Loved 'Adolescence'? Here's 9 Great Shows Like It To Watch Next (Including 5 With Stephen Graham)
Stack up your to-watch list here.
There's a lot of reasons why Adolescence became such a huge hit - the way it tapped into issues around toxic masculinity and difficult families, the incredible acting by the likes of Erin Doherty and the clever one-shot method it employed in each episode and captured all our imaginations. That said, is it also just the case that it was really great television? The kind of television that's so good, it doesn't allow you to double screen? Ok, maybe you still do a bit - but if you do double screen, you'd probably have to pause the show while you quickly checked the cast and crew to find out where you'd seen them before.
The chances are that if you've landed on this article, you've seen Adolescence. But just in case, Adolescence tells the story of Jamie Miller, who is arrested at 13 years old for the murder of a school mate. Over four tightly-filmed episodes we see the repercussions of that incident (and the interrogation from all concerned about why it happened) on the school, the detectives and, of course, his family - led by Stephen Graham, who plays Jamie's dad and also co-created the series.
Graham has been a British institution for years - a mention of him on the cast list is often a co-sign for a great drama (if not possibly, usually, something that'll have you thinking... a lot). His co-creator Jack Thorn has also been around for a long time creating great shows - so there's a great back catalogue to explore there too.
So, with Graham's incredible performance and the way the show has gripped the nation, it's understandable that you may now be looking for something like Adolescence, or starring Graham and the cast, to watch next. Well, if you want to save yourself hours scrolling through platforms, here's our top choices for shows you'll love if you loved Adolescence.
The best shows to watch next if you loved Adolescence
'The Virtues' - Channel 4
A mini-series starring Graham and co-writen by Adolscence's Jack Thorne and the incredible Shane Meadows, The Virtues is a really tough watch.
Available to stream on Channel 4, the story surrounds Joseph (played by Graham) spiralling after his son moves to Australia with his ex-wife. When he returns to Ireland and meets with his estranged sister, her begins to unpick the history he'd repressed and a horrific incident from his childhood he now has to face.
'The Walk In' - ITV Player and Netflix
Riding on the success of 'Adolescence', The Walk-In is now also hitting the top of the Netflix charts. The Stephen Graham-fronted show is an ITV production from 2022, so you can watch it there or on Netflix after they bought the series. Based on a true story, it follows Matthew Collins, played by Graham - a reformed neo-Nazi who then tried to infiltrate a UK far-right group.
'Boiling Point' - Channel 4 and BBC iPlayer
Another collaboration between Graham and the director of Adolscence Philip Barantini, Boiling Point was first a film (available on Channel 4) and then a follow-up four-part series (available on iPlayer). As we've come to expect from Graham, it's a tense one, which follows the knife-edge inner workings of a busy restaurant kitchen.
'Help' - Channel 4
Thorne, Graham - and this time, Jodie Comer. This TV film, available on Channel 4 is (you guessed it...) a tough watch, telling the story of what happens when COVID 19 hits a care home.
'Kiri' - Channel 4
One of Thorne's most-lauded dramas, again looking at the societal impacts of things we see in the headlines - and rarely take the time to interrogate. Starring another of UK's TV's absolute greats, Sarah Lancashire takes the lead in Kiri (available on Channel 4) as a social worker overseeing the case of a young black girl being adopted by a white family.
'Time' - BBC iPlayer
Time sees Stephen Graham team up with another of the UK's best writers in Jimmy McGovern and also stars Sean Bean. The pair appear in the first series of the show (available on BBC iPlayer), which is an anthology series, set in a British prison.
'Toxic Town' - Netflix
Another Thorne-penned mini-series that's won over Netflix viewers worldwide this year, Toxic Town tells the true story of the Corby women who fought for justice when children began to be born with birth defects in range of a former steelworks.
'Mare of Easttown' - NOW TV and Sky Atlantic
There's many themes that cross with Adolescence and Mare of Easttown, the incredible crime drama starring Kate Winslet as the titular Mare, a detective living in the town she grew up in. There's difficult family dynamics, an examination of the effects of grief and loss on every aspect of a parents' life, crime, misogyny, gritty reality and incredible performances in every single road. There's also just the fact it's one of the best TV shows of the last five years, so if you're looking for another prestige show this (airing on NOW and Sky Atlantic) is it.
'Unforgotten' - ITV Player
Unforgotten is often left behind in the conversation around great British TV crime dramas - it can appear from the outside to appear a bit more frothy and lighter, but there's grit here. Each series (available on ITV Player) of the show follows a cold-case crime unit unpicking a decades-old murder and bringing those responsible for justice - and those affected some peace.
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