Adolescence - who's watching it

i lasted 14 mins and binned it.

Well, there you go, different strokes for different folks I guess. I think it's the best telly I've seen in years. We're up to Episode 3 (which was the best so far, and that is saying something)

2 episodes in for me, agree tremendous bit of TV. The real time filming adds to to what is a pretty intense drama. 

Yep, finished it last night. Great bit of TV. Pretty hard to watch in places, proper gritty drama.

Can't imagine how there will be be anything better on telly this year. Easy to be hung up on the instagram/Tate/etc stuff, but hasn't it always been an issue - how boys learn to become men?

Anyway - interesting article about the "one take" process 

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/adolescence-netflix-drama-one-shot-how_uk_67d1b0e9e4b00defe4985bb5

i binge watched it the other day, agree it is very good.  BBC had Graham and the other writer on this mornign talking about the story as well as how it was all filmed -clever and basic at the same time.  One thing that really got me was the impact on family, especially the matriacal element with dad feeling powerless from the moment his son was arrested, through to the impact from yobs and the wider community treating his wife and daughter.  Weeksy, it might be worth giving it another go - it's not normally something i would watch, but i like the actor and was glad i watched it through.

Intersting - the lad that played James (the murderer) had no formal acting experience prior to this!

It's very good. As someone who has direct exposure to these issues I can safely say it's not a long way from reality. It's a sobering watch.

3 episodes down, its gripping stuff. Nearly watched 4 last night but was too late and didn't want to be rushing, willing it to end. 

Easy to be hung up on the instagram/Tate/etc stuff, but hasn't it always been an issue - how boys learn to become men

Without knowing how it ends, this was kinda my thoughts too. But with a daughter approaching that age its the "Andrew Tate sh'te" that worries me and I've seen shades of it in my nephew - doesn't help his dad is an @rse, but then I'm wondering if that's where episode 4 is going.

Binged it in a oner the other day. Ooft! That was a bit draining and emotional , but excellent 

Watched the first episode last night - absolutely breathless stuff. The only thing that slightly jars for me is that Stephen Graham doesn't look like that boy's dad.

Challenging and topical storyline

Outstanding acting

Technically brilliant

Its not very often TV can be so gripping and powerful. I think it is the most impactful programme I have seen since Its A Sin. Powerful, awesome television deserving of every award it will win. 

My review....

Episode 1: Utterly gripping
Episode 2: Depressing - makes me glad my girls are all out of that stage
Episode 3: Quite frightening
Episode 4: So sad

Amazing TV

Posted by: The Pope

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Episode 4: So sad

I'm the parent of a 15yr old boy called Jamie so the whole thing was a little too close. That last scene in Jamies bedroom broke me a little bit. 

Challenging and topical storyline

Outstanding acting

Technically brilliant

Its not very often TV can be so gripping and powerful. I think it is the most impactful programme I have seen since Its A Sin. Powerful, awesome television deserving of every award it will win. 

+4

Netflix productions have been so disappointing to date that I had very low expectations of it.  But it's utterly brilliant.

Doing it in one shot is amazing.  Really gives it a goldfish bowl feeling of everyone staring and looking in on what's happening, which I imagine is how it must feel with the media around the police, social media speculation, the neighbors etc. 

And the writing was just superb.  Even the small characters like the detectives son and the girls best friend coming in to explain to the audience what's going on.  And the way episode 4 just spirals as dad has to deal with neighbors, the kids, the store assistant, the security guard.

Episode 3 made Silence of the Lambs look like a hammy amateur production.

My earlier post should have said I was up to 3, I watched 3 last night. What an episode, the emotions by both characters spot on. To think that’s one solid take too, that kid has a big acting career ahead.  

We watched the episodes 1 & 2 last night.

It's definitely powerful stuff.

Think the acting is superb and the continuous shot gives it a totally different feel. 

Can't wait to see this.

I've got one of those ronin 4ds this was shot on. 

Incredible camera for doing this sort of flowing narrative 

Posted by: The Pope

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Episode 1: Utterly gripping
Episode 2: Depressing - makes me glad my girls are all out of that stage
Episode 3: Quite frightening
Episode 4: So sad

I'd go with that, except Ep3 was also, I think the most impressive of the series.

Posted by: franksinatra

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That last scene in Jamies bedroom broke me a little bit. 

I thought just before that, when the daughter had put a nice top on because it was her dad's birthday and she was still trying to make the day special for him even though she knew it had all already gone to shit. That got me.

It is a truly impressive show.  Gripping (even though its not the sort of thing we usually watch) and the characters were almost universally convincing.  For example the teacher that escorted them round the school behaved exactly like a teacher. Phenomenal.

The camerawork definitely added something to it but at the same time was an unwelcome distraction because all the time you're thinking "how do they do that" and "well I suppose they do it in one shot if it's a stage play".

And admiring the kid - thinking  "blimey, and some people thought Daniel Radcliffe could act"

Think the acting is superb and the continuous shot gives it a totally different feel. 

