Netflix has become the home of some incredibly popular shows over the years that it’s been producing original content, and one of its shortest has also become its best in the modern streaming era. Utilizing the miniseries format has been a game-changer for Netflix, as well as the other streaming platforms on the market. Producing content that’s shorter, higher quality, and often allows for a more expansive story to be told in a confined number of episodes, and usually brings about big-budget talent that can jump into and out of the show without having to spend years on a project.
Although there have been many limited series on Netflix’s roster in recent years, one has stood out among the rest. Released in early 2025, Adolescence has been a huge hit for the streamer, pulling in critical acclaim and a surge of viewership. Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, the series spans just four episodes, the series explores 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is arrested on suspicion of the murder of his classmate, Katie Leonard. As the show digs through Jamie’s psyche, the series works to show every angle of why certain behaviors come to life, exploring tough subjects.
The series quickly became one of the streaming platform’s most popular shows, proving that a miniseries format with a gripping story can be more powerful than a long-running series with thoughtful planning. Adolescence makes it clear that creating a shorter story with an impactful core is always a winning formula.
Netflix’s Adolescence Is A Prime Example Of The Miniseries Format Done Right
Although Adolescence is only a four-episode miniseries, it’s one of the most incredibly crafted stories of the modern streaming era. By taking a story that feels so deeply intimate and inherently difficult to tell, Adolescence moved through its narrative in a breathless manner, holding every moment of intentional tension until it had to be let out. Twisting and turning the story in ways that didn’t necessarily feel natural, the intimate story worked with its constraints and created a sense of suspense that helped ensure the story always felt tightly wound. With just four episodes to spare, Adolescence is a masterclass.
As miniseries have become more prevalent, many of them have received extended episode counts, some going up to 10 or more episodes in order to achieve their storytelling goals. While keeping a story moving across the course of a season is important, the miniseries format isn’t always amenable to a larger episode count, as the stories can feel like they’re stretched too thin. Adolescence is a prime example of how less is more within a limited series scope, and how the format can be an advantage for stories that need to feel cramped, intense, or consistently suspenseful throughout their run.
Adolescence Can Continue, But Only On One Condition
Although some viewers may be interested in more Adolescence in the future, the miniseries should really only continue under one condition, if at all. The point of a miniseries is often for the story to stand alone, and viewers may be interested in more from the story, but what they want isn’t always what they need. Adolescence has become a series that people are so enamored by that it makes sense that some viewers are interested in seeing more from the show, but the only way that the limited series should expand is if an entirely new story is told.
Adolescence is such an encapsulated story with specific beats, which is what makes it so unique. That specificity, however, doesn’t make much sense to continue with how the show comes to a close. While Jamie’s story is an interesting one, it feels finished by the end of Adolescence, which means another narrative would have to come to play out in a second season. Though there’s the possibility that Adolescence season 2 could come to pass, it would only work if the series is able to tell a different story as it moves forward.
- Release Date
-
March 13, 2025
- Network
-
Netflix
- Directors
-
Philip Barantini
