adolescence

Stephen Graham has revealed that a follow-up to Adolescence is in the works following the Emmy Award-winning success of the Netflix hit but cannot say much right now

Stephen Graham has revealed that a follow-up to Adolescence is in the works. The actor, 52, starred in the acclaimed Netflix drama earlier this year, where he played the father of a boy who is arrested for the murder of his classmate, and the series recently scooped up multiple wins at this year’s Emmy Awards in the US.

Stephen picked up Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the ceremony, whilst Owen Cooper, 15, who played teenager Jamie, received the gong for Outstanding Supporting Actor.

Filming for each episode of the drama series was carried out in one continuous take, and Stephen, who is also known for his roles in This Is England and Peaky Blinders, has revealed that another project that would follow the same sort of production method is potentially on the way, but has to be ‘tight-lipped’ about it at the moment.

READ MORE: Real reason Adolescence star Owen Cooper won’t take his Emmy award to schoolREAD MORE: Adolescence’s Stephen Graham leaves fans ‘in tears’ with heartfelt Emmy Awards speech

Stephen said: “Right now we are having talks and discussions about finding another story. I think we have to be tight-lipped at the moment.” He went on to tell the Daily Mail: “And we’re all talking at the moment. The same concept with the idea of doing something in one take.”

The programme examines so-called incel (involuntary celibate) culture, which has led to misogyny online and bullying using social media.

Adolescence has prompted a national conversation around online safety, with Graham and co-creator Jack Thorne accepting an invitation to a parliamentary meeting on the subject by Labour MP Josh MacAlister.

Speaking to Parliament’s Women And Equalities Committee (WEC) during an evidence session, Thorne spoke about being subjected to “personal criticism or even abuse” since it began streaming.

He said: “You know that I’m a bald, skinny, weird-looking man, and some people have made something of the fact that I’m a bald, skinny, weird-looking man, and saying these things and that somehow my masculinity is the reason why I’ve questioned other people’s masculinity.

“Well, if you look at how Stephen Graham looks, he looks more male than anyone else on the planet, I think, and so we’re a combination of things and we work together on it all.

“So, yes, my looks have been put under the microscope a little bit by it all, but I’m absolutely comfortable with those questions being answered, and that’s the thing, when I talk about boys feeling that they need to look a certain way.”

He said the comments about his appearance were a symptom of the issues the show is highlighting. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also praised the show, urging Parliament and schools to watch it, and saying he had watched the show with his own children.

During an edition of Prime Minister’s Questions in March, Sir Keir said: “This violence carried out by young men, influenced by what they see online, is a real problem, it’s abhorrent, and we have to tackle it.”

The show also received plaudits for the way it was filmed in a one-shot format, which sees each of the four episodes filmed in a single shot. Speaking about the show ahead of its release, Cooper, who beat Scott Jacoby’s long-held record for the youngest male Emmy winner, said he got the role after sending in a tape.

Talking about the impact the show had on him in February, Cooper said: “One week before filming, it was my last day in school before I was off for six weeks and at the final assembly my head of year told the whole school something like, ‘Owen is going on a journey and making this show for Netflix…’, and I was like, ‘oh my God’.

“So it went from two or three people knowing to suddenly the whole year knowing about it, and everyone coming up to me and asking about it. It was a bit weird but everyone is fine with it.”

At the Emmys, co-star Erin Doherty, who plays psychologist Briony Ariston, won best supporting actress in a limited series, dedicating the award to her older sister while Graham picked up the award for lead actor in a limited series.

Doherty, 33, also worked with Graham in Disney+’s A Thousand Blows, where she played Mary Carr, the leader of a crime syndicate called the Forty Elephants and she has also played the Princess Royal in The Crown.

Adolescence recently scooped two gongs at this year’s National Television Awards (NTAs), including the new drama award and best drama performance for Cooper.

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Stephen Graham was presented with the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his role in Netflix’s Adolescence.

Stephen Graham couldn’t help but get emotional during his Emmy acceptance speech as he stated “this kind of thing doesn’t happen to a kid like me”.

Adolescence became an instant global success when it was dropped on Netflix earlier this year, telling the story of a teenage boy accused of fatally stabbing another child.

