Adolescence is one of the most important TV dramas of our time, tapping into the deepest fears of parents and teachers across the UK. But what went into making the most talked about Netflix show of 2025 so far?
Adolescence: Stephen Graham stars in Netflix trailer
Although it only landed on Netflix on March 13, Adolescence is already one of the most talked-about shows of 2025 so far.
This series follows the story of Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), a seemingly ordinary 13-year-old boy who stands accused of murdering a classmate. Over four one-shot episodes, viewers see Jamie’s story unfold from the moment police break into his home to the long-term damage inflicted on his heartbroken family.
A gripping and frequently terrifying watch, Adolescence delves into some of the most pressing issues of modern Britain, including incel culture and the dangerous online influences that have warped so many young minds.
Here, the Mirror takes a look behind the scenes of one of the most important dramas in recent years.
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Extraordinary filmmaking magic
Adolescence is undoubtedly groundbreaking in its subject matter, and it’s also a masterpiece in terms of being a technical feat of filmmaking.
Viewers, and especially those with knowledge of TV production, were left blown away by the impactful use of filming each of the powerful four episodes in one continuous take.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Netflix explained how the talented team managed to achieve this, confirming the team “absolutely” filmed each episode in just one take.
Netflix tweeted: “If you can’t see the joins, it’s because there aren’t any. Each episode was genuinely filmed in real-time in one continuous shot. We promise!”
Of course, as explained by Netflix, each episode was filmed “a lot more” than once. The streaming platform explained: “It was initially planned that they would film each episode in full 10 times (once in the morning, once in the afternoon, across five days) – but in reality a few attempts had to be abandoned and restarted, so some episodes had many more than 10 takes.”
Giving some idea of the painstaking work that went into this drama, Netflix revealed that episode one was take two, filmed on the first shoot day of five. Episode two was take 13, taken on day five, while episodes three and four were also taken on day five, and were takes 11 and 16 respectively.
Sharing how the cast prepared for this ambitious shoot, Netflix divulged: “In preparation for the shoot, segments of the script were rehearsed and a little bit more added each day – starting with five minutes on the first day and then adding further material as they went through, so by the end of the week they would be doing full run-throughs.”
At some points during filming, it was necessary for some crew members to remain in shot. The team got around this by ensuring they wore costumes, allowing them to blend seamlessly into the action of the show as extras.
Episode two proved to be particularly daunting, given that there were 320 teenagers on set playing school pupils, plus 50 adults in the roles of teachers, shoppers and parents. And absolutely everyone “had to be in exactly the right place at the right time”.
Naturally, there were a few human errors along the way, some of which were kept in. According to Netflix: “It depends on the size of the mistake – in some instances they carried on, but often takes were completely abandoned. No pressure!”
Incredible drone shot
One of the most memorable moments in the show has to be the seamless drone shot in episode two. Giving a bird’s eye view as the children leave the school for the day, the camera eventually lands in the flower-strewn car park where Katie was viciously stabbed to death.
Offering some insight into how they managed this exceptional shot, Netflix said: “The DOP carries the camera and follows a school pupil to the traffic lights with a wide shot as she goes at the end of the school day.
“Before she crosses the road, a team attach the camera to a drone, which then flies a distance of 0.3 miles across the site to the murder scene, where it comes down to a camera operator and team of grips who smoothly catch the camera and transition into a close shot of Stephen Graham. Easy.”
Tragic true story
The events that unfold in Adolescence are certainly harrowing, but are sadly far from unheard of.
Indeed, the dark narrative is rooted firmly in reality in an era where violent knife crime among young people is a growing cause for concern in the UK.
And it was these horrific news stories that inspired star Stephen Graham as he set about writing the series with prolific screenwriter Jack Thorne.
In a recent interview with the Radio Times, Graham, who plays Jamie’s devastated father Eddie Miller, shared that three separate incidents had inspired the screenplay.
Graham, 51, explained: “There was an incident in Liverpool, a young girl, and she was stabbed to death by a young boy. I just thought, why? Then there was another young girl in south London who was stabbed to death at a bus stop.
“And there was this thing up North, where that young girl Brianna Ghey was lured into the park by two teenagers, and they stabbed her. I just thought, what’s going on? What is this that’s happening?”
Apart from the horrifying case of Ghey, who was murdered in 2023, Graham doesn’t elaborate as to which two other cases affected him so deeply.
As previously reported by the Mirror however, it’s believed one of these could be the murder of 12-year-old Ava White in Liverpool, who, in 2021, was stabbed by a 15-year-old in Liverpool city centre in a row over social media footage. The other case could be that of 15-year-old Elianne Andam, who was killed at a bus stop in Croydon by a 17-year-old back in September 2023.
In a separate interview at a BAFTA screening, Graham spoke of how the various news reports had left him “cold”. He continued: “I’d read an article in the paper about a young boy stabbing a young girl, and it made me feel a bit cold. Then, about three or four months later there was a piece on the news.
“And it was a young boy, again, who had stabbed a young girl – and they are young boys. They’re not men. And it was the complete opposite end of the country.”
Inspiration behind first episode
According to Graham, the Channel 4 documentary series 24 Hours in Police Custody inspired the way in which episode one played out.
This opening ep shows young Jamie being taken into custody, taken through each stage with startling realism as his family are left wracked with confusion and horror.
You can stream Adolescence on Netflix now.
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
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