One-take wonder Adolescence is one step closer to becoming a Netflix chart-topper. The British limited series has racked up a total of 141.2 million views since its debut 80 days ago on 14 March, surpassing its previous fourth-place result of 114 million views to outpace Stranger Things 4 as the second most-watched English-language TV show ever on the streamer.
Only Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega (You, 2022’s Scream), stands in its way with 252.1 million views in its first 91 days of debut. Still, the numbers fall shy of the current No.1 across both English and non-English language titles, with Squid Game Season 1 scoring 265.2 million views. Season 2, now at 192 million views and counting, is sandwiched between Wednesday and Adolescence.
Led by first-time actor Owen Cooper, the latter centres on a 13-year-old named Jamie Miller who is arrested after the murder of a girl in his school. It became known for shooting each of its four episodes in one continuous take, and also stars Stephen Graham (Gangs of New York, Peaky Blinders), Ashley Walters (Top Boy, Doctor Who), and Erin Doherty (The Crown, Chloe) as Jamie’s father Eddie, detective inspector Luke Bascombe, and psychologist Briony Ariston, respectively.
While hailed as a limited series, the crime drama may land a second season, with Netflix and Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B Entertainment, in early talks about continuing Jamie’s story. It’s hardly the only name on the list getting a (potential) sequel — as announced during the recent Netflix Tudum event, Stranger Things Season 5 will end things in three parts, scheduled for 26 November, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. As for Wednesday, Season 2 is arriving in two parts: first on 6 August, then on 3 September, after Squid Game Season 3 debuts on 27 June.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
