Its been a really delicious and wonderful whirlwind, he says.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
DEADLINE: You often say that your work sets out to ask questions rather than answer them.
‘Adolescence’Netflix
What was the big question Adolescence sought to pose?
Why is this happening?
DEADLINE: Why has the series resonated so much with Netflix audiences?
Netflix
THORNE: I think that there is a real joy in the incomplete.
There is a real joy in how partial this show was able to be.
It was written in a really partial way, we couldnt cover all corners.
For instance, episode two has a whole question going through it, of where is the knife?
Thats why DI Luke Bascombe [Ashley Walters] is there.
We cannot answer that.
We dont answer that.
What this show can do through the one-shot format is challenge those expectations in a different way.
DEADLINE: So where is the murder weapon knife then, Jack?
THORNE: Im not going to answer that question because if I did, then that would spoil it.
DEADLINE: But you have a working theory?
THORNE: I have an answer because Stephen and I worked everything out.
Do you recognize that dissonance?
THORNE: I think its brilliant that Netflix are going to these places.
I am so grateful that we got an audience for it.
I hope that causes the commissioning of other writers to tell other stories about our country.
Toby Bentley [Netflixs UK series manager] script-editedNational Treasure, producedKiri, and executive producedBest Interests.
He worked onToxic TownandAdolescencewith me.
Mona Qureshi similarly joined from the BBC.
Were all a product of public service broadcasting and we make it because we believe in it.
But Netflix is only part of the answer to the question of how we keep this stuff going.
If Channel 4 and the BBC are denied the opportunity to make these shows, thats devastating.
Netflix making these shows is exciting, but its not everything.
I want to see the next Michaela Coel emerge.
I want to see the next Jimmy McGovern emerge.
Theyre only going to emerge if Channel 4 and the BBC are given the muscle to make drama.
I do think that requires government help and us rethinking ourselves as an industry.
DEADLINE: Are you seeing evidence of emerging writers being steered away from developing stories around certain subjects?
THORNE: Very much so.
That doesnt exist right now were drowning in crime.
Its just really damaging that sort of conservative ethos.
When youre in a recession, and were in a profound recession, those questions become louder.
I fear for the next generation.
DEADLINE: That cant be healthy for the industry, can it?
THORNE: Or the country.
Television is a really powerful medium.
you might still get people talking about one show.
Thats whatMr Bates vs The Post Officeproved, hopefully thats whatAdolescenceproves.
You only do only do that if youre able to make daring television.
Where do you sit, would you like tax breaks or a streamer levy?
THORNE: Itll only work if its bits of this and bits of that.
I would saySkinswould qualify for levy or tax break funding.
Who then governs that?
What I dont think it is, is an opportunity for people like me to make more shows.
Its just got to be governed really carefully and thought about really carefully.
The thing would be to not exclude Netflix from that process.
Its not about going, Were going to tax you.
Its about fighting to build something together.
DEADLINE: Did you pitch Adolescence to anyone other than Netflix?
DEADLINE: You never spoke to a UK public service broadcaster?
I dont think itd be impossible to make.
It wasnt a ridiculous budget, but it was still a very generous budget.
It required things that were very complicated to do.
It would have been tough to do it nine or 10.
We needed the one week of tech and rehearsal, one week of shooting.
DEADLINE: Would it have been prohibitively expensive for a UK broadcaster?
THORNE: At the moment, absolutely.
I feel like that when Im watchingSquid Gameand thats what we aspire to with this show.
If it works, its because people are feeling the authenticity of it.
We worked really hard on that and Stephen was ruthless when we were working on the scripts.
DEADLINE: Youve talked about having to constantly re-write the show during production.
Were there any changes that surprised you and changed the course of the series?
Generally what youve written ends up being pretty well represented.
It had to be this great big muscular thing that could stand up to punches from all sides.
In many ways, its the closest representation of my writing Ive ever seen, other than on stage.
We went through all sorts of iterations of that as we were finding exactly what we wanted to say.
We just wanted to get that conversation right.
Chrissy and Stephen have known each other since they were teenagers.
Theres that too, running through it that.
That relationship is really beautiful.
DEADLINE: So come on then, did you get any notes from Plan B co-founder Brad Pitt?
THORNE: I didnt get a note from Brad Pitt.
Im always early on a Zoom call and hes always early on a Zoom call too.
And I was just like, Yeah, I know.
And then other people joined.
