Owen Cooper stars as Jamie, a 13-year-old boy accused of stabbing a girl from his school to death, in the groundbreaking Netflix miniseries “Adolescence.” The show has made history by becoming the first streaming program to top Britain’s weekly TV ratings. The four episodes, each filmed in one continuous shot, impressed viewers with the stellar acting and technical prowess of director Philip Barantini. The first episode was watched by 6.45 million people in the week of its release, surpassing the previous record held by another Netflix show, “Fool Me Once.”
“Adolescence” takes viewers through the shocking process from Jamie’s arrest to the first police interview, the detectives attempting to solve the case, assessments by a child psychologist, and the family’s painful re-evaluation of their parenting decisions.
The show explores the disturbing topic of how young men and even children are being radicalized online by misogynists who encourage toxic attitudes toward women. Writer Jack Thorne said, “It’s there, we can’t deny it, and no matter how awful and disturbing it is, we would be doing ourselves a disservice as a human race to continue to ignore it and avoid it.
Netflix series achieves historic UK ratings
But I don’t actually think the show poses any answers because I don’t think we have them yet.”
The series has sparked deep conversations about parenting and societal influences in today’s digital age. Viewers are left asking, “What the hell do we do?” as they grapple with the challenges of raising children in a world where online content can have such a profound impact on young minds. “Adolescence” features an impressive cast, including Graham, Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, and Christine Tremarco.
The show’s success has led to calls for it to be screened in parliament and schools to help counter misogyny and violence against women and girls. As the series continues to captivate audiences, it sheds light on the urgent need to address the influence of online content on youth and the societal failures that contribute to such tragic events. “Adolescence” serves as a powerful reminder of the challenges we face in protecting and guiding the next generation.
