Netflix's Adolescence: Are screen writers the new lobbyists?

Writer Jack Thorne (pictured below) has come to prominence thanks to the success of the Netflix drama Adolescence, which was released earlier this month.

The four-episode series, which Thorne co-wrote with Stephen Graham, tells the story of a 13-year-old who has stabbed one of his female classmates to death, fuelled by misogynistic messaging he’s been exposed to via social media.

According to ratings body Barb, Adolescence is reportedly the first streaming show to top the weekly UK TV ratings, with episode one watched by 6.45 million viewers in its first week. 

Commenting on the show last Tuesday (18 March), Thorne said: “I want it to be shown in schools, I want it to be shown in Parliament. It’s crucial because this is only going to get worse.”

Screenwriter Jack Thorne (Credit: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/WireImage via Getty Images)

The next day, during the UK Prime Minister’s Questions, Keir Starmer agreed that the drama should be screened in Parliament and schools. He added: “At home, we are watching “Adolescence” with our children – I have a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl. It is a very good drama to watch.”

Starmer said: “This violence carried out by young men, influenced by what they see online, is a real problem, it’s abhorrent, and we have to tackle it… It is important that, across the whole House, we tackle this emerging and growing problem.”

Thorne has since urged the Prime Minister to “urgently” consider banning smartphones in schools and introducing a “digital age of consent”, citing the example of Australia, which has passed a law banning under-16s from using social media.

The writer has also become a public supporter of the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign, joining more than 100,000 parents who have pledged to withhold smartphones until their children are at least 14.

Thorne and co-writer and actor Stephen Graham have accepted an invitation from Labour MP Josh McAlister to attend a meeting in Parliament to discuss online safety with MPs.

Adolescence is the latest in a series of hard-hitting dramas that have catapulted issues into the mainstream – with ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office being a case in point. BBC soap EastEnders recently worked with mental health charities to develop a storyline in which the character Phil Mitchell (played by Steve McFadden) tried to end his life. And last year, the Home Office worked with Channel 4’s Hollyoaks on a storyline about coercive control.

Looking ahead, TV drama series about the Grenfell tragedy, phone hacking at the News of the World, and the infected blood scandal are at various stages of production.

But just how important are screenwriters in the eyes of public affairs professionals, and what other issues could be turned into talking points through TV dramatisations?

Here, some of the country’s top media and public affairs professionals share their views with PRWeek UK.
 

Anne Clarke, chief executive, social purpose, Four Communications

“Scripted TV can create national conversations. And conversations create change. The best scriptwriters for TV explore complex social issues with nuance, intelligence and heart, so they should definitely form part of how changemakers plan their communications campaigns.

“There’s strong evidence of the impact. From Channel 4’s It’s A Sin, which drove a surge in HIV testing and raised funds for the Terrence Higgins Trust while raising the issue of HIV policy, to ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office and now Adolescence – scriptwriters can make a huge difference to society, in a way that goes beyond what media coverage or social media alone can achieve.

“Arguably, the more complex the issue, or previously ignored the topic, the more scripted TV can make a difference. Whether on the issue of infected blood or state pension inequality, there are hugely important stories to tell.

“Scriptwriters already know the importance of speaking to people who have lived experience or expertise, and campaigners can help to make introductions and sensitively facilitate meetings. That said, scriptwriters are at the mercy of commissioners and funding, so this isn’t something that can be easily planned – but when it works, it really works, and the impact can be profound.”
 

Stephen Pomeroy, founder and chair of advisory board, Cavendish Consulting, and executive producer, Floodlight Pictures

“Scriptwriters have for many decades made valuable contributions to lobbying and change in policy. The cultural impact of TV drama, film and narrative storytelling is immense. Back in 1966, Cathy Come Home sparked national concern and political and policy debate about homelessness, and led to the founding of Shelter. EastEnders challenged HIV stigma in the 1990s. Blue Planet II inspired a wave of public pressure on plastic waste, leading to real policy change.

“I had the privilege of working on a key example of emotionally led advocacy: a short film called Homecoming, which was written and directed by Mike Buonaiuto for the UK’s Coalition for Equal Marriage. It told the story of a soldier returning home and proposing to his male partner – delivering the powerful line: ‘All men can be heroes, all men can be husbands.’ 

“The film, by tackling same-sex marriage through social media, stirred global attention and shifted perceptions. It received 700,000 YouTube views in its first week online. A further film, Out4Marriage, comprised people from all walks of life supporting marriage equality. Together, these short films harnessed storytelling, visibility and emotion to help win hearts and ultimately support the successful passage of equal marriage legislation in the UK.

“I have also been delighted to work with Ross White and Tom Berkeley, who wrote and directed An Irish Goodbye, the Oscar-winning short film that offered an authentic, beautifully human lens on disability, grief and brotherhood. Its success helped normalise neurodiverse storytelling and elevated disabled voices in film – cultural progress that ultimately shapes policy conversations too.

“Looking ahead, issues such as climate anxiety, animal rights, ethical tech and migration justice are ripe for creative treatment. Writers, filmmakers and campaigners working together can reach people on a deeper level – shifting not just opinion, but policy. For me, scriptwriters are frontline allies for lobbying and influencing policy.”
 

