Girls (TV series)

*Girls*
Girls
Genre	Comedy drama
Created by	Lena Dunham
Showrunner	Lena Dunham
Starring	Lena Dunham; Allison Williams; Jemima Kirke; Zosia Mamet; Adam Driver; Alex Karpovsky; Andrew Rannells; Ebon Moss-Bachrach; Jake Lacy;
Composer	Michael Penn
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	62 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Lena Dunham; Judd Apatow; Jenni Konner; Ilene S. Landress; Bruce Eric Kaplan;
Producers	Peter Phillips; Dan Sterling;
Editors	Shawn Paper; Paul Zucker; Myron Kerstein; Nat Sanders; Kate Hickey; Robert Franzen; Catherine Haight;
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	26–41 minutes
Production companies	Apatow Productions; I Am Jenni Konner Productions; HBO Entertainment;
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	April 15, 2012 –; April 16, 2017
	Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Girls is an American comedy-drama television series created by and starring Lena Dunham, executive-produced by Judd Apatow. The series depicts four young women living in New York City. The show's premise was drawn from Dunham's own life, as were major aspects of the main character, including financial isolation from her parents, becoming a writer, and making unfortunate decisions.^[1] The series is known for its postfeminist commentary and conversation around body politics and female sexuality.^[2]

Lena Dunham created Girls with the intention of offering a more realistic and nuanced portrayal of the lives of young women in their twenties. The show, which premiered on HBO in 2012,^[3] revolved around a group of friends played by Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, and Zosia Mamet, navigating the challenges of relationships, work, and self-discovery in New York City. The first season of Girls was filmed between April and August 2011. The first three episodes were screened at the 2012 SXSW Festival and the series premiered on HBO on April 15, 2012.^[3] The series ran for six seasons until April 16, 2017. There were a total of 62 episodes.^[4]^[5]

Dunham, who both created and starred in the series, aimed to provide an authentic representation of the experiences, struggles, and relationships of young women.^[6] She wanted to present a narrative that went beyond the glamorous or idealized portrayals often seen in mainstream media. Girls received attention for its frank and sometimes controversial depictions of sex, relationships, and personal growth. The show was seen as a departure from traditional television narratives, offering a more unfiltered and honest exploration of the complexities of adulthood, particularly from a female perspective.^[7]

The show has received critical praise and numerous awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and the British Academy Television Award for Best International Programme.

In 2019, Girls was ranked 18th on The Guardian's list of the 100 greatest TV shows of the 21st century.^[8] In 2021, BBC placed it 30th on its list of the best series of the century.^[9] In 2022, the series was ranked 65th on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest TV shows.^[10] In 2023, Variety included it at 86th on its own list of the greatest TV series of all time.^[11]

^ Cite error: The named reference tca was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Ford, Jessica (2016). "The "smart" body politics of Lena Dunham's Girls". Feminist Media Studies. 16 (6): 1029–1042. doi:10.1080/14680777.2016.1162826. S2CID 147052673 – via Abingdon: Routledge.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference JS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Puente, Marie (January 6, 2016). "Lena Dunham's 'Girls' renewed for sixth and final season". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
^ Pederson, Erik (November 17, 2016). "HBO Sets Premiere Dates For 'Girls,' 'Last Week Tonight' & New Comedy 'Crashing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
^ Cite error: The named reference LD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference OW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "'100 Best TV Shows Of 21st Century'". The Guardian. September 16, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
^ "'100 Best TV Series Of 21st Century'". BBC. October 19, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
^ "'100 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time'". Rolling Stone. September 26, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
^ "'100 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time'". Variety. March 6, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2023.

[tca-1] Cite error: The named reference tca was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[BP-2] Ford, Jessica (2016). "The "smart" body politics of Lena Dunham's Girls". Feminist Media Studies. 16 (6): 1029–1042. doi:10.1080/14680777.2016.1162826. S2CID 147052673 – via Abingdon: Routledge.

[JS-3] Cite error: The named reference JS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[4] Puente, Marie (January 6, 2016). "Lena Dunham's 'Girls' renewed for sixth and final season". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2016.

[5] Pederson, Erik (November 17, 2016). "HBO Sets Premiere Dates For 'Girls,' 'Last Week Tonight' & New Comedy 'Crashing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2016.

[LD-6] Cite error: The named reference LD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[OW-7] Cite error: The named reference OW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[8] "'100 Best TV Shows Of 21st Century'". The Guardian. September 16, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2025.

[9] "'100 Best TV Series Of 21st Century'". BBC. October 19, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2025.

[10] "'100 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time'". Rolling Stone. September 26, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2025.

[11] "'100 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time'". Variety. March 6, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]