Content London’s opening keynote will see Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne share their story behind Adolescence, the most defining drama of recent years, which attracted a global audience of 100 million within its first week on Netflix.
They will discuss the creative, technical, narrative and social impact issues surrounding the landmark show, and share their vision for the future of their approach to storytelling.
Adolescence was created by Thorne and Graham and directed by Philip Barantini. It centres on a 13-year-old schoolboy named Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) who is arrested after the murder of a girl from his school. Each episode of the four-parter was shot in a single take.
The British psychological crime drama premiered on Netflix on March 13 this year, earning critical acclaim for its directing, writing and cinematography, with special attention paid to its atmosphere and performances.
In an interactive session at Content London, the team behind Adolescence will take the lid off the key moments that defined the show’s journey to screen and the challenge of managing the responsibility and aftershock of its impact.

C21 editor-in-chief & managing director David Jenkinson said: “We are delighted that the story of Adolescence, one of the most significant dramas of recent times, will be at the heart of this year’s Content London. From its approach to story through to its production and direction, Adolescence is groundbreaking in so many ways and, at a time when television is under pressure from all sides, is a standard bearer for the very best of what this business can do.”