5 Episodes: HBO Confirms Girls Revival, Credits Gen Z Fans

HBO confirmed Wednesday it will revive "Girls" for five new episodes, more than a decade after creator Lena Dunham's series ended its original run, according to Wired. The network's decision follows a years-long resurgence driven largely by viewers who were not yet watching television when the show premiered in 2012.

How many episodes will the revival include?

HBO has ordered five episodes, Wired reported, describing the announcement as the culmination of a "long overdue redemption arc" for a series that drew sharp criticism during its original six-season run over its depiction of sex, its predominantly white cast, and allegations that several stars had benefited from family connections in the industry.

Why did Girls viewership double in 2022?

According to Wired, the series' viewership doubled between November 2022 and January 2023 compared with the previous three months, a jump first reported by The New York Times. Wired attributes the spike to a wave of rewatching and online discussion that turned decade-old episodes into recurring memes, including Marnie's televised performance in a teal dress and Hannah's line, "I am busy, trying to become who I am."

How did Gen Z discover the show?

Wired reports the resurgence was largely fueled by Gen Z viewers who had missed "Girls" the first time. Amelia Ritthaler, 28, one half of the Brooklyn comedy duo behind the Girls Rewatch podcast, told Wired that younger viewers approached the show differently than the millennials who first watched it. "So much of what we were raised on was this post-ironic, emotionally removed, 'world is burning, but let's dance through it' kind of social media," Ritthaler said, adding that millennials watching in 2012 were "in their earnest era," while Gen Z viewed the series "from this satirical lens that Lena wrote it in."

What role did the Girls Rewatch podcast play?

Ritthaler and co-host Evan Lazarus launched the Girls Rewatch podcast in 2023, per Wired, posting memes and clips on TikTok and Instagram that built an audience large enough to attract guests including Dunham and original cast members Allison Williams, Andrew Rannells and Zosia Mamet. Cast member Jemima Kirke credited the podcast directly in a comment on its Instagram account the day the revival was announced: "I think this was like 70% cuz of you guys."

Terms to know

• Nepo baby allegations: Criticism leveled at several "Girls" cast members during the original run over perceived industry connections through family members, as cited by Wired.
• Girls "truthers": Wired's term for prominent millennial defenders of the show, including writers Hunter Harris, Peyton Dix and Evan Ross Katz, who argued for its merits during the backlash years.
• Post-ironic: The detached, satirical sensibility Ritthaler says shaped how Gen Z viewers read the show, in contrast to what she called millennials' "earnest era" at the time of its original broadcast.

By the numbers

• 5: Episodes HBO has ordered for the "Girls" revival, per Wired.
• 2x: Increase in the show's viewership between November 2022 and January 2023 compared with the prior three months, as reported by The New York Times and cited by Wired.
• 2012: Year "Girls" originally premiered on HBO.
• 2023: Year the Girls Rewatch podcast launched, according to Wired.

HBO has not released a premiere date or episode titles for the revival, and Wired's report did not specify which cast members will return for the new episodes.