‘Adolescence’ Makes History in the U.K., Becoming First Streaming Show to Top TV Ratings

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The single-episode series “Adolescence” created by Netflix has broken new ground as it is now the first streaming television program to lead the weekly UK television viewership charts.

In the initial week of its debut, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s drama attracted more viewers than established TV shows like BBC’s “The Apprentice” and “Death in Paradise.” This was confirmed by the ratings agency Barb, as it was watched by a total of 6.45 million people.

The streaming TV show in question boasts the largest weekly audience in the U.K., surpassing ‘Fool Me Once’ on Netflix, which garnered 6.3 million viewers during its debut week.

Each episode of the miniseries is filmed as a single, unbroken take, leaving viewers puzzled by the exceptional performances and wondering about the ingenious way Director Philip Barantini captured the one-shots.

The series narrates the tale of Jamie (Owen Cooper), a 13-year-old kid who is suspected of murdering a schoolmate. The audience follows the chilling sequence of events, from his startling apprehension and initial interrogation by police, to detectives piecing together the puzzle, a child psychologist evaluating Jamie and his family grappling with every parental choice that may have led to this devastating incident. Additionally, Peaky Blinders actor Graham, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, debutant Cooper, Faye Marsay, and Christine Tremarco are part of the cast.

More recently, Doherty opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about the series’ central topics, which include the alarming trend of young males, at times even minors, getting radicalized online due to misogynistic influences that promote harmful views towards women.

Doherty spoke about the topic that Thorne and Graham chose to address, stating that although it’s uncomfortable and hard to face, ignoring it would be detrimental to our human race. However, he believes the show doesn’t provide solutions because, in his opinion, we as a society don’t have the answers yet.

As a fan, I’ve been immersed in discussions about a particular show over the past few days with friends, my girlfriend, and family. Besides the entertaining aspects of the show, we’ve found ourselves delving into the real-life challenges of parenting. It seems like everyone is grappling with these issues – it’s as if this topic has invaded our conversations, leaving us pondering: “How on earth do we handle this?” The show has unexpectedly become a catalyst for discussions about navigating parenthood.

She stated that it’s hard to fathom the conversations parents, especially those with young children, are having. However, the most significant takeaway is that her generation, who haven’t started this phase yet, are already starting to ponder over it. This suggests that the issue has sparked concern and questions, implying its purpose has been served since we’re now left wondering, ‘What on earth do we do?’

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2025-03-25 15:57