I did wonder if this would challenge some peoples attention spans in a day and age where most TV shows are just radio plays leading upto the final set-piece action sequence (that's announced well in advance to get you to look up). You have to sit down and commit to paying attention for an hour. The way the writers have delivered the story means you need to fill in the blanks yourself. There's no cutaway to the bereaved family, no flashbacks beyond a few seconds of CCTV, characters come in and go through their entire development in 60 seconds.

Three episodes in - a very clever change of lighting in episode two (I think - we watched two and three in one go) when he was in the room being interviewed by the assessor and his mood changed and the room darkened - so subtle but so clever. 

on a personal level, we Fostered for a couple of years (taking a break due to other family priorities) but the behaviours of the boy were terrifyingly similar to the boy we were fostering.

Watched the final episode tonight. That was one absolute superb bit of TV drama, no over the top action, no silly CSI made up rubbish just pure drama of emotions of the family going something incredibly challenging. Apparently E3 was the first one they filmed, young Owen’s first performance and it was sublime. Yes, I agree some of the lighting was cleverly done to show mood swings. 

And admiring the kid - thinking  "blimey, and some people thought Daniel Radcliffe could act"

There's a bit about him in here:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/13/adolescence-review-the-closest-thing-to-tv-perfection-in-decades

The last episode had me gripped all the way through, waiting for Stephen Graham to tip over the edge and do something horrific (wife / daughter beating?) to maybe explain everything. But as the article above says, there's no big event to do that, just the subtleties (or not) of everything that's gone before.

The final scene in the kid's bedroom... Even without something so horrific and absolute, its the mourning of childhood, questioning the quality of one's own parenting, fear of years to come and what's out there online waiting to find its way in. I don't know whether I'm relieved I don't have a son, or absolutely petrified that I have a daughter.

Watched the final episode last night. I really shouldn't have tried to speak to my wife straight afterwards – it came out as a soft blub.

But truly astounding television.

My thoughts of the episodes were

1. Really engaging and totally suited the real time, one shot filming.  Gave a great view of the situation as a fly on the wall but I was left feeling that the police were too well prepared between the event at 10pm to be ready to enact a large arrest at 6am whilst having all of the evidence and low level information ready (such as info on his friends and school performance) to prosecute just an hour or so later.

2. Didn't enjoy it at all as it felt too contrived for the one shot technique.  Too busy, too much of the same characters appearing in the background in such a large school, too much convenience of locations (such as the climax of the episode just happened to be really near to his car).  I also think it focussed too heavily on poor teachers presenting a really negative view of education.

3. Very well acted and very emotional.  To me, it felt a bit too over scripted though.  It tried to tell too much of a story with the prison staff that I felt was distracting.

4. I'd lost the energy after 2 and 3 so was just willing it to be over.  Again, felt a bit over scripted ... I wanted to scream "JUST HAVE YOUR BLOODY BREKKIE!" 

Too much convenience of story to make it fit the filming technique for my liking.

Has Stephen Graham ever done anything that is an easy watch?

Top actor, but very edgy.

Good article in the Guardian about the filming of the drone sequence. When I was told it was all one shot (before watching) I was skeptical it might be gimmicky but tbh I didn't even notice it unless you watch for it.

Probably the most impactful thing that I will watch on telly this year. Silent tears running down the faces of both my wife and I by the end of the last episode. 

Really good! The one shot thing was amazing in places (episode 3), distracting and unnecessary in others (any car journey), a very challenging and relevant topic, and Jamie was just brilliantly portrayed. Episode 4 was a bit dry to me, I presume because we're not parents and it's late - the rest, fantastic. 

Only seen one episode so far but will finish over the weekend. I suspect the remaining three will be just as good, but it did leave me feeling emotionally drained (in a good way).

It might be Netflix but it’s also Warp Films, who have a habit of turning out excellent stuff (the exec producer part owns Fagans pub in Sheffield too for Trivia fans).

I really hope it cleans up at whatever awards it gets put forward for. 

Interesting piece on the Beeb with the writer. 

BBC News - Adolescence writer calls for 'radical action' not role models

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0egyyq1z47o

It might be Netflix but it’s also Warp Films, who have a habit of turning out excellent stuff (the exec producer part owns Fagans pub in Sheffield too for Trivia fans).

Netflix commissioned and Warp produced I would imagine.

It was very good.

Depressingly, conpiracy theories have almost immediately popped up accusing the writers or race swaping or white washing which the usual culutre war grifters have latched on to. I've no idea what the solution to all this is.... 

Yeah noticed that today, even though the writers have said it’s not based on a single event.

I must admit I thought it was good but not as brilliant as many have made out. Maybe if I hadn’t seen so much of the hype I’d have found it better. In particular episode 3 wasn’t as good as I was expecting and actually fell a bit short for me in addressing some of the key issues over the boys reasoning for doing it. I actually enjoyed episode 4 more, maybe because as a dad of a teenage boy that hit hardest in terms of how I might feel and cope (not that I have any idea really).

Still much better than most the rubbish on Tv these days.

Rave review from Mark Kermode

Posted by: rockbus

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I must admit I thought it was good but not as brilliant as many have made out. Maybe if I hadn’t seen so much of the hype I’d have found it better.

Just about what I thought too actually. It was alright. 

