“This is amazing. My daughter starts secondary school In September and I fear for her experience but this is such a huge step to educate the kids.”
“This is amazing. My daughter starts secondary school In September and I fear for her experience but this is such a huge step to educate the kids.”
Stephen Graham and his wife Hannah Walters have thanked fans as Netflix announced Adolescence will be made available in all secondary schools in the UK. The couple founded Matriarch Productions which produced the Netflix show. Adolescence has been a hit with fans worldwide.
The four-part drama landed on the streaming platform earlier this month and has become a real talking point due to its strong social commentary on knife crime in the UK. Its hard-hitting theme has stopped viewers in their tracks, reflecting upon society and some young people’s behaviour.
Adolescence has topped Netflix’s English TV series list last week with 42 million views. The show made British TV history, becoming the first streaming show ever to become the most-watched programme of the week.
Stephen Graham stars as Eddie Miller, a dad whose life is turned upside down when his son, Jamie, is accused of murder. Each episode is filmed in one continuous shot, exploring the aftermath of the tragic incident, following the family as they deal with the emotional turmoil.
The 51-year-old from Kirkby co-wrote the show and said he was inspired by real life tragic events. Adolescence is not a true story, but the plot is based on a harsh reality in the UK.
Rather than a ‘whodunnnit’ style series, the producers aimed to call for action following the rise of knife crime in recent years. Speaking about the show, Stephen told Netflix: “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? And the pressures that come from all of those things are as difficult for kids here as they are the world over.”
Opening up about the reason for the storyline, Stephen added: “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, 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.”
Adolescence has started a conversation about the behaviour of young children. As a result, Netflix has announced: “From today we are making Adolescence available to all secondary schools across the UK through Into Film+. Additionally, healthy relationships charity Tender will produce guides and resources for teachers, parents and carers to help navigate conversations around the series.”
Stephen and Hannah re-shared the announcement on Instagram and the couple wrote: “Thank you to every single person who has been involved in the production of Adolescence. We have been truly overwhelmed and moved by the profound impact it has had on so many.
“And now this impact has helped to make sure that conversations are had, voices are heard, heads and hearts are guided in a healthy and happy way, what an incredible moment this is. Gratitude and love to all. Hannah & Stephen x”
Fans took to the comments after hearing the news. One wrote: “This is amazing. My daughter starts secondary school In September and I fear for her experience but this is such a huge step to educate the kids.”
More added to the conversation on Instagram: “Brilliant news! I hope it has a great impact, it was filmed and written with such thought provoking brilliance!”, “Unbelievable! Very proud of you guys” and “Your work has influenced a generation of families……..many congratulations…….”
The ECHO spoke to an actor who worked with Stephen Graham on the Adolescence set last summer. Connor Calland portrayed PC Jenkins in the series. Describing the Scouse star, he summed Stephen up as “down to earth”.
Connor said: “The reception of the show has been wild.” The 28-year-old actor added: “It’s quite overwhelming how far and wide it’s gone really, it’s blown up and I’m very proud.”
He reflected on his time working alongside Stephen: “He was really lovely and really generous, but he’s a very intense actor. He knows exactly how he wants to run the scenes but he’s really flexible for wanting to play around with it. He comes in with a really clear idea which is good. It’s nice to have somebody come in with a clear vision.”
