Sharon Horgan's new eight-part HBO series Youth landed on 20 September 2026, and it wears its locations proudly. Horgan — the force behind Catastrophe, Bad Sisters and Motherland — stars as Alex, a 50-year-old divorcée rebuilding her love life while juggling a career, elderly parents and a troubled teenage son, played by Aran Murphy (Cillian's son). The cast also includes Rupert Friend, Sharlene Whyte, Robbie Gee, Harriet Walter, Anne Reid, Freddie Fox and Damian Lewis.

For fans keen to walk in Alex's footsteps, the show's central filming location is a gem. The Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell stands in for the literary agency where Alex works — and the production shot inside the building, not just at the door. Built between 1780 and 1782 as the Middlesex Quarter Sessions courthouse, it carries a genuine literary connection: Charles Dickens used it as the courthouse where Oliver Twist appears in his novel. These days it has been restored as a multi-use space for culture, dining and events, so visitors can actually step inside.

Also spotted in the trailer: Gordon Ramsay's Asian-inspired restaurant Lucky Cat in Mayfair, where Alex takes what looks like a work meeting — a suitably polished backdrop for her publishing ambitions. The quieter residential scenes were filmed around Islington in north London, including Wenlock Road and Union Wharf, streets tied to the city's industrial and canal past. A wander along that stretch of canal is an easy way to see the show's homelier side of London.

The production didn't stay in the capital. Local paper Majorca Daily Bulletin reported that Friend and crew were filming in Sant Elm on Mallorca in May 2026, though details of what was shot there remain thin. It's a pretty fishing village on the island's southwest coast, now with a screen credit.

Beyond the romance-and-divorce plot, Youth also tackles how the online world shapes teenage boys, via Alex's son Ruari, who is being fed warped ideas about masculinity online. Horgan has said the story grew from her own experience of divorcing and fearing she'd be alone forever, balanced against a new sense of freedom once her kids finished school.

Why should a traveller care? Because this is a show that doubles as a London guide. Clerkenwell, Islington and Mayfair are all walkable chunks of central London that most visitors skim past on the way to bigger names, and the Old Sessions House gives you a historic building you can actually eat, drink or attend an event in. Add a Mallorca detour if the island scenes tempt you — Sant Elm is an easy day trip from Palma with beaches and boat links to Dragonera island. Watch the series, then go find the addresses.