Netflix’s four-part miniseries “Adolescence,” is high-powered television that grabs you by the throat and never lets go.
It’s not comfort TV. It touches on the subject matter that’s been reverberating throughout the world. Adolescent bullying results in violence, murder, rape, and or suicide. The horrific effect Andrew Tate has had on disaffected men and the youth of the world.
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In today’s Guardian, Stephen Graham explains how he was inspired to write, star and create this series.
The initial idea came to its star, Stephen Graham, after a spate of distressing violent crimes. In 2021, 12-year-old Ava White was fatally stabbed by a 14-year-old boy in Graham’s home city of Liverpool. In 2023, 15-year-old Elianne Andam was attacked with a kitchen knife by 17-year-old Hassan Sentamu outside a Croydon shopping centre.
“It really hit my heart,” Graham said at the show’s premiere. “I just thought: ‘What’s happening? How have we come to this? What’s going on with our society?’” The actor roped in his regular collaborator, top-tier screenwriter Jack Thorne, to create a hard-hitting drama interrogating why boys are committing such extreme acts against girls.
The third episode was the best, in my opinion, with a determined Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty) evaluating the state of mind of alleged murder suspect 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper).
Newcomer Owen Cooper was extraordinary in his debut, which was anchored by Doherty’s stoicism.
The entire cast shined. Hopefully, this performance will put Stephen Graham into the lexicon of the finest actors of our time. American audiences may remember him as Al Capone in Broadway Empire, but he’s been a force in British television. You can see him on Hulu now along with The Crown’s Erin Doherty in “A Thousand Blows.”
This is the best series of the year so far.
Which series are you recommending these days? Open Thread below…
