Netflix reveals secrets behind Adolescence's ambitious and technical single-shot filming

For instance, the second episode features hundreds of child extras as it takes place in a school, and ends on a drone shot which leads into a final close-up of Stephen Graham's character.

Now, Netflix has revealed further details of just how feats such as these were accomplished, in a fascinating thread posted to social media.

In the thread, the streamer confirmed there were no cuts in any of the episodes, before revealing that each episode was filmed many times, with the initial plan being to film each instalment in full 10 times – once in the morning, once in the afternoon, across five days.

Read more:

• Adolescence star Ashley Walters says harrowing script had him crying most nights
• The White Lotus adds Hollywood A-lister to cast in complex reveal

"But in reality a few attempts had to be abandoned and restarted," the streamer revealed, "So some episodes had many more than 10 takes."

The thread also reveals which take was used for each episode – take 2 for episode 1, take 13 for episode 2, take 11 for episode 3 and take 16 for episode 4.

The cast would rehearse the episodes ahead of time with tight choreography, to ensure that the crew could always be out of shot as the camera moved.

However, the thread revealed that "sometimes it was necessary for some of the crew to remain in shot", so "in these instances they were dressed in costume so that they could blend into the show to serve as extras in the shot".

As for that final drone shot of episode 2, which featured 320 teenagers playing school children and 50 adults playing teachers, shoppers and parents, the streamer said: "The DOP carries the camera and follows a school pupil to the traffic lights with a wide shot as she goes at the end of the school day.

"Before she crosses the road, a team attach the camera to a drone, which then flies a distance of 0.3 miles across the site to the murder scene, where it comes down to a camera operator and team of grips who smoothly catch the camera and transition into a close shot of Stephen Graham. Easy."

Graham previously spoke about the experience of filming the show, telling Radio Times magazine that "it’s the most Zen and in the moment you can ever be as an actor".

"You have to be ready and in that moment to carry it right the way through – the intensity, the ups, the downs, the highs, the lows," he explained.

"You have to have worked it out with your director and with your other actors, and you have to really have an understanding of where it may go and what it might be, but also allow different things to pop in or pop out, like someone forgetting a line, or doing something unexpected."

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.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.