'IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE'

THE CREATOR AND STAR OF HIT SHOW ADOLESCENCE WANTS AUDIENCES TO SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE

- Sara Tapia

It’s been hailed as the most important drama you'll watch all year, and there is no denying Netflix’s Adolescence is essential viewing. The four-part limited series, which was the number one show on the streamer in 71 countries following its March 13 premiere, has resonated deeply with viewers concerned about the influence of social media on young people and its links to violent crime.

Written by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, the series follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller - played by the scene-stealing Owen Cooper in his debut role — from the moment he is arrested for the murder of his schoolmate. Each episode was filmed in one unflinching take, with viewers watching the immediate aftermath of Jamie's arrest, the search for answers as detectives investigate and the fallout for his family.

For co-writer and star Graham, who plays family patriarch Eddie Miller, the idea for the series sparked from a series of knife attacks in the UK that were carried out by young men. “When I hear these things on the news, I know I’m not alone in blaming the parents sometimes,” the actor, 51, told Rolling Stone magazine. “And then I thought to myself, ‘What if it’s not the parents?’”

In terms of Jamie’s parents, Graham had strong ideas about what type of people they should be.