Here's what's got me talking this week...
It's that time of the week again where I take a look back at the last 7 days to see what has got me talking the most.
From Adolescence to Coronation Street and more, here are my 4 telly talking points of the week...
1
OWEN COOPER'S
remarkable performance in Adolescence
On Thursday, Netflix launched Adolescence, and already the four-part drama co-created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne has got EVERYBODY talking. A devastating, emotional and necessary watch, Adolescene might just be the most important of the year, if not decade.
Starring Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, Erin Doherty and sensational newcomer Owen Cooper, it tells the story of what happens when an ordinary family have their house raided by police and a 13-year-old boy is arrested, accused of murdering a young girl.
And it's Owen's performance as 13-year-old Jamie Miller which truly blew me away. At just 15, 14 when he shot the drama, Owen was able to hold his own opposite a number of our finest actors in what was remarkably, his first ever acting job.
In episode three, when Jamie finds himself opposite clinical psychologist Briony Ariston, played sensationally by Erin Doherty, Owen's ability to find the monster within was astonishing to watch unfold on screen. It was then that we got a deeper understanding as to who Jamie is, as well as what he's been exposed to in school and online and how that's affected him.
What I also found interesting was how a professional like Briony, seems herself shocked at the young boy sat across the room from her, seemingly having never encountered someone like Jamie before.
It's often said that young performers have a tendency to overact. You can often see a young actors simply repeating memorised lines and looking for their next cues, but with Owen, there was absolutely none of that.
I felt the same about Owen's performance in Adolescence as I always feel when I watch Stephen Graham on screen, and that's that he completely embodied the character, delivering an effortless,truthful, layered performance that any actor, let alone one of his age, would be proud of. A performanc that comes across entirely natural and believable.
It might sound cliched to say, but whilst this may be Owen's first acting job, it will udoubtedly be the first of many as acting talent like this doesn't come around very often.
I also wanted to highlight three other young actors, who also delivered outstanding performances in episode two which focused on Jamie's school in the aftermath of Katie's killing and that's Fatima Bojang who played her best friend Jade, Kaine Davies who played Jamie's best friend Ryan and Amari Jayden Bacchus who plays Adam Bascombe, the son of Ashley Walters' character, Detective Inspector Bascombe.
And it goes without saying that each and every one of the cast members of Adolescence delivered astonishing performances throughout this to make it the special piece of television it truly is. Without wishing to give any spoilers as this really is a must watch, a special mention has to go to Stephen Graham for his final moments as Eddie Millier, which I refuse to believe anybody watched with a dry eye.
I love television drama, but rarely does something like Adolescence come along where there's a lot of expectaion on it to be brilliant and it delivers something far better than we could have imagined.
Show it in schools. Show it to those in charge of looking after young children in the UK, because the truth behind the themes of this drama are even more harrowing than the fiction portrayed on screen.
Adolescence is available to watch on Netflix
2
ADOLESCENCE'S
outstanding one-take episodes
On Thursday, Netflix launched Adolescence, and already the four-part drama co-created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne has got EVERYBODY talking. A devastating, emotional and necessary watch, Adolescene might just be the most important of the year, if not decade.
Starring Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, Erin Doherty and sensational newcomer Owen Cooper, it tells the story of what happens when an ordinary family have their house raided by police and a 13-year-old boy is arrested, accused of murdering a young girl.
One thing that sets Adolescence apart from other crime dramas is its technical brilliance. Directed by Philip Barantini, who Stephen Graham previously worked with on Boiling Point, saw each episode filmed in real-time in one continuous shot. And the production team in no way made it easy for themselves.
When you see the complexity of movement in some of those episodes, particularly that drone shot at the end of episode two and the conversation in the van in episode four, you just wonder how they made it happen. The logistics that must have been involved to make it a seamless and almost invisible experience for the viewer.
Shot across five days, Adolescence really is a masterclass in filmmaking and Netflix recently revealed which take was used for which episode. Episode one, was shot on day one and it was the second take which was used. Episodes two, three and four were all shot on day five, with take 13 being used for episode two, take 11 being used for episode three and take 16 being used for episode four.
They also recalled how in preparation for the shoot, segments of the script were rehearsed and a little bit more added each day, starting with five minutes on the first day and then adding further material as they went through, so by the end of the week they would be doing full run-throughs.
What I loved about the use of the single takes in Adolescence was that instead of focusing the viewer's attention on how the show was made and not the story it's telling, it did the opposite. It placed us directly in the action making it impossible to look away, pick up your phone or think about anything other than what was happening.
They also allowed for silence. And so often in television drama, this silence is edited out, when leaving it in makes for far better and more powerful storytelling. Using single takes and following the action in real-time allowed the story to sit in the uncomfortableness of silence. And it was all the better for it.
So whilst a lot will be said about the show's incredible cast, and rightly so, equal credit also needs to be given to the show's production team for really going above and beyond technically to deliver an incredible piece of television that will be studied and talked about for years to come.
Adolescence is available to watch on Netflix
3
TED LASSO
returning for a fourth season
Ever since Ted Lasso came to an end in May 2023, fans have been waiting to see if that was the final ever season, and this week Apple TV+ finally gave us an answer! And it's a good one as Ted Lasso WILL be returning for a fourth season with Jason Sudeikis reprising his award-winning role as the celebrated coach Ted Lasso.
Speaking about the show's return, Jason Sudeikis said "As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to ‘look before we leap. In season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to LEAP BEFORE THEY LOOK, discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be."
Ted Lasso is available to watch on Apple TV+
4
CORONATION STREET'S
trio of new actors
This week, Coronation Street announced three new arrivals set to cause a commotion on the cobbles as they charm their way into Weatherfield in the coming weeks.
James Bailey will be the first to land on our screens on Monday, a role previously played by Nathan Graham and now being played by Jason Callender. Having been living in the US with partner Danny, James comes back to pay his family a visit and check on sister Dee-Dee. He quickly slots back into family life with his easy going, cheeky charm. But away from Weatherfield what has ex footballer James’ life looked like and what is he searching for next?
Not new to the show’s history, but new to the cobbles, Carl Webster will be played by Jonathan Howard who explains "Carl is Kevin and Debbie Webster’s little brother, they have different mums so he’s a bit younger than they are.
He comes into Weatherfield to ostensibly be with his brother because he’s found out he’s got cancer but then we’ll discover Carl’s got some money issues back in Germany where he’s been living."
We’ll first see Carl on April 11th when he’s involved in a heated scrap with Abi over a car park space before either realise she is in fact his brother’s wife.
As sparks fly and temperatures rise between them, can Carl charm his way out of this one and will Kevin and Debbie be pleased to have their little brother hanging around, whatever his motives are?
Theo Silverton, played by James Cartwright, is a new arrival to Coronation Street, working close by as a scaffolder he first gets on the wrong side of both Julie and then George before Todd helps him to patch things up with the locals. There’s an instant attraction from Todd but with Theo playing his cards close to his chest, has Todd finally found his Mr Right?
Aside from the smiles, what really lies beneath the charming exterior of these three men and what secrets do they carry?
Coronation Street continues Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 with first look episodes available from 7am on ITVX
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