Katherine Morgan, partner, Europe head of public affairs, DGA Group

“Working with TV and scriptwriters has long been in the lexicon of campaigners, but high-impact programmes such as Mr Bates vs the Post Office and now Adolescence have served to underscore the power that a strong drama can have on moving the public consciousness and consequently shifting the political dial. It is, of course, just one tool in the armoury; you need a strong narrative and a well-articulated political campaign plan.

“But alongside this, any campaigner worth their salt and working on an evocative campaign, or one that touches on peoples’ lives, will already be speaking to TV and film companies about how to bring their narrative to life and escalate their campaign using the power of screen. And filmmakers, too, are on the hunt for great campaigns to work on – as a leading campaign agency pushing on social impact campaigns, DGA has been contacted by two just this week.

“Issues that can successfully make the transition from the lobby to the screen will include those that haven’t received the political and public focus they deserve but that resonate with the public. These could include the often-hidden world of domestic abuse, sextortion and the dangers this poses for young people, and gambling, which is now all pervasive but has the potential to destroy, and indeed has destroyed, many lives.”
 

Giles Winn, specialist partner, Pagefield, who writes the ScreenPower newsletter

“There are fewer TV ‘watercooler moments’ now than there used to be, thanks to declining audiences for linear TV. But distinctive British drama – when done right – still has the power to cut through and even lead to policy change.

“Will we see more dramas that address important issues worthy of wider debate? Certainly – for two reasons: shows like Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Adolescence have proved there is an audience for it, and broadcasters see this as a key way to demonstrate their societal value. An ITV drama about the infected blood scandal is already in the works, as is one from the BBC on Grenfell.

“What all those stories have in common is that they happened in plain sight – and yet still have the capacity to shock. The next big drama is probably about something happening right under our noses: maybe a drama about the working and living conditions of gig economy workers – the delivery drivers who we rely on yet know little about; or the experiences of asylum-seekers living in temporary accommodation in our towns and cities. 

“But the chances of this becoming a fruitful area for lobbying are slim: no matter how important the issue is, if the writing’s no good and no one watches it, it will go nowhere. Politics will follow the art, not the other way around.”
 

John Higginson, chief executive, Higginson Strategy

“Anyone who has seen Jack Thorne’s Netflix hit Adolescence can’t help to realise the power TV still possesses to tell a story well. But it isn’t just entertainment – it mobilises. I have two children in their young teens. In the past week, like thousands of parents across Britain, my wife and I have sat down with them to tell them they are not allowed to have their phones in their bedrooms and social media is banned.

“But it has not just mobilised me as a parent. Adolescence has given the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign the kind of boost all campaigns dream of. Thorne has backed the campaign himself and the Prime Minister last week talked about watching it with his own children during Prime Minister’s Questions.

“Last year’s ITV dramatisation of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal achieved millions in compensation for victims, which years of campaigning has failed to get. From Shakespeare to streaming services, audiences have always rallied behind identifiable victims facing injustice. Successful lobbying campaigns and powerful dramas share the same DNA – they create emotional connections through authentic storytelling.

“The WASPI campaign, which Higginson Strategy supports, has secured hundreds of meetings with MPs and tens of thousands of media stories. But they are yet to be compensated. Their stories contain all the elements of compelling television – injustice, courage and mortality. Perhaps it’s time us lobbyists stopped trying to convince politicians and the public and start aiming our efforts at Britain’s brilliant TV screenwriters.”
 

Verity Barr, director, Cavendish Consulting

“Getting an issue discussed in the Queen Vic pub or Rovers Return Inn has long been an awareness-raising tactic, but using popular TV drama as a direct lobbying channel feels like a much more recent, and increasing, phenomenon. 

“Dramatising national scandals, like the Salisbury poisonings, isn’t unusual – but until now, it’s been about telling the whole story rather than driving political change. Until the Post Office Horizon IT scandal landed on our screens. Nobody could have predicted that show’s fallout and the powerful impact it has since had on all those involved.

“In today’s world, a TV programme isn’t just for information or entertainment, it’s a route to significant engagement across multiple channels – and it shouldn’t be a surprise that heavyweight topics lead to heavyweight discussions that drive change. Making powerful waves from the splash of compelling TV combined with the ripples of social media commentary.

“So why shouldn’t the scriptwriter lead the charge for change? If they’ve invested time, energy and emotion in bringing a politically charged subject to the masses, surely they’ve earned the right to have an influence over the impact it has. The question shouldn’t be ‘Are scriptwriters a new lobbying target?’ but ‘Why wouldn’t they be?’”
 

Dr Stuart Thomson, founder, CWE Communications

“There is nothing new about the impact that TV can have on the political discourse. Dramas and dramatisations have the power to bring issues into people’s homes and make them the subject of conversations. Ken Loach’s Cathy Come Home in the 1960s shed light on homelessness; Edge of Darkness in the 80s brought attention to government secrecy; Threads about nuclear war; and Queer as Folk at the start of this century brought gay life to mainstream audiences. But soap operas, too often overlooked, regularly bring attention to societal issues. I well remember mental health storylines in EastEnders which started to change attitudes. Does that make them useful lobbying tools? Absolutely. But not a new one.

“While campaigners may crave the attention that a drama can bring, there is no getting over the fundamentals of needing a good script and great actors. Could issues such as the climate crisis or small boats be the subject of dramas that could bring about political change? Yes. There is, though, the danger of over-saturation and campaigns always need vocal champions. Only a select few dramas hit all these marks and achieve real, lasting change.”