunham, Ben Barnz, Daniel Barnz, Sharr White, John P. Melfi, and Zelda Barnz[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/generation/s01) |
| Format | Half-hour dramedy, TV-MA rating, 16 episodes in one season[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-debuts-march-11) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/generation/s01) |
| Setting | A high school in Anaheim, California[6](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/22/zelda-barnzs-generational-translations) |
| Cancellation | Cancelled after one season, announced September 14, 2021[2](https://www.tvline.com/news/generation-cancelled-season-2-hbo-max-1234695169/) |
| Reception | 75% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (28 reviews); Metascore 60 on Metacritic[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/generation/s01) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/generation/critic-reviews/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and production
The series follows a group of high school students in a conservative community as they explore modern sexuality, including its digital dimensions, and test beliefs about life, love, and the nature of family.[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-debuts-march-11) [The New Yorker](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-new-yorker) described it as an LGBTQ teen dramedy, something of a *Girls* for [Generation Z](https://www.edgepedia.org/generation-z), tracking an ensemble cast, many of them queer, at a high school in [Anaheim, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/anaheim-california).[6](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/22/zelda-barnzs-generational-translations)
**Origins.** The show grew out of conversations at the Barnz family dinner table about queerness, identity, and teenagers, and about queer representation in media; Zelda Barnz drew on stories from her own high school experience.[4](https://www.assignmentx.com/2021/generation-creators-daniel-barnz-zelda-barnz-exclusive-interview/) The project was loosely based on her real-life experiences and people she knew, centered on students in a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) club.[8](https://www.directv.com/insider/fathers-of-the-scribe-meet-the-dads-daughter-team-behind-hbo-max-teen-dramedy-generation/) The idea reached [Lena Dunham](https://www.edgepedia.org/lena-dunham), who became an executive producer; Daniel Barnz said it was her idea to pitch the show and move forward with it, and HBO Max bought it.[9](https://awardsradar.com/2021/06/24/interview-zelda-and-daniel-barnz-on-being-the-father-daughter-team-behind-generaion/) The Barnzes cited the fact that one in six Gen Z adults identifies as LGBT as a major influence on the show's creation.[6](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/22/zelda-barnzs-generational-translations)
**Release schedule.** The first half of the season rolled out weekly: three episodes on March 11, two on March 18, two on March 25, and one on April 1, 2021, with the remaining eight episodes debuting later in the year.[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-debuts-march-11) The second batch of eight episodes aired from June 17 to July 8, 2021.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/generation/s01) A companion podcast, *Generation: The Podcast*, launched on March 11 with new episodes on Thursdays.[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-debuts-march-11)
### Cast and characters
The ensemble includes Nathanya Alexander (Arianna), [Chloe East](https://www.edgepedia.org/chloe-east) (Naomi), [Nava Mau](https://www.edgepedia.org/nava-mau) (Ana), Lukita Maxwell, Haley Sanchez (Greta), Uly Schlesinger (Nathan), [Nathan Stewart-Jarrett](https://www.edgepedia.org/nathan-stewart-jarrett) (Sam), and Chase Sui Wonders (Riley), with Justice Smith as Chester and Martha Plimpton as Megan.[1](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-debuts-march-11) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/generation/s01) • [2](https://www.tvline.com/news/generation-cancelled-season-2-hbo-max-1234695169/) Recurring guest stars included J. August Richards, Mary Birdsong, Alicia Coppola, Patricia De Leon, Diego Josef, Anthony Kevyan, Sydney Mae Diaz, John Ross Bowie, and Sam Trammell.[2](https://www.tvline.com/news/generation-cancelled-season-2-hbo-max-1234695169/)
Smith's character Chester is a gay water polo star with a 4.1 GPA who develops a connection with the school's new guidance counselor, Sam.[10](https://www.wired.com/story/hbo-generation-representation/) Greta, played by Haley Sanchez, is a Latina teen whose mother was deported to [Guadalajara](https://www.edgepedia.org/guadalajara), and her unrequited crush on Riley is one of the show's central relationships.[10](https://www.wired.com/story/hbo-generation-representation/)
