Sutton Foster
Debi Mazar
Miriam Shor
Nico Tortorella
Hilary Duff

Created by:
Darren Star

Comedy
2015-
TV Land

TV-14

“Younger,” which premiered on TV Land the same night that “Weird Loners” premiered on FOX, comes to us from Darren Star, creator of HBO’s “Sex and the City.” Both this show and “Weird Loners” are comedies with energy and without laugh tracks. That’s vital in today’s TV landscape. But, unlike “Weird Loners,” this show has an interesting, albeit familiar, premise: 40-year-old Liza re-enters the workforce and pretends to be 26 years old in order to land an entry job in publishing. She was a successful editor before leaving the workforce, but that didn’t hold any sway in her first round of interviews. Needless to say, she gets the job, and the hilarity ensues. …

Well, not really. This isn’t laugh-out-loud funny, but it has its moments. And since it’s a comedy-drama of sorts (much more comedy than drama), it doesn’t have to be that funny. Unfortunately, “Weird Loners” can’t say the same.

Regardless, the premise and execution result in a show that’s a mix of “Sex and the City” (of course), “The Devil Wears Prada,” and VH1’s “Hindsight”: That’s a good thing. It’s watchable, and Broadway veteran Sutton Foster does a good job in the lead role. The rest of the cast is equally strong. They know what to do with Star’s writing and with the genre. But, at times, Star stretches the premise a bit too far during the first two episodes. He knows how to develop a show, though, so I think that TV Land may be on to something here. It feels right. Plus, again, there’s no laugh track – a true accomplishment for the network.

Verdict: Good

About: (Source: younger)

TV Land’s Newest original “Younger,” stars Tony(R) Award winner Sutton Foster (“Bunheads”), Hilary Duff (“Lizzie McGuire”), Debi Mazar (“Entourage”) and Miriam Shor (“GCB”). The single-camera project, which is written, executive produced and directed by Darren Star (“Sex and the City”), is based on the novel “Younger” by Pamela Redmond Satran. Patricia Field, who worked with Star on “Sex and the City,” will be a costume consultant on the production.
“Younger” follows 40-year-old Liza (Foster), a suddenly single mother who tries to get back into the working world, only to find out it’s nearly impossible to start at the bottom at her age. When a chance encounter with a 20-something guy at a bar convinces her she looks younger than she is, Liza tries to pass herself off as 26 — with the help of a makeover, courtesy of her best friend Maggie (Mazar). Armed with new confidence, she lands a job as an assistant to the temperamental Diana (Shor) and teams up with her new co-worker and fellow 20-something Kelsey (Duff) to make it in the career of her dreams.