Graham portrayed Eddie, the father of said teenager Jamie Miller, portrayed by 15-year-old Owen Cooper who has become the youngest male actor to win an Emmy.

When the 52-year-old took to the stage himself to claim his award for Outstanding Lead Actor, he touched upon his past before becoming an actor.

Graham shared: “This kind of thing doesn’t happen to a kid like me. I’m just a mixed race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirkby.

“So for me, to be here today, in front of my peers and to be acknowledged by you is the utmost humbling thing I could ever imagine in my life, and it shows you that any dream is possible.”

While Graham was born in Kirby, Lancashire, he has both Jamaican and Swedish heritage on his father’s side.

His biological grandfather was part of the Windrush generation who moved to the UK from Jamaica in the 1960s but died before the actor was born.

Graham previously opened up on experiencing bullying when he was younger, telling Desert Island Discs: “I’m mixed race and that was kind of frowned on in those days.

“There were times growing up when I was slightly unsure where I fitted in. That n-word popped up when I was younger.”

Graham also spoke about how it was his step-father Mike Fazakerley, who he affectionately calls Pops, helped him through this difficult time.

He added: “He [Mike] helped me see who I am and what I am is good enough.

“He helped me find my own way and I got that sense of self in many respects from my mother, finding your own way.”

Adolescence proved to be the overall winners of the night at the Emmy this weekend with the show taking home six awards.

This included accolades for both Graham and Cooper’s performances, as well as for Limited or Anthology series, and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Erin Doherty.

Adolescence is available to watch on Netflix

ADOLESCENCE star Owen Cooper has earned a major honor as the youngest male winner ever at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.

The actor nabbed the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

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This was also the first nomination for the 15-year-old.

Owen tearfully hugged his parents and colleagues before approaching the stage where actress Sydney Sweeney presented him with the gold trophy.

He then delivered a heartfelt speech, acknowledging all those who had worked on the project.

His words touched host Nate Bargatze, who appeared to stop the countdown he’d set during his opening monologue, penalizing those who went over the allotted 45-second acceptance speeches.

The comedian jokingly threatened to take away money from his $100,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club for every second an Emmy winner extended their speech.

Owen, however, didn’t have those same rules, despite it being an ongoing bit throughout the show.

Nate addressed the change in rules afterward, revealing that he hadn’t penalized the teenager, although his speech had exceeded the time limit.

Owen was up against some heavy hitters in the category, including his co-star Ashley Walters, Presumed Innocent’s Bill Camp and Peter Sarsgaard, Javier Bardem in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and Rob Delaney for Dying for Sex.

Before Owen, the youngest actor to win the award was then-23-year-old Michael A. Goorjian, for his portrayal in 1994’s David’s Mother.

Adolescence premiered on Netflix in March 2025 and also stars Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, and Faye Marsay.

The psychological drama had gained recognition not only for its intense storyline but also for its impressive filming.

All four episodes of the series were shot in one continuous take, with no cuts.

Owen played Jaime, a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering his classmate in Northern England.

Ahead of the star-studded awards ceremony, the young star spoke with People about making his acting debut on the project.

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“It’s my first role — it’ll be the best role of my life,” Owen gushed to the outlet.

“It was the best summer of my life to film, and I just can’t wait to be there on the night of the Emmys. I can’t wait.”

The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed in March that the streamer is exploring options to extend the series after its rave reviews.

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Gary Lineker has received his first National Television Award nomination since 2017 in the wake of his exit from Match of the Day.

Lineker left the football show after 26 years at the end of the Premier League season in May. It was also his last appearance for the BBC after the latest in a string of controversies about his social media use led him to announce he would be leaving the corporation.

Lineker has been voted onto the shortlist for best TV presenter – and could pull off a major upset if he breaks Ant and Dec’s 23-year winning streak in that category at the ceremony in September.

Elsewhere, Netflix’s Adolescence is up for three awards – with on-screen father and son Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper going up against each other for the best drama performance award.

The show, which became a runaway hit and national talking point earlier this year, will also be the hot favourite to win best new drama.

Gavin and Stacey’s finale, which attracted more than 20 million viewers at Christmas, is likewise the frontrunner in the comedy category.

