Warning: Spoilers ahead for “Adolescence.”
The creators of “Adolescence,” Netflix’s latest hit series, don’t seem keen on developing a second season of the show.
The four-episode miniseries follows a working-class family, the Millers, whose lives are thrown into chaos after their son is arrested for the murder of a girl from his school.
By the season finale, the son, Jamie (Owen Cooper), has admitted to the murder and is awaiting trial, while his family is trying to adapt to their new life in the early stages of grief and shock.
The series does not have a definitive end, and after “Squid Game,” there is a precedent for Netflix to turn a limited series into a recurring one after seeing it become a viral success.
Stephen Graham, the show’s lead star and co-creator, told Variety on Wednesday that there’s “the possibility of developing another story” if the series performs really well on Netflix.
In the same interview, Hannah Walters, Graham’s wife and an executive producer on the show, said a prequel to “Adolescence” won’t happen.
“But there’s so much mileage in the one-shot and so much mileage in investing into human nature again and looking at something else,” she said.
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Jack Thorne, the other co-creator, also said he thinks there won’t be a season two, because Jamie’s story is finished.
“We’d love to explore the one-shot format in another way,” he told the UK show “This Morning.”
“We’d love to tell other stories with it but I don’t think a series two of ‘Adolescence’ is quite right for us,” he added.
Since its premiere two weeks ago, “Adolescence” has topped Netflix’s charts, doubling its number of views in the second week compared to the first.
It’s also created a stir on social media, where fans have praised its innovative filming style — each episode is filmed in one take without any cuts — and the fact that the series addresses real-world problems such as young people being influenced by misogynistic podcasts and videos on social media.
“Adolescence” could also have a real-world impact in the UK, where it was filmed. There are growing calls for it to be shown in UK schools, and last week the prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he backed the idea.
“Adolescence” follows a trend of Netflix UK series that have become international hits.
According to Netflix’s engagement report, four of the top 10 most-watched shows on the platform in the first half of 2024 came from the UK, including “Baby Reindeer,” which was one of the most talked-about shows of the year and won six Emmys.
The first season of “Adolescence” is available to stream on Netflix.
