All seven seasons of Younger, have recently dropped on Netflix (Tubi, in the UK) and the fast-paced fan-favorite, starring Sutton Foster and Hilary Duff, is already winning over new viewers following its launch on the platform.
Set in New York’s glamorous, but cutthroat publishing world, it follows the adventures of 40-something, (almost) divorced mom-of-one, Liza Miller, as she tries to forge a career path in the industry by pretending to be a 26-year-old millennial. Not only is she lying to her colleagues at work, but she's also trying to keep her secret from grown-up daughter Caitlin, deadbeat ex-husband David and all their friends back home in New Jersey. It shouldn’t work as a TV show premise. It should be preposterous. But Sutton Foster (who plays Liza Miller) not only looks believably fresh-faced, she completely nails the slapstick humor of the situation that ensues when the big lie you’ve told means you’re constantly on the back foot, trying to get to grips with pop culture and juggling multiple lives.
So, if you’re curious about Younger and looking for a primer before watching the show, here’s everything you should know…
Where to watch Younger
In the US Younger started life on the TV Land channel back in 2015, before moving to Paramount Plus and Hulu for its final two seasons. In the UK, it was tucked away on Comedy Central. As a result, it’s likely you missed it the first time around. I certainly did. In January, Netflix US added the show to its library, opening up the hidden gem to a vast audience. In the UK, Younger has landed on free-to-use streamer Tubi. It’s already proving popular with old fans tuning in for a rewatch and new viewers are jumping on board every day.
Younger: Season 1 trailer
Younger: Plot
Per Netflix’s Tudum synopsis: “The series follows Liza Miller (Foster), a soon-to-be-divorced woman in her 40s who is figuring out how to navigate her personal and professional life in New York City now that she’s on her own. But starting a new career at her age proves difficult, which Liza realizes when she struggles to land a job in publishing.”
To add to Liza’s woes ex-husband David (Paul Fitzgerald) has racked up huge debts before running off with another woman, leaving her to pay college fees for daughter Caitlin (Tessa Albertson). On a night out with her artist best friend, Maggie (the wonderful Debi Mazar) Liza bumps into super cool tattooist Josh (Nico Tortorella), a 26-year-old who mistakes her for someone his own age. This sets off a train of events that leads to Liza snagging herself a job at Empirical Press as a 26-year-old assistant to the Miranda Priestley-esque Diana Trout (Miriam Shor). Rounding out the cast are Hilary Duff as an in-demand young editor, Kelsey Peters, Peter Hermann as Empirical’s publisher, Charles Brooks and Molly Bernard as Lauren Heller, Kelsey’s wise-cracking best friend.
Over the course of the series, we see Liza struggle with her decision to fake her identity and the strain it puts on all her relationships, apart from her loyal friend Maggie who is the only person who knows her secret from the start.
Younger: How many seasons are there?
There are seven seasons. The series started in 2015 and ran until 2021, with show-runner Darren Star (Beverley Hills 90210, Emily in Paris, And Just Like That…) at the helm. Fans hoped for a season 8 and there were also discussions around an LA-based spin-off for Hilary Duff’s character, Kelsey, but plans for that didn't get beyond the planning stage. Still, for fans of the series, there's always the hope that if the show becomes a big hit (now it is available to a much bigger audience, those plans could be revived… in the same way that the success of Suits on Netflix got the legal drama its own spin-off, Suits LA.
Younger's guest stars
A big part of the show’s appeal for me (other than Josh, of course) is the revolving door of colorful characters, played by a swathe of familiar faces, that pop up during Younger’s seven-season run.
Michael Urie - Redmond
Another former member of the Ugly Betty cast, Urie plays a hilariously acid-tongued agent who becomes a frenemy of Kelsey and Liza.
Martha Plimpton - Cheryl Sussman
Cheryl is Liza's former boss who finds out she's been posing as a millennial and threatens to expose her secret. Plimpton has acted in films and shows since the 1980s from The Goonies to The Good Wife.
Jane Krakowski - Annabelle Bancroft
Jane K, a veteran of shows such as Ugly Betty, 30 Rock and Ally McBeal, plays a scheming off-the-rails author that Liza tries to help edit a book
Justine Lupe - Jade
Justine Lupe, Succession’s Willa and last seen on Netflix’s award-winning Nobody Wants This, plays a temperamental fashion blogger who causes mayhem for Kelsey and Liza.
Camryn Manheim - Dr. Jane Wray
Manheim, a series regular on Law & Order, plays a therapist who finds out Liza’s secret but is bound by doctor/patient confidentiality.
Kristin Chenoweth - Marylynne Keller
The original Glinda in Wicked, Chenoweth turns up the cool quotient as a spin doctor who comes in to pitch a book to Empirical.
Matthew Morrison - Sebastian
Glee’s Matt Morrison is a farmer turned writer who becomes a potential love interest for Liza.
Laura Benanti - Quinn Tyler
Benanti has a recurring guest role as Quinn Tyler a hard-headed businesswoman who ruffles feathers when she starts working alongside Empirical and also becomes a rival for Charles’s affections. Benanti is a TV, film and theater actress, appearing in shows such as Gossip Girl and Nashville.
Phoebe Dynevor - Clare
Dynevor, Daphne in Bridgerton is Clare, a young Irish worker who becomes Josh’s love interest in Season 4 of the show.
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