As parents in the digital age, many of us worry about the online influences affecting our children. Adolescence explores these concerns, highlighting the challenges of raising teenagers in a world where they're constantly exposed to content, peer pressure, and social dynamics we may not fully understand or see. The show offers a compelling reflection of the anxieties many parents feel about protecting their children while allowing them the independence to grow.
More than just a ‘whodunnit’, Adolescence is a ‘whydunnit’—challenging audiences to consider the influences, decisions, and circumstances that led to one tragic moment. Over the course of four gripping episodes, viewers will be taken on an intense, thought-provoking journey that may spark important conversations about digital safety, teen mental health, and family communication.
When does Adolescence come out?
All four episodes of Adolescence launched on March 13th. Find out more here.
Mumsnet users will be able to join our watch thread, which will include a Q&A with Adolescence Executive Producer, Hannah Walters, as well as Christine Tremarco who plays Manda Miller, Jamie’s mum in the show. Keep your eyes peeled for when the thread is launched.
Mumsnet questions to Executive Producer, Hannah Walters
We put some of your questions to Executive Producer Hannah Walters, who shared powerful insights on the emotional impact of the show, supporting young talent, and the importance of communication between parents and teens.
newdad2023: Did it affect you at all to tackle such a dark subject matter?
As Executive Producer on the show – and more importantly, as a mum of two – the themes affected me quite profoundly. My own children are now young adults, 18 and 20, but navigating the teenage years as a parent is a constant learning process. With the added layer of social media increasingly saturating young people’s minds in ways we as adults aren’t always aware of, it’s petrifying.
sanpellegrinocinnamonbun: The subject matter is obviously very dark and complex for such a young actor – was there support in place to make sure he was ok while dealing with such difficult themes? And how was Jamie cast in the first place?
Jo Johnson, our incredible Series Producer, and I made sure that Owen and the other young actors had not only the pastoral care they needed, with parents and chaperones always on site, but we also brought in a child psychologist very early on – even at the beginning of the casting process. That support continued throughout rehearsals, filming, and post-production.
Our brilliant Casting Director, Shaheen Baig, held open castings from the Midlands to Leeds – we received over 500 tapes for the role of Jamie. We narrowed it down to a final five who were then invited to workshops to read with other actors. Owen had exactly what we were looking for. He’s incredibly talented, but also just a lovely young man we all instantly connected with. The other four actors who didn’t land the role were offered other parts in the show – that’s not something that usually happens, so we felt really lucky to be able to give them that opportunity and boost their confidence and skills for future roles.
NewMagicWand: I was interested in how many failed rushes there were before getting this perfect in one go – the filming must have been absolutely hectic.
Most of the takes ran the full hour, though we did have a few technical hitches that made some unusable – we still carried on until ‘cut’ was called. There were a few false starts too. One day it was simply too windy to get the drone up for the end of Episode 2, so we were literally coming up with alternative endings for the story and camera shots while having breakfast!
Charliechoco: In your opinion, what is the biggest threat facing young children in today’s social landscape, and how can parents help protect them?
The biggest threat is the constant stream of outside, negative and poisonous opinions being filtered through to our young people’s minds – and we have no control over it. At times, our children are being parented and guided by what they see on social media. We need to metaphorically and physically open the doors to our children’s bedrooms, have conversations, connect and keep connecting, and make sure they know they have a safe space to talk – even if those conversations feel uncomfortable.