Michael McIntyre and Stacey Solomon are nominated for three prizes each – with Solomon’s Sort Your Life Out and Stacey & Joe occupying two spots on the shortlist for best factual entertainment show.

The public will bote for the winners, which will be revealed on 10 September.

The makers behind Netflix’s hit drama “Adolescence,” knew their series about a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a female classmate was something special.

And while creators and executive producers Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne were thrilled after learning that the U.K. drama received 13 Emmy nominations in the limited series category, they were even more gratified that the collective efforts of the cast and crew were being honored.

“There was just something magical that happened with this show, and it was the true definition of an ensemble,” said Graham during a video interview with Thorne. The duo were nominated for writing and producing the drama, and Graham was also nominated as lead actor for his portrayal of the devastated father of the teen suspect.

“My true gratitude is not the fact that we got 13 nominations. It’s the fact that every single person, every single player, every single part of the crew is being acknowledged for what we achieved as a collective,” Graham said. “What we do is not a game of golf. We managed this collective consciousness between us.”

The four-episode series became one of the buzziest dramas of the year, and was highly praised for its approach of filming each installment in a single camera shot.

Thorne said of the hoopla surrounding the series, “I think we got very lucky in capturing a particular time, place and mood. We also got lucky with all the people we worked with.”

Win or lose, plans are already being formed for an Emmy night celebration.

“Stephen just declared that we’re all going to the Emmys in a minibus,” Thorne said. “We’re all going to stand on the red carpet as one. That will be really special.”

The minibus passengers will include Owen Cooper, who played the young suspect, and Erin Doherty, who played a psychologist. The two, who were both nominated in supporting actor categories, starred in the drama’s third episode where their characters engaged in a tense battle of wills.

Cooper and Doherty discussed the show and their nominations in a separate video interview.

Congratulations on your nominations and amazing performances. Where were you when you got the news?

Cooper: I was in my living room and I put on the TV. Then I found it we got 13 nominations. It’s just crazy.

Doherty: To be fair, I avoided it. So I was waiting for my phone to ring. My agent told me, “I’ll ring you either way.” Then she started phoning me and I thought, “Oh, what, is this going to me?” And all those nominations came in. I’m so over the moon for the show.

Owen, you’re making history as the youngest Primetime Emmy nominee in a limited series .

Cooper: I heard about that the other day. It’s hard to even think about that stuff, to be honest. It’s crazy. I don’t even know how to put that into words, really.

Did both of you know at the time you were doing the third episode that you were creating something really special?

Cooper: Yes. We knew it would hit many homes, and that it would create conversations. We didn’t know it would get 13 nominations. That’s just the cherry on top. The success of the show has been mind-blowing.

Doherty: We knew everyone who was participating on and off the screen wanted to be a part of this, having the courage to address this subject matter. We knew the importance of the story. You never know if something like this is going to hit the way that this has.

Owen, what impressed you the most about Erin’s performance?

Cooper: The fact that she could just think of things to say off the spot. I would put attitude into the line and she would put even more attitude into it.

And Erin?

Doherty: I would say the exact same thing. Like he would start yawning and start throwing around different things. It felt like the most exciting game of tennis that I’ve been a part of. You don’t get that every day with actors who have been doing this for 40 years. Owen has the ability and skill and bravery. For him to throw himself into this environment, which is nerve-wracking, overwhelming and over-stimulating. To have the ability to stay centered and be present with each other is really rare. I’m so, so proud of him and that I got to be there for his first go, because he’s going to be doing this for years and years and years.

I know it’s early, but any thoughts on how you’ll feel on Emmy night?

Cooper: I don’t think I’ll be nervous. I don’t care if I win. I’ll just get there, eat nice food, meet a lot of people. And I’ll be in L.A. where the weather is nice. I’m not bothered by the result at the end of the day.

Doherty: We’ve won. The show got 13 nominations. We’re all going to be there. It’s just going to be the best night ever. We’re going to treat it like a big party.

Unforgivable is a new drama from Time writer Jimmy McGovern and has a stellar cast including Anna Friel and Line of Duty’s Anna Maxwell Martin

The BBC has unveiled the release date for a chilling new drama featuring a young actor from Adolescence and a star from Line of Duty.

