Stephen Graham had no idea how successful Adolescence would be when he made it. The four-part Netflix series has an incredible 99 per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating, with many praising it as a masterpiece.
The compelling drama tells the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of murder and the disastrous consequences for his life and those around him. Graham, who co-wrote the series, also portrays the role of the boy's father.
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Graham discussed the show's global significance. When Adolescence debuted on Netflix on March 14, Graham anticipated it to make a splash in the United Kingdom.
What he didn't expect was how far the series would travel, particularly to India, a country he hadn't considered in his projections. Within days, the show had risen to the top of Netflix's global most-watched list. The huge response from Indian audiences caught him completely off guard.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, he said, “I got a text from a mate of mine, telling me how big Adolescence is in India,” adding, “And my first response was, ‘Hold on… did you say India?! Did I hear you correctly?’ Apparently, it’s really striking a nerve there.”
Explaining how the show started out as entirely British, he continued, “It was very colloquial. But it’s like we dropped a stone into this pond, and the ripple effect it’s produced has been unbelievable.”
Graham created the show after seeing multiple news articles about teenage boys involved in violent crimes, which made him wonder what was going on in their thoughts and lives.
“I wanted to make one of those social dramas for right now. Because we have a real crisis going on with young men today, and we’ve got to start talking about it right now. It affects all of us. I just wanted to start a conversation about this, a real conversation,” he said.
