"Adolescence" has emerged as a global ratings triumph for Netflix, but the collaboration between Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham has also stirred significant political ripples within the UK. Prime Minister Keir Starmer disclosed that he watched the series alongside his teenage offspring, revealing that its poignant themes addressing societal pressures on the youth "struck a chord deeply." This revelation came amidst Netflix's groundbreaking agreement to make "Adolescence" accessible to every secondary school across the UK through the Into Film+ streaming platform.
Starmer presided over a roundtable discussion where the central themes of the series—revolving around a 13-year-old boy falsely accused of murdering a female classmate—were deliberated with Thorne, alongside children's charities such as Tender, NSPCC, and The Children’s Society. "As a father who watched this show with my teenage children, let me assure you—it resonated profoundly," Starmer emphasized. "Encouraging as many students as possible to view this show is a pivotal step. Witnessing my own children openly discussing the evolving nature of their communication, the content they consume, and the dialogues they engage in with their peers underscores the urgency of adequately supporting them in navigating modern-day challenges and counteracting adverse influences."
Anne Mensah, Netflix's Vice President of UK Content, declared: "‘Adolescence’ has mirrored the national sentiment, igniting crucial dialogues and eloquently articulating the pressures confronted by young individuals and their parents in today's society. We are immensely proud of the impactful strides this show has made." Thorne supplemented: "We crafted this series to catalyze a discourse. We posed the quintessential question—how do we halt this escalating crisis? Hence, having the chance to introduce this into schools surpasses our wildest expectations. We anticipate teachers initiating conversations with their students, but our heartfelt hope is that it fosters discussions among students themselves."
"Adolescence" etched itself into UK ratings history by becoming the first streaming service series to secure the top spot on Barb's weekly list of the top 50 television shows.
