Netflix’s Adolescence is already breaking records, proving it’s more than just another drama
The Netflix miniseries Adolescence has been a hit with both audiences and critics. It currently ranks #1 on Netflix and holds a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, highlighting its widespread acclaim.
On a more technical level, the show's numbers have been impressive as pointed out by Variety in their March 18, 2025 article. According to their findings, the show hit around 24.3 million views during the first four days of its availability. The achievement catapulted Adolescence to the number-one show on Netflix during the second week of March (March 10-16).
Adolescence is the most-watched show on Netflix right now
As previously mentioned, the viewership of Netflix's Adolescence has been remarkable, particularly in its second week. As pointed out, the series had a record-breaking viewership of over 20 million during the week of March 10 to 16.
It was ranked second only to Electic State which had a viewership of 25.2 million views. For the uninitiated, the movie is a science fiction adventure by the Russo brothers featuring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.
In terms of shows, however, Adolescence was succeeded by Running Point, in the viewership ladder. According to Variety, the sports comedy series had secured close to 6 million views the same week.
Other shows to appear in the top ten in order include: Raw: 2025 - March 10, 2025, Beauty in Black: Season 1, Ms. Rachel: Season 1, Zero Day: Limited Series, Temptation Island: Season 1, American Murder: Gabby Petito: Season 1, Andrew Schulz: LIFE, and Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney: Season 1 - Lending People Money.
What is Netflix's Adolescence about?
Netflix's Adolescence chronicles a 13-year-old boy named Jamie Miller who is taken by the authorities on suspicion of murdering his classmate, Katie Leonard.
The series follows the murder mystery while emphasizing the various prevalent issues in society that lead to an incidence of crimes by men against women. These include aspects such as bullying, isolation, incel culture, and the concept of manosphere.
The official logline of the show highlights the central plot of the limited series and notes:
"When a 13-year-old is accused of the murder of a classmate, his family, therapist and the detective in charge are all left asking: what really happened?"
Having said that, the show's co-creator, writer, and actor Stephen Graham during an interview published on Tudum by Netflix on March 21, 2025, revealed why they chose to take a distinctive approach to telling the show's story.
Disclosing the reason why they wished to show the story from the parent's perspective and did not wish to immediately show them as being someone who could be held responsible for Jamie's actions, he said:
"We could have made a drama about gangs and knife crime, or about a kid whose mother is an alcoholic or whose father is a violent abuser. Instead, we wanted you to look at this family and think, ‘My God. This could be happening to us!’ And what’s happening here is an ordinary family’s worst nightmare.”
All four episodes of Adolescence are available for streaming on Netflix.
