‘Younger’ Creator Darren Star: “Lie Continues” in Season 4

When your entire life is based on a lie, how long can that continue? For the stars of TV Land’s Younger, it might be some time yet. Based on Pamela Redmond Satran’s novel, Younger centers on Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), a newly divorced 40-year-old mother who attempts to get herself out of debt and start her life anew by posing as a 26-year-old to land a job. The show is ramping up for its fourth season – and apparently the age deception will continue.

“As the show progresses, the lie doesn’t become the most important piece of the show,” creator and EP Darren Star said at Deadlines The Contenders Emmys event Sunday. “But the lie continues because of the value put on the perception of being that young and how important it is to her work. Work is the most important thing to her, and she’ll do anything to feel her value again and doesn’t want her age to be a barrier to that. So as long as her true age stands in the way of her work, she’s going to have to continue to lie.”

Miriam Shor, who plays Liza’s boss Diana, addressed ageism in the workplace with heavy irony. “It was a really good acting exercise to try and come up with those feelings,” she laughed. “As a woman, I really haven’t experienced that.”

Carrying on the deception might prove tricky, however, as Josh (Nico Tortorella) was spurned by Liza in the Season 3 finale. Since he knows the truth, will he keep her secret?

“Josh just wants to spend his life with this woman he loves, and he’s put so much into this relationship,” Tortorella said. “He’s been lying with her for so long, so we’ll see. After this, it’s definitely going to be a little bit harder.”

Next up for discussion was TV Land’s Nobodies, created by and starring Groundlings alums Hugh Davidson, Larry Dorf and Rachel Ramras as fictionalized versions of themselves. Nobodies is one of the network’s most promising new comedies and was renewed for a second season in January.

“I was their teacher at the Groundlings,” showrunner Michael McDonald said, “so they’re used to being yelled at by me. It’s a dream scenario when we were all starting out 20 years ago. You see all these people who you think are the funniest people in the world and wouldn’t it be great if we all did a show together? And we did – 20 years later.”

The series is executive produced by Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone through their production banner On the Day.