Adolescence writer warns funding crisis could wipe out such shows – as drama's Netflix ratings confirmed

But Adolescence writer Jack Thorne has warned that important series such as this are at risk due to the ongoing funding crisis for UK scripted shows.

In an interview with Deadline, Thorne said that Netflix is "only part of the answer to the question of how we keep this stuff going", citing his recent success with both Adolescence and Toxic Town.

He said: "If Channel 4 and the BBC are denied the opportunity to make these shows, that’s devastating. The problem of international finance and what that’s done is incredibly current and leading to a lot of my friends and emerging writers being denied the opportunity to tell stories.

"If they are denied the opportunity to tell those stories, then the whole culture starts to crumble, and shows like Adolescence and Toxic Town are no longer possible. Netflix making these shows is exciting, but it’s not everything."

Thorne added: "I want to see the next Michaela Coel emerge. I want to see the next Jimmy McGovern emerge. They’re 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."

Thorne also admitted that he "fears for the next generation" of TV writers, citing concerns about the types of shows that are easily given the green light versus those that are seeking to tell a wider range of stories.

"When I was growing up, we had a mad variety of different shows that were about all sorts of different facets of life. That doesn’t exist right now – we’re drowning in crime," Thorne said.

Read more:

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He continued: "I like watching crime shows, but if I’m a young writer and I’ve got stories I want to tell about my mum, who’s a social worker, or the time that I did ice dancing for a year and fell in love with another lad. All that stuff is being wiped away by fears over what shows should be because we are so panicked about money and budgets.

"It’s just really damaging, that sort of conservative ethos. When you’re in a recession, and we’re in a profound recession, those questions become louder."

This year, BBC's own director of drama, Lindsay Salt, admitted that the broadcaster "can't afford to fully fund shows", with it also being revealed that many shows are currently stuck in limbo due to a lack of funding.

Hopefully, with the success of series like Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Toxic Town and now Adolescence, it has proven that it pays to be daring in the TV landscape – but only time will tell if it will pave the way for upcoming writers to showcase a range of their own stories.

Adolescence is available to stream now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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