TV Land is saying farewell to airing reruns of decades-old sitcoms and is now pursuing a different demographic to broaden their audience. With their first hit original series, Hot In Cleveland, ending next month, TV Land executives are looking for new ways to reach a broader spectrum of viewers, as well as reinventing their image. This includes stepping away from the multi-camera sitcom medium and nudging their way into single-camera comedy territory, their first venture being a new series called Younger.

The new series, created by successful television executive Darren Star (whose notable works include Sex and the City and Beverly Hills, 90210), stars Tony Award winning actress Sutton Foster as the character of Liza, a newly divorced woman in her 40’s looking to get back into the work force to take her mind off of the snafu that her life has become. She soon finds this task to be exceedingly difficult, as many companies are looking to hire fresh-faced, new college undergraduates, and not those who have been out of the work force for over 15 years. On a night out with one of her best friends, played by Debi Mazar, Liza gets mistaken to be a 26 year old, which sparks the idea of posing to be in her 20’s both in the job market and her personal love life. Eventually, she lands a job at a top publishing firm working as an assistant to Diana Trout (played by Miriam Shor). Eventually, she meets Kelsey, played by Hilary Duff, a twenty-something who has quickly worked her way up in the publishing world.

As soon as I heard that Hilary Duff was returning to television, I knew I had to watch this new show by any means necessary. This past week, the pilot for Younger became available for immediate streaming on Amazon. I watched the episode as soon as it became available, and even though I initially wanted to watch it for Hilary, I found that the series as a whole to be very captivating, with or without Hilary Duff.

Younger is so much more than a show about a woman in her 40’s wanting to be, well, younger. The show has heart, depth, and can be related with by people of all ages. This show is for the confused twenty-somethings searching for their place in the working world, trying to find a balance between their personal and professional life. This show is for the forty-somethings trying to reevaluate their place in society. This show is for any individual going through any stage of life. Overall, Younger addresses the need for female empowerment in the workplace and in society.

With a strong cast playing strong characters, along with the smart script from a group of talented writers, Younger is bound to be a hit. It will not only be successful with television ratings, but also with bringing forth issues that tend to be swept under the rug, issues ranging from the struggle to simply fit in to the ongoing issues of age and gender discrimination.

The Younger pilot is available for immediate streaming (for free!!!) on Amazon, and the show is set to premiere on TV Land on March 31.