“Adolescence" has taken the global entertainment industry by storm since its release on Netflix. This gripping four-episode British drama, filmed without cuts, has topped streaming charts in over 80 countries worldwide. The series stars Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller, the main character, alongside a stellar cast including:

  • Stephen Grahamas Eddie Miller (Jamie’s father)
  • Ashley Waltersas DI Luke
  • Faye Marsayas DS Misha
  • Erin Dohertyas Briony (the child psychologist in Episode 3)
  • Christine Tremarco (Manda Miller, Jamie’s mother)

In this article, we uncover lesser-known facts and internet buzz about this emotionally charged drama—a true masterpiece of pure cinema.

  • The Story of Adolescence

The 4-episode intense emotional drama revolves around the murder of a teenage girl, where the main suspect is also a teenager. 4 episodes, each focuses on a different aspect with regard to the murder.

    • Ep1: Accused (Jamie) getting arrested, brought to jail and how the parents are dealing with this new situation in their life. This episode also shows how the suspected teenager behaves on firsthand after getting arrested for a crime he pleads not guilty.
    • Ep2: Focuses on the investigation where the police visit the school and interrogate the suspect and victim’s classmates and teachers. This is where the police officers (DI Luke & DS Misha) get to know what may have possibly forced the suspect to do such a crime at this age.
    • Ep3: As per the makers, this is the first episode that was filmed and also the most important and intriguing. The episode revolves around conversation between Jamie and Briony, the child psychologist tasked to carry out a pretrial assessment. Never miss a detail in this episode. People having questions at the end of Ep2 will get their answers by the end of Ep3.
    • Ep4: The day starts with Jamie’s family celebrating Eddie’s 50th birthday. But everything turns south once a group of students spray paint “NONCE” on Eddie’s van. The last episode revolves around how the family is coping with or trying to move on with the incident. Read on to find the meaning of NONCE.

  • Critical Acclaim, Global Appreciation & Breaking All Records

The series has topped streaming charts in over 80 countries worldwide and garnered 24.3 million views in the first 4 days only. During the time of writing this article, the series had set a viewership record of 66.3 million views within a 2-week period, best for a limited series on Netflix. On IMDB the show has 8.4/10 ratings and 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.

  • Eddie Miller is also the Co-Creator of the series

Yes, that’s right! Stephen Graham, who plays Eddie Miller's father in the show, is the writer of Adolescence along with his real-life wife Hannah Walters. She also has done a small cameo in the series, spot her in episode 2.

  • Single Take 1 Shot- Web Series

Yes, you heard it right! If you have not still watched this yet go and watch this pure cinema. The series has 4 episodes, each focusing on different angles wrt the murder of Katie and each episode shot in one go, without any cuts.

Certain scenes in Episode 2—like Ryan’s intense chase sequence and the sweeping drone shot—might make you question if the series was truly filmed in one take. But once you watch the BTS of episode 2 in the below YT video, you will be amazed to see the thinking process, creativity and precision of the team. Must say great work by director Philip Barantini and team.

In the past directors have experimented with the 1-shot theory to add raw emotions and intense storytelling into the scene but thanks to OTT, digital media and most importantly social media, Adolescence feels like it’s the first in this league.

  • Plan B: A major player behind the series

Many might not know, but Plan B Entertainment is owned by popular Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, who is the executive producer of this series. Adolescence director Philip has acknowledged and thanked Brad Pitt for his immense support in bringing Adolescence to life.

  • Owen Cooper’s first-ever on-screen performance

Many will not believe that this is not only Owen Cooper’s (Jamie Miller) first ever on-screen performance, but also his debut performance as an actor in any role. The 15-year-old born in Warrington, England, announced his acting career with a bang, even beating the experienced child actors in an audition for Adolescence. Many believe he will break all records at the Emmy Awards 2025.

  • 1 Shot but how many Takes?

As per BTS and the making video of Adolescence, it was decided to go for multiple takes of each episode and then select the best one. End result: 2nd take of Ep1 was selected, 13th take of Ep2, 11th take for Ep3 and 16th take for Ep4.

16 Takes for Ep4? That’s Eddie throwing paint over the side of his van 16 times! Yes, that’s right Stephen Graham threw the blue paint 16 times on the side of the van to cover NONCE. The van was jet washed instantly after each take to give it a fresh look.

  • Now What is NONCE in Britain

In Britain, NONCE is a slang term that depicts a person who has committed a crime involving sex, especially with children.

Overall Review

Apart from the cinematography, filming, acting performance which everyone is giving a thumbs up, the short series is a must watch as it covers a really important topic that is relevant in today’s world. The series depicts a larger yet not too much discussed problem that is affecting majority of teenagers in current times, negative side of social media and bullying.

Missed Plot: The makers could have added another episode depicting how the murder has affected the family of the victim. Even details about the victim and her life are missing in the entire series.