Adolescence season 1: Release date, plot, and everything we know so far

Adolescence season 1 is a British crime drama series slated to drop on March 13, 2025, on Netflix. The talented filmmaker Philip Barantini directed the series from a script co-written by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, both of whom co-created the show.

The four-part miniseries is produced by Jo Johnson, Leo Martin and executive produced by Emily Feller, Brad Pitt, Nina Wolarsky, and Mark Herbert, among others.

The official logline of Adolescence season 1, as per Netflix, reads:

"When a 13-year-old is accused of the murder of a classmate, his family, therapist, and the detective in charge are all left asking: what really happened?"

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When to watch Adolescence season 1?

A still of Erin Doherty and Owen Cooper from Adolescence season 1 (Image via Instagram/@stephengraham1973)

Netflix released the official trailer for Adolescence season 1 on February 24, 2025. The gripping drama series spans four hour-long episodes, which will drop together on Thursday, March 13, 2025, on the streaming platform.

Moreover, each episode of the series is filmed in a single, continuous shot, without any breaks or cuts. Speaking of his decision to film one-take episodes, Barantini told the Radio Times on March 3, 2025, that it helps "draw the audience in" and hold their attention.

"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. It’s like going to a play. If you go to a play, you can’t be on your phone, yeah? And so you’ve got to pay attention to everything," he said.

Furthermore, Barantini has previously worked with the show's lead star Stephen Graham on the BAFTA-nominated film Boiling Point released in January 2022, which was also filmed in a single shot. The film's immense success led to a sequel series of the same name that was released in October 2023.

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What is the story of Adolescence season 1?

The limited series tells the harrowing story of the Miller family whose life gets upended after their 13-year-old son Jamie (Owen Cooper) stabs his classmate Katie Leonard to death. He reportedly stabs her seven times in the school's car park.

The DI Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) leads the arrest and investigation into the young boy's motives. He and DS Misha Frank (Faye Marsay) visit his school and uncover a concerning trend among young boys that make them more susceptible to violent outbursts. During the investigation, Jamie also meets up with the social worker Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty) to shed light on his inner turmoil.

As his father Eddie (Stephen Graham) tries to understand what drove his son to commit murder, he must also help his wife Manda (Christine Tremarco) and daughter Lisa (Amelie Pease) come to terms with their new reality.

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Who stars in Adolescence season 1?

Stephen Graham and Christine Tremarco as seen in Adolescence season 1 (Image via Instagram/@stephengraham1973)

The show's cast list is as follows:

• Stephen Graham as Eddie Miller
• Ashley Walters as DI Luke Bascombe
• Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller
• Faye Marsay as DS Misha Frank
• Christine Tremarco as Manda Miller
• Austin Haynes as Fredo
• Amelie Pease as Lisa Miller
• Noah Mason as a backpack kid
• Mark Stanley as Paul Barlow
• Erin Doherty as Briony Ariston
• Jo Hartley as Mrs. Fenumore
• Jon Furlong as Derek
• Connor Calland as PC Jenkins
• Claudius Peters as Frank
• Elodie Grace Walker as Georgie
• Mark Wilkinson as Neighbour (uncredited)
• Samuel W Hodgson as Customer (uncredited)

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