A TV boss in the UK has hit out at Netflix, accusing the streamer of being a "TV tourist", following the surprise success of Newcastle-set drama series Adolescence.
As reported by Deadline, Channel 4 news boss Louisa Compton described the broadcaster as "proud parents" of the Stephen Graham-led series during the opening debate at the Edinburgh TV Festival. The reasoning? Well, the network has championed co-creators Graham and Jack Thorne over the years, collaborating with them on shows such as This is England '86 and Help.
"We've developed and nurtured the talent that has allowed Netflix to come in as TV tourists and effectively commission [Adolescence]," argued Compton. "Without us that wouldn't have happened. We nurture where the streamers don't."
She then went on to hit out at the platform for concentrating on "retrospective" programming and refusing to tackle timely, potentially controversial topics. "Where are the investigations on the streamers into Gaza or Trump?" she asked. "[Current affairs] is a unique thing PSBs offer."
Also starring The Crown's Erin Doherty, Faye Marsay (Andor), and Ashley Walters (Top Boy), Adolescence opens with 13-year-old Jamie (Owen Cooper) being arrested for the murder of his classmate Katie Leonard. Over the course of four episodes, all of which play out in real time, viewers not only learn whether Jamie did what he's being accused of but what happened in the run-up to the violent attack, as well as how his family are coping with the fallout.
Since it premiered on March 13, it has gone on to become Netflix's second most-watched English-language show of all time, coming runner-up to Wednesday and beating out Stranger Things season 4 – and was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmys.
While that's largely seen as a good thing, particularly by people like Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously announced plans to make the series free to watch in schools, in a bid to raise awareness about online safety, toxic masculinity, and bullying, some UK creatives are nervous about producers taking the wrong lessons away from it.
"What happens [if you become solely focused on creating globally-marketable content] is you change the nature of the show you are trying to make with more than half an eye on the international market," claimed Line of Duty EP Simon Heath. "The risk is that the chase for international funding fundamentally alters the kinds of stories we can tell."
Adolescence is streaming now. For more, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix to help round out our to-watch list.
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