Adolescence has officially become Netflix's biggest-ever UK drama.
The four-part series from Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne was released on the streamer last month, and it tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who is accused of murdering a girl at his school.
After becoming the first streaming show to top the UK's weekly TV ratings, Netflix has confirmed that Adolescence is officially its most-watched UK title ever.
The series has now amassed over 114 million views and jumped to number four on Netflix's most-popular English-language shows of all time, beating all seasons of Bridgerton, fellow limited series The Queen's Gambit, season one of The Night Agent, Harlan Coben's hit thriller Fool Me Once, and the first season of Stranger Things.
Adolescence is also a critical hit, boasting a near-perfect score of 99% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Related: Best streaming services
What to Read Next
"Stylistically bold and beautifully acted from top to bottom, Adolescence is a masterclass in televisual storytelling and a searing viewing experience that scars," the site's critical consensus reads.
Each episode of Adolescence was filmed in a single shot, and Thorne told Digital Spy that this really allowed for the show's complexity.
"The one take forces you to be partial," he said of the creative process. "What you can't do is tell the whole story – you can only tell bits of the story.
"You can only look one way for an hour, and then you have to stop looking. And that thing of the unblinking eye forces you into complexity and hopefully forces the audience into complexity."
Related: If you loved Netflix's Adolescence, here are 6 other shows you should definitely watch now
Meanwhile, it was recently announced that the production company behind Adolescence is rebooting the "devastating" 1980s BBC drama Threads.
First released on BBC Two in 1984, the documentary-style film follows the events of a fictional nuclear apocalypse.
Warp Films is now adapting the film into a series, which the company's founder and CEO, Mark Herbert, said will offer a modern take on the story.
"This story aligns perfectly with our ethos of telling powerful, grounded narratives that deeply connect with audiences," he said. "Reimagining this classic film as a TV drama gives us a unique opportunity to explore its modern relevance."
Adolescence is available now on Netflix.
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
