Netflix's Adolescence inspired by three tragic real-life murder cases
The harrowing Netflix drama Adolescence was inspired by a series of brutal real-life murders, its star Stephen Graham has revealed.
Stephen Graham has shared the poignant real-life events that influenced his Netflix series 'Adolescence'.
The actor, who co-wrote the drama with Jack Thorne, drew from three harrowing incidents he encountered through television and newspaper reports.
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Speaking about the catalysts for the show, Graham recounted to Radio Times: "There was an incident in Liverpool, a young girl, and she was stabbed to death by a young boy. I just thought, why? Then there was another young girl in south London who was stabbed to death at a bus stop.
"And there was this thing up North, where that young girl Brianna Ghey was lured into the park by two teenagers, and they stabbed her. I just thought, what's going on? What is this that's happening?".
While Graham specifically mentions the murder of Brianna Ghey in 2023, he does not specify the other two cases.
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However, they may relate to the tragic killing of 12 year old Ava White in Liverpool by a 15-year-old after a dispute over a social media video in 2021, and the death of 15 year old Elianne Andam, who was attacked at a Croydon bus stop by a 17-year-old in September 2023, reports the Mirror.
At a BAFTA screening, Graham further expressed how these news stories deeply affected him, saying in a separate interview: "I'd read an article in the paper about a young boy stabbing a young girl, and it made me feel a bit cold.
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"Then, about three or four months later there was a piece on the news and it was a young boy, again, who had stabbed a young girl – and they are young boys. They're not men. And it was the complete opposite end of the country."
Discussing how the Channel 4 documentary series '24 Hours in Police Custody' influenced the first episode, Graham revealed his thought process behind the series. Upon hearing certain news reports, he felt an urge to investigate.
Graham commented: "It shocked me. I was thinking, 'What's going on? What's happening in society where a boy stabs a girl to death? What's the inciting incident here?' And then it happened again, and it happened again, and it happened again.
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"I really just wanted to shine a light on it, and ask, 'Why is this happening today? What's going on? How have we come to this?'"
The gripping four-part drama, presented in one continuous shot, premiered on Netflix on Thursday 13 March and features Graham as Eddie Miller, a father, alongside Owen Cooper playing his 13-year-old son, Jamie.
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The narrative delves into the troubling emergence of 'incel' culture, characterised by individuals who can't find a romantic or sexual partner and consequently hold women and girls responsible.
Reflecting on the broader implications, Graham told Sky News, "You look at it and you see that we're kind of all accountable to an extent. There's failings within the school system, there's situations where the education system can look at this, look at what's happened with that kind of rise in these misogynistic tendencies.".
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