NetflixWhen, where, and how to watch unflinching new crime drama Adolescence, which stars Stephen Graham, and plays out in real time.
Actor Stephen Graham and director Phil Barantini previously collaborated on Boiling Point, a tense drama that was set in the high-pressure kitchen of an upmarket restaurant and unfolded in one continuous shot. The 2021 film garnered critical acclaim, and received a sequel series on the BBC in 2023.
Now they are taking that same approach to new Netflix series Adolescence, which Graham created and co-wrote with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child scribe Jack Thorne, and Barantini again directs.
Head here for if Adolescence is based on a true story, and Adolescence ending explained. Or scroll down for viewing details, plus what to expect from a show that asks “what would you do if your teenage son was accused of murder?”
When is Adolescence on Netflix?
NetflixAdolescence launches on Netflix on March 13, 2025.
All four episodes drop that day, meaning you’ll be able to binge the series in one sitting. Though the challenging subject matter might make that tough, with Stephen Graham telling Netflix that the show wanted to tackle real-world issues.
“One of our aims was to ask, ‘What is happening to our young men these days, and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet, and from social media?’” Graham explains. “And the pressures that come from all of those things are as difficult for kids here as they are the world over.”
What time will the series drop?
The show will appear on Netflix at 12am PT/3am ET.
You can check other time zones below:
- 5am Brazil
- 8am UK
- 10am Central European Summer Time
- 1:30pm India Standard Time
- 7pm Australia
- 9pm New Zealand
Each of the four episodes that drop that day is a single, continuous, one-hour take, and regarding how they got those shots, director Phil Barantini explains: “Basically, that means we press record on the camera and we don’t press stop until the very end of the hour.
“But it’s much more complicated than it sounds. It takes months of preparation and weeks of rehearsals and an incredible team of people to pull it off at every stage, from the script to the locations to the production design to where exactly the camera is going to be able to shoot and from what angle.”
Who is in Adolescence?
NetflixHere’s the main cast of Adolescence, which is led by newcomer Owen Cooper as the youngster accused of the crime:
- Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller
- Stephen Graham as his father Eddie Miller
- Ashley Walters as Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe
- Erin Doherty as Clinical Psychologist Briony Ariston
- Faye Marsay
- Christine Tremarco
- Mark Stanley
- Jo Hartley
- Amélie Pease
What is the series about?
NetflixAdolescence details what happens in the four hours after a 13-year-old boy called Jamie Miller is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl who goes to his school, with the action following Jamie’s family, the investigating police officers, and a clinical psychologist assigned to his case.
“We could have made a drama about gangs and knife crime, or about a kid whose mother is an alcoholic or whose father is a violent abuser,” says Graham. “Instead, we wanted you to look at this family and think, ‘My God. This could be happening to us!’ And what’s happening here is an ordinary family’s worst nightmare.”
Fore move drama, check out our list of the best thrillers on Netflix, and new shows on Netflix this month. While for more Stephen Graham, here’s our preview of A Thousand Blows, which is now streaming on Disney+.