Unforgivable is a gripping original drama penned by Time’s scriptwriter Jimmy McGovern, and much like the Sean Bean and Stephen Graham led series Time, it’s set within and revolves around the UK prison system.

The plot centres on the fictional Mitchell family, who are left grappling with the devastating aftermath of an act of abuse committed by one of their own.

After serving two years of his prison sentence, Joe (portrayed by Bobby Schofield) finds himself in an institution that provides him with a home and rehabilitation post-release.

He embarks on therapy sessions in an attempt to comprehend what drove him to commit such a horrific crime, and to confront the repercussions of his actions, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The recently released trailer by the BBC depicts Joe adjusting to life after prison, while his family continue to question the reasons behind his abusive behaviour.

His sister Anne (played by Emmy-award winner Anna Friel) is coping with the impact his crime has had on her family, including her sons Tom (Adolescence actor Austin Haynes) and Peter (Fin McParland), whilst her father Brian (David Threlfall) is livid at the idea of her having been in contact with Joe.

Meanwhile, Line of Duty actress Anna Maxwell Martin portrays a former nun who provides Joe with therapy at the institution as part of his rehabilitation.

The upcoming drama Unforgivable has created quite a buzz with the BBC hinting that it’s all about the widespread impact of abuse and the struggle to move beyond its devastation.

“The drama examines the extensive ripple effect of abuse from multiple perspectives and how those involved can try to move forwards in the midst of the devastation,” the corporation teased ahead of the show’s anticipated release.

It has now been confirmed that Unforgivable will debut in full on BBC iPlayer at 6am on Thursday 24th July, with the episode airing later that day on BBC Two.

Reacting to the newly-published trailer, as it was shared by Marcella actress Anna on Instagram, one fan wrote: “Can’t wait – looks so good.”

Another posted: “Ohhhhhhhh wow – I feel a binge watch coming up!!!!!!”

“Gonna be seated to watch this religiously. Congrats on your new project,” a third said.

“It’s McGovern so looks so gripping already, thanks for sharing,” someone else wrote.

Set against the backdrop of Liverpool, where it was filmed, the cast is further bolstered with Mark Womack, Paddy Rowan, and Phina Oruche taking up pivotal supporting roles.

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, previously shared an insight into what viewers can expect from the drama, saying: “Jimmy McGovern is one of our greatest dramatists, and a master at writing about today’s world.

“His new film sensitively examines the pain of abuse and how it affects not only the victim but ripples out across the whole family. To see it brought to the screen with such a high calibre cast and creative team is further testament to the quality of Jimmy’s writing.”

Writer Jimmy McGovern also said: “I can’t believe the cast and crew that have been assembled for this production. It’s a challenging film, yes, but I can’t wait for it to be shown.”

Colin McKeown, executive producer for LA Productions added: “This is a profoundly challenging and sensitive subject, tackled with intelligence and care by Jimmy McGovern. It’s a privilege to be working with him again following the success of our previous collaborations on single dramas: Common, Care, Reg and Anthony.”

Unforgivable will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer at 6am on Thursday 24th July, and air on BBC Two at 9pm that evening.

“Adolescence” co-creator Stephen Graham isn’t exactly shy when it comes to praising Owen Cooper, the young actor at the center of his hit Netflix limited series.

“This may be a big thing to say, but I haven’t seen a performance [of this caliber] from someone so young since Leo [DiCaprio] in ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,’” Graham tells me via Zoom. “And I say that because I love Leo and he’s a good friend. And that’s a performance beyond someone his age. It’s the same when I watch Owen.”

Not content to leave it at that, Graham later points out that he recently related a story on Graham Norton’s BBC talk show about the time he told Cooper’s mom that her son was the “next Robert De Niro.” Cooper happened to be on the show too, taking it all in, smiling shyly. And wouldn’t you know it, De Niro was there as well, sitting next to Cooper on the couch, giving him a tender pat on the knee.

So, DiCaprio, De Niro … Do you want to drop a Brando comparison to complete the trifecta? I ask.