## Themes and style
Much of the narrative unfolds over phone screens, with the camera tracking text conversations, selfies, Snapchat messages, and livestreams as the teens communicate.[6](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/22/zelda-barnzs-generational-translations) Reviewers noted the show's handling of sexual and gender fluidity as a casual baseline assumption rather than a major plot point; *The Guardian* called this an approach that should be a standard for teen shows going forward.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/mar/10/generation-review-ambitious-sexually-fluid-teen-show-rings-hollow) Zelda Barnz also acted as a generational filter on the writing, steering her father away from phrasing and texting habits she considered millennial.[6](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/22/zelda-barnzs-generational-translations)
## Critical reception
Season 1 holds a 75% Tomatometer average on Rotten Tomatoes from 28 reviews, with an 84% audience score, and a Metascore of 60 (mixed or average) on Metacritic.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/generation/s01) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/generation/critic-reviews/) Reviews were divided. [The Boston Globe](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-boston-globe)'s Matthew Gilbert called it an astute drama-comedy with well-drawn characters (80), while IndieWire's Jude Dry found the characters toggling between horny and clueless in a confused mess (58).[7](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/generation/critic-reviews/) [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hollywood-reporter)'s Daniel Fienberg praised the young ensemble's give-and-take energy and the sparing, smart use of the parents, judging the writing and acting superior to the directing.[7](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/generation/critic-reviews/) Common criticisms targeted shock-driven dialogue and gimmicky storytelling devices; the Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus said the salacious flourishes can feel more try-hard than authentic, but that the inclusive portrayal of Gen Z shines when it identifies the universal pains of being a teenager.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/generation/s01)
## Cancellation and removal
HBO Max canceled the series after one season, with the announcement reported on September 14, 2021. In a statement, the network said it was proud to have partnered with Zelda and Daniel Barnz to represent LGBTQ youth with a diverse group of characters and layered stories.[2](https://www.tvline.com/news/generation-cancelled-season-2-hbo-max-1234695169/) In August 2022, following the merger of [WarnerMedia](https://www.edgepedia.org/warnermedia) and Discovery, HBO Max removed *Generation* among 36 titles pulled from the platform as part of cost-cutting after the merger.[3](https://time.com/6240853/hbo-max-shows-leaving/) The series later found a new streaming home on Tubi, as announced by the show's official account.[12](https://www.tvinsider.com/1075922/generation-hbo-max-canceled-removed-streaming-tubi/)
## References
1. [HBO Max Dramedy GENERA+ION Debuts March 11, Warner Bros. Discovery Pressroom](https://press.wbd.com/na/media-release/hbo-max/hbo-max-dramedy-generaion-debuts-march-11)
2. [Generation Cancelled At HBO Max, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/news/generation-cancelled-season-2-hbo-max-1234695169/)
3. [Why Your Favorite Show Is Leaving HBO Max, Time](https://time.com/6240853/hbo-max-shows-leaving/)
4. [GENERATION: Creators Daniel Barnz and Zelda Barnz on Season 1, Assignment X](https://www.assignmentx.com/2021/generation-creators-daniel-barnz-zelda-barnz-exclusive-interview/)
5. [Genera+ion: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/generation/s01)
6. [Zelda Barnz's Generational Translations, The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/22/zelda-barnzs-generational-translations)
7. [Generation critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/generation/critic-reviews/)
8. [Fathers Of The Scribe: Meet The Dads-Daughter Team Behind HBO Max Teen Dramedy 'Generation', DIRECTV Insider](https://www.directv.com/insider/fathers-of-the-scribe-meet-the-dads-daughter-team-behind-hbo-max-teen-dramedy-generation/)
9. [Interview: Zelda and Daniel Barnz on Being the Father-Daughter Team Behind 'Genera+ion', Awards Radar](https://awardsradar.com/2021/06/24/interview-zelda-and-daniel-barnz-on-being-the-father-daughter-team-behind-generaion/)
10. [The Teens of 'Genera+ion' Wouldn't Settle for the Teens in 'Genera+ion', WIRED](https://www.wired.com/story/hbo-generation-representation/)
11. [Generation review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/mar/10/generation-review-ambitious-sexually-fluid-teen-show-rings-hollow)
12. [Where You'll Be Able to Watch 'Genera+ion' After HBO Max Removed Series, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1075922/generation-hbo-max-canceled-removed-streaming-tubi/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › LGBT-related web series*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license