The idea for Adolescence came from actor Stephen Graham after he heard about a young schoolgirl being stabbed.
He wanted to do something to tackle knife crime among young people.
Enlisting director Philip Barantini with whom he made the one shot film Boiling Point.
The same technique is used again but this time, the one shot drama is more adventurous. In Boiling Point it was confined to one location. Here the action is set in several places but there are no invisible cuts.
The story begins with an early morning raid at a house led by DI Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters.)
The police arrest 14 year old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper.) The rest of the family are in shock and confusion as the police break down the door.
Jamie is taken down the police station by DI Bascombe. Followed by Jamie's family led by his dad Eddie (Stephen Graham) who sits in the police station interview as the appropriate adult.
Eddie knows it is something serious but his son pleads his innocence. Whatever happened is nothing to do with him.
Jamie's duty solicitor knows that a young girl was stabbed and it is a serious charge that Jamie is facing. He advises Jamie to say 'no comment' to the questioning.
The first episode in outline is a police procedural but becomes much more as the truth emerges as to the events of what occured the night before.
Although the one shot episode is a gimmick. The lighting is too dark for example. It works well here as it gives the fly on the wall feel to the proceedings.
More importantly it allows the actors to shine. For them it might as well be a stage play. One slip up and the episode had to be recorded again from the start or wait for the next complete take later on.
Owen Cooper gives an astonishing performance in his first major role.