“I can’t find enough superlatives to describe the boy,” says Graham, who also co-wrote the show and stars as his father.

Honestly, I can’t either. Apart from Noah Wyle’s heroic, beleaguered doctor in “The Pitt,” you could make the case that Cooper’s turn as Jamie, a 13-year-old accused of murdering a classmate, is the year’s best work on television. The show’s third episode, a two-hander where Jamie is interviewed and evaluated by a psychologist (Erin Doherty) at a juvenile detention facility, is an astonishing showcase, particularly when you consider that it, like all four of the series’ episodes, is shot as a continuous scene.

It also bears mentioning that “Adolescence” marks Cooper’s professional debut as an actor. He is now 15.

Cooper with Stephen Graham in “Adolescence.”

(Netflix)

It’s an extraordinary story, though you have to wonder if some Emmy voters will see it that way. The Emmys have not embraced child actors over the years, with only four teenagers winning trophies: Roxana Zal, 14 when she won for her supporting role in the 1984 TV movie “Something About Amelia”; Kristy McNichol, 15 and 17 at the time of her two supporting drama actress wins for the 1970s series “Family”; Scott Jacoby, 16, for the 1972 TV movie “That Certain Summer”; and Anthony Murphy for the 1971 British limited series “Tom Brown’s Schooldays.”

Murphy was 17 when he won and, like Cooper, had never acted professionally. And after “Tom Brown’s Schooldays,” he never acted again, pursuing painting instead and enjoying a long career in that medium.

Perhaps that explains Emmy voters’ reluctance to go all in and reward young actors. Are they in it for the long haul? Or are they going to do something crazy like go off to college and chase a more stable career, like … just about any other line of work?

With Cooper, such concerns appear to be unfounded. Since “Adolescence,” he has made a BBC comedy, “Film Club,” starring Aimee Lou Wood, and just finished playing young Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.”

Fennell obviously saw the tortured antihero that everyone else did in “Adolescence.”

Easy to see that now. But finding the next De Niro from a pool of 500 to 600 young actors, most of them unknowns, almost all of them around Jamie’s age, was a taller order. Graham says the casting team had considered looking for an older boy, given the demands of the role and the show’s unsettling subject matter.

“But that age is unique,” Graham says. “It’s that breaking point. Your body is changing. Your voice is changing. We needed that authenticity.”

That’s all well and good. But what was it like for Doherty, a veteran actor with many credits — including Princess Anne in “The Crown” — to take on a single-shot, 52-minute episode requiring her to parry and push and prod a young actor on his first job?

Cooper with Erin Doherty in “Adolescence.”

(Netflix)

“It was definitely the cause of most of my nerves before I met Owen,” Doherty tells me. “I was so unflinchingly aware that it is a huge ask, even for an actor who has been doing it for 40 years.”

Then she met him on the first day of rehearsal, and Doherty, who says she is obsessed with the elements, saw that Cooper was a “very earthy human being.” Grounded. Present. Real.

They rehearsed for two weeks and then spent a week shooting the episode, Monday through Friday, two takes a day. They used the last take. Probably because they felt confident they had already nailed it, Doherty says that last time through was like they were “doing it for free.”

“There was more of a playful dynamic between the two of us,” Doherty says. “We were poking each other in ways we hadn’t done before.”

As Doherty’s psychologist nudges Jamie to recognize truths about himself that he doesn’t want to acknowledge and admit that he holds certain toxic beliefs, you see Cooper shift Jamie from guarded innocence to explosive rage and then to surrendering desperation. There are a lot of showy moments, but one of the best comes shortly after the two characters meet when Jamie lets out a yawn. “Am I boring you?” she asks. Look at that self-satisfied smile on his face.

“That was the only time he did that,” Doherty says. “And Owen was probably genuinely tired. But also, I’m thinking, ‘This kid Jamie is really trying to push my buttons.’ We were really playing a cat-and-mouse game.”

With young actors, there’s sometimes the perception that the director is guiding them — which, of course, is the director’s job with any actor. But in that moment, you see Cooper using an accident and turning it into something malevolent.

“Owen has an unspoken magic,” Doherty says. “That’s nothing to do with his age. He has something that can’t be taught, and it’s always going to be with him.”