I was kind of expecting more of a reveal of this emoji stuff and to see what led to what happened. It kind of felt like it left out the whole story of what built up and built up to trigger such an extreme response. 

I kept playing back the bit where the lad jumps out of the classroom window and the camera appears to follow, but through the closed part and carry on. 

Thought that was very clever. I think I enjoyed the camera work the most out of it once I started to think about the technical challenges involved behind the scenes in doing it.

There wasn't a window, that was (the only?) bit of CGI apparently.

https://thetab.com/2025/03/19/finally-netflix-just-revealed-how-adolescence-got-the-camera-through-the-window-glass

I've watched a few youtube 'explainers': the ending of episode 2 they clip the camera to a drone and then the same camera man gets into a car and drives over to the murder scene to unclip camera for the close up of Stephen Graham, apparently you can seen his car enter the footage as he does so

2 episodes in, brilliant but very uncomfortable at times (it's meant to be I know!) Its gripping stuff, love the one shot camera work too. 

Episode 2 reminded me of my secondary school many years ago (was all over the press as one of the 'worse in the country' at the time)  Glad I grew up before smartphones became a thing.

Great acting, impressively shot.

But tbh I found it all abit dull, and thoroughly depressing to boot.

I can't remember seeing anything so effective and hard-hitting that didn't rely on one particular scene or imagery for its impact. Brilliant in the way it uses the camera techniques through the episodes.The lad who played Jamie was superb in E3, a new face who can pull that off? And there's the tension Stephen Graham brings to it all, yet you're still feeling for him at the end.

Saw enough last night, very very compelling and watchable but I'm too spineless for anything edgy these days, kind of wandered off to do some stretches before the conclusion.

But as a parent of a seven year old boy (a parent hopelessly addicted to social media I should add) what's the best approach when child wants a smartphone?

Do I just try to slowly wean myself off the phone so he doesn't see me on it all the time, and try to spin a narrative to him about why they're not for kids? Is he really going to get bullied or ostracized at school for not having one?

He's already getting picked on for taking in healthy snacks instead of branded packaged crap so I don't hold out much hope if we send him to school with an old Nokia! 😂

My wife and me watched it and both came to same conclusion - average TV that you could easily imagine being on ITV.

Didn't really delve into social media aspect on how that would cause the outcome that it did and the boy just seemed to have anger issues (possibly not helped by dads) that could have come out for any reason at any time.

we were expecting a doom and gloom, tense affair that left us feeling sh1te after each episode cos you know, stephen graham?  still had that feel after episode 1, but episodes 2 and 3 although well acted didnt really live up to the hype for me.

see how we feel after episode 4 tonight.

Where's the dividing line between 'it's my opinion and can't therefore be wrong' and 'in the light of everyone else's opinion, maybe I'm wrong'

Because I'm prepared on this one to say it's your opinion but you're wrong 😉

Brilliant TV, technically, emotionally and for the subject covered. 

My wife and me watched it and both came to same conclusion - average TV that you could easily imagine being on ITV.

Yes I found it a bit meh too, but each to their own

Posted by: 13thfloormonk

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Saw enough last night, very very compelling and watchable but I'm too spineless for anything edgy these days, kind of wandered off to do some stretches before the conclusion.

But as a parent of a seven year old boy (a parent hopelessly addicted to social media I should add) what's the best approach when child wants a smartphone?

Do I just try to slowly wean myself off the phone so he doesn't see me on it all the time, and try to spin a narrative to him about why they're not for kids?

has anything made something more appealing to children than being told it’s not for kids?  Has anything made something less cool than being what your dad does?

Is he really going to get bullied or ostracized at school for not having one?

But don’t think this is all about smartphones - it’s about a culture.  A very real culture which definitely does exist in schools up and down the country.  If your son is not the one holding the knife, he might be the one who got him the knife thinking he was just going to scare her, or who provides somewhere to hide or a cover story, or a friend of the girl who stands up for her or eggs her on with her posts.  Parents are probably not able to stop it - but there are definitely things we can do that feed it, or turn a bling eye to.  

if you’ve got the balls to send your kid to school with healthy snacks and consider not giving them a phone - you’ve got the spine to watch a drama that tackles one of the issues you are concerned about.

Posted by: kerley

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My wife and me watched it and both came to same conclusion - average TV that you could easily imagine being on ITV.

Didn't really delve into social media aspect on how that would cause the outcome that it did and the boy just seemed to have anger issues (possibly not helped by dads) that could have come out for any reason at any time.

Perhaps that was part of the message - no matter how much you dig in to the social media stuff you’ll never come up with a genuinely rational explanation.  People who are looking to solve the problem by understanding the emoji’s aren’t really understanding the problem.  Anyone trying to rationalise it by reference to his dads (on the scale of things relatively minor) anger issues (perhaps contributed to by his own father’s approach to discipline?) hasn’t asked the question why his dad or grandad didn’t go on to become a killer or lives in a bubble where they think this is entirely fiction and stuff like this doesn’t really happen.

I went to school before mobile phones, never mind social media.  We didn’t have menosphere and Tait / Fox and other such people plying for our attention but it is entirely believable to me.