Netflix answer most asked questions about hard-hitting new drama Adolescence

Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper give incredible performances

Author: Alex RossPublished 18th Mar 2025
Last updated 5 hours ago

Appearing in titles such as Line of Duty, Peaky Blinders and Boiling Point, Liverpudlian Stephen Graham is no stranger to a popular TV show and movie, but critics are dubbing his latest creation as 'one of the best TV shows' ever made.

Adolescence dropped on streaming platform Netflix on the 13th March, and Stephen co-wrote and appears in a hard-hitting crime series which was filmed in continuous one-shot style, the same as his 2021 movie Boiling Point. The four-part series also stars Missing You actor Ashely Walters and The Crown's Erin Doherty, as well as child actor Owen Cooper.

What is the show about?

Stephen teamed up with multi-award winner Jack Thorne to create the series, who is responsible for shows such as Kin, His Dark Materials and Joy.

The official Netflix synopsis says: 'Adolescence tells the story of how a family’s world is turned upside down when 13-year-old Jamie Miller is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl who goes to his school.'

Speaking to Radio Times about the creative decision to film each episode in one-shot, Stephen said: “I think what the one-shot does is makes you sit up and you can’t take your eyes off it, because if you do blink for a second you miss something. It draws the audience in.”

Days after the show landed, Netflix took to social media to answer some questions about the one-shot filming style, and how the cast prepared.

Netflix wrote on X: 'A quick thread answering some questions you might have after watching #Adolescence… 🧵'. Check out the answers below.

Q: Surely they didn’t actually film each episode in one shot, right?!

Netflix said: 'They absolutely did! 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!'

Q: So did they film each episode more than once?

Netflix said: 'A lot more. 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'.

Q: Which takes were chosen for the final Adolescence episodes?

'Ep 1 - Take 2 - shot on shoot day 1 of 5

Ep 2 - Take 13 - shot on shoot day 5 of 5

Ep 3 - Take 11 - shot on shoot day 5 of 5

Ep 4 - Take 16 - shot on shoot day 5 of 5'.

Q: How did the cast prepare?

Netflix said: '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'.

Q: How did the crew stay out of shot as the camera moves around?

Netflix said: 'During these rehearsals the cast would also work through the choreography, allowing the DOP to plan the positions of the camera through the whole take, as well as the movements of the crew.

'Sometimes it was necessary for some of the crew to remain in shot, in these instances they were dressed in costume so that they could blend into the show to serve as extras in the shot'.

Q: How did they film the drone shot at the end of Ep 2?

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'.

Q: How many extras were there in the school in Ep 2?

Netflix said: '320 teenagers playing school children, and 50 adults playing teachers, shoppers and parents. And yes, they all had to be in exactly the right place at the right time. There were 13 takes of this episode!'

Q: What if someone messed up their lines or did the wrong thing?

Netflix said: 'It depends on the size of the mistake – in some instances they carried on, but often takes were completely abandoned. No pressure!'

Q: In Episode 2, how did the camera move through the window if it was all one shot?

Netflix said: 'There wasn’t actually a window there. It was taken out and put back in using VFX. One of the camera operators was in the classroom, then when Ryan jumped out of the window, the other operator – who was crouching on the other side – took the camera and continued the chase'.

Q: Did Stephen throw paint on the van for every take in Episode 4? If so, how did they get it off?

Netflix said: 'Yes! They created a special paint that was the same consistency and would stick to the van, but that could be jet washed off after each take'.

Q: Did they actually ram down the door during the opening police raid in Episode 1?

'They sure did, and they rammed through 12 doors in total! Then, they had a PVC door specialist on set to fit a new door each time. What a job that is'.

Q: Was there any ad-libbing?

Netflix confessed: 'With such long shots variations from take to take were inevitable. In the final version of Episode 3, Owen Cooper yawns (understandable after such a labour-intensive schedule) – to which Erin Doherty’s Briony responds, “Am I boring you?”.

'This back and forth, including Owen’s subsequent smirk and denial, feels so true to the characters that you’re convinced it’s completely planned'.

Q: How did you find Owen Cooper?

'Owen was one of hundreds of potential Jamies seen by casting director Shaheen Baig – he was first spotted after sending in a self-taped improv scene. After a few more callbacks and workshops Owen had a chemistry read with Stephen Graham. Guess that must have gone pretty well!

'As has been well documented, this is somehow Owen’s first ever acting role – with Episode 3 (the first episode shot) being his first time on a set'.

Q: Why can’t you see the camera rig on the van in Ep 4?

Netflix said: 'There were two vans! The first one is the one you see at the start of the episode when Eddie is trying to get the graffiti off. When they go back inside the house, the crew swapped out the vans for one that has a camera rig on the front.

'As they come back out of the house and get in the van, the shot stays on them as the camera is attached to the rig on the front.'

Is it based on a true story?

Although Adolescence isn't based on a specific true story, co-creator Stephen Graham has revealed the plot of the show was created after hearing about knife crimes in the news.

Speaking to Tudum, Stephen said: “There was an incident where a young boy allegedly stabbed a girl. It shocked me. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening in society where a boy stabs a girl to death? What’s the inciting incident here?’ And then it happened again, and it happened again, and it happened again. I really just wanted to shine a light on it, and ask, ‘Why is this happening today? What’s going on? How have we come to this?’”

Is there a trailer?

Yes, the hard-hitting trailer was released at the beginning of March. You can watch the trailer for Adolescence below:

When is it out?

All episodes dropped on Thursday 13th March 2025.

How can I watch it?

Adolescence is available to watch on streaming platform Netflix.

How many episodes?

The mini-series is made up of four episodes.

Photos from Netflix's Adolescence:

Adolescence

Who is in the cast?

Adolescence is made up of a star-studded cast, with co-creator Stephen Graham also playing the role of father Eddie Miller. Owen Cooper plays the lead role of teenager Jamie Miller, whilst Christine Tremarco plays his mum.

Top Boy actor Ashley Walters also appears Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe, whilst The Crown actress Erin Doherty plays Briony Ariston, the clinical psychologist assigned to the case.

Who stars in Netflix's Adolescence?

Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller

Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller

Christine Tremarco as Manda Miller

Ashley Walters as Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe

Erin Doherty as Briony Ariston

Faye Marsay as DS Micha Frank

Mark Stanley as Paul Barlow

Jo Hartley as Mrs Fenumore

Amélie Pease as Lisa Miller

Austin Haynes as Fredo

Speaking to Radio Times about his involvement in the show, Ashley Walter admitted he was about to quit acting before getting a call from Stephen Graham, admitting he was keen to just focus on directing.

He said: "So I came, didn't realise how intense it was going to be, but it was so intense. The challenge was great. I was crying into my script most nights in the apartment, so scared I'm not going to remember the material. But actually, coming out of it, I grew. There was a newfound love for the craft and what I do.

"So it was intense, but really challenging and beautiful at the end of it for me."

Who is the girl singing at the end of Episode Two?

At the end of Episode Two, Stephen Graham's character Eddie Miller goes to place flowers down at Katie's memorial, whilst a powerful track featuring a school choir plays.

Stephen Graham has now confirmed the girl singing the song is in fact the young actor who plays the victim in the series, Katie Leonard.

Where was it filmed?

The majority of the show's filming took place in South Kirkby, Yorkshire, with the school scenes being filmed in Sheffield. A number of the street scenes were filmed in and around London.

Did Brad Pitt produce Adolescence?

Brad Pitt is listed as an executive producer as his production company, Plan B Entertainment, were part of making of the series.

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Adolescence is available to watch on Netflix now.

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