Is Adolescence based on a true story? Explained

Released on Thursday, March 13, 2025, on Netflix, the crime drama television series Adolescence has been a success among critics. Proof of the same lies in the show's high ratings on various review websites, including Rotten Tomatoes. On the website, the limited series has a perfect rating of 100 percent from the critics.

Some of the adjectives that they have used to describe the show are "heartbreaking", "unnerving", "powerful", and "fantastic". Due to its immense popularity and the fact that it covers a plot that doesn't appear so far from real life, fans are curious if Adolescence is based on a true story.

The show is not based on a real-life story. However, while speaking to Tudum for its March 13, 2025 issue, writer, creator, and actor Stephen Graham revealed that the show's plot was largely inspired by real-life incidents around him.

He disclosed that the rising number of knife crimes around him inspired him to make Adolescence, which chronicles a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a young girl.

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Adolescence is not based on a true story but is inspired by several real-life occurrences

The show's plot is inspired by several real-life crime instances (Image via Tudum/ Netflix)

As said earlier, the plot of Adolescence does not share a direct resemblance to any specific incident. However, it is grounded in reality and draws its inspiration from various incidents occurring around it.

Co-creator and author Stephen Graham affirms the same while discussing with Tudum (March 13, 2025) when he states that the storyline of the show was drawn from the increasing occurrence of knife crimes among young boys, which he was witnessing on the news every other day. He stated:

"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."

He also highlighted why he was motivated to share Adolescence's story with the world and said:

"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?’ ”

Additionally, in a different section of the article, Graham emphasized why he and the others involved in the project did not want to create a series from the miscreant's point of view but from the family's whose child was accused of killing someone. He said:

“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.”

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Who is in the main cast of the show?

The Adolescence cast is headed by Owen Cooper, who stars as Jamie Miller, the main suspect in the murder of a young girl named Katie Leonard. Stephen Graham stars as Eddie Miller, Jamie's father, and Ashley Walters stars as Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe. Bascombe is actively pursuing Jamie's case.

Erin Doherty plays Briony Ariston, a clinical psychologist tasked with overseeing Jamie's case. Christine Tremarco plays Manda Miller, Jamie's mother.

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All episodes of Adolescence are streaming on Netflix.