Stephen Graham’s powerful drama Adolescence has performed so well for Netflix that it’s beaten Stranger Things’ streaming record

LovabledanielsJune 5, 202565 Views

Adolescence has officially become Netflix’s second-biggest English language TV series
The number one slot is still taken by Wednesday, which returns for season 2 this year
This news comes after Adolescence won Breakthrough Limited Series at the Gotham TV awards

Netflix’s limited series Adolescence has become the second-biggest English-language TV series in the streaming giant’s history.

It’s performed so well that it’s beaten Stranger Things season 4, one of our best Netflix shows. It’ll be interesting to see if those placings change after the release of the highly anticipated Stranger Things season 5, which is the final installment and is set to be released in three parts.

Despite Adolescence’s success, the number one slot is still held by Wednesday, which will return for season 2 in August. Meanwhile, the highest-ranked non-English-language show is the first season of Squid Game, which returns for season 3 in June.

What have audiences and critics said about Adolescence?

Stephen Graham delivers a powerful performance in Adolescence (Image credit: Netflix)

Adolescence was developed by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, and tells the story of a teenage schoolboy who’s charged with murdering a fellow pupil, and the devastating toll the case takes on his family. The series has become a sensation, receiving a 99% Rotten Tomatoes critics score.

Recently, the limited series enjoyed success at the Gotham TV awards, where it won Breakthrough Limited Series and two acting awards for leading stars Stephen Graham and 15-year-old Owen Cooper.

A second season has been discussed, but nothing has been confirmed yet. When asked about the possibility, Graham told Variety: “Possibly, let’s see how the figures are. But yeah, there’s the possibility of developing another story.”

The series received widespread acclaim, with TechRadar’s John-Anthony Disotto hailing it as “the TV show of the year”. He praised the acting and the camera work in particular, saying, “It’s an incredibly impressive filming technique that highlights the outstanding acting from the ensemble cast as well as inducing anxiety due to the sheer pace of the show.”