A gripping Netflix mini-series starring Adolescence lead Stephen Graham has captivated audiences worldwide, racking up an astonishing 251.3 million hours of viewing time.
The four-part drama, Adolescence, made waves when it premiered in March, quickly dominating Netflix’s streaming charts. Known for its raw intensity and unique format — with each episode filmed in a single continuous take — the series follows teenager Jamie (played by Owen Cooper), who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a classmate.
Within just two weeks, Adolescence pulled in 66.3 million views, setting a record for the most-watched limited series on Netflix during that timeframe. By early April, it had soared to 96.7 million views, landing at ninth place on Netflix’s all-time most popular English-language TV list — overtaking heavy-hitters like Stranger Things season three and Bridgerton season two.
Viewers have praised the series as “absurdly enjoyable,” especially highlighting Graham’s powerful performance as a father grappling with the emotional fallout of his son’s alleged crime. If his portrayal left you wanting more, it might be worth digging up his lesser-known sci-fi drama — a hidden gem that may have flown under your radar.
Adolescene’s Stephen Graham leads the cast in this ‘underrated’ sci-fi drama
The British sci‑fi crime thriller is adapted by Paul Tomalin from Si Spencer’s DC Vertigo graphic novel.
The eight‑episode limited series released to Netflix on 19 October 2023 and was viewed for a huge 251.3 million hours in its first 18 months alone, according to figures from FlixPatrol.
Set across four time periods spanning 163 years – 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053 – each timeline features a detective discovering the same dead body in London’s East End.
As their separate investigations intersect through time, an intriguing conspiracy emerges tied to a powerful yet mysterious figure named Elias Mannix, played by Stephen Graham.
It also stars Kyle Soller, Jacob Fortune‑Lloyd, Shira Haas and Amaka Okafor. The series in question, if you hadn’t already guessed by now, is called Bodies.
Across eight episodes, it racked up a solid Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 82 percent, with its consensus reading: “Anchored by the indispensable Stephen Graham, Bodies‘ multiple twisting time strands coalesce into one satisfying binge.”
Over on IMDB, viewers rated it 7.3 out of 10, as one hailed it ‘absurdly enjoyable.’
“Each episode just got better and better,” another wrote. “I couldn’t stop watching, I binged all eight episodes in less than two days.”
Another praised the show’s conclusion, admitting: “Bodies stands out to me if for no other reason than it has an actual ending.
“Time travel stories are exhausting to some degree but I found this one fun and engaging. Worth the binge!”
One person took to Reddit to ask for any decent limited series with ‘plot twists.’
Both Bodie’s cast and its ending has been praised by viewers (Netflix)
“I love watching TV series with major plot twists!” they wrote, adding: “However I only get time for limited series nowadays, can you recommend me a Netflix thriller limited series that would fit the bill?”
While people flooded the comments with all sorts of suggestions, one in particular stood out.
“Bodies was great,” one person suggested, as a second pondered: “Bodies is underrated sci-fi, i wonder if the title was underwhelming and didn’t help gain more viewers.”
They have a fair point – when I hear Bodies, I think of the 2022 black comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, which is so not the same vibe as the Netflix drama.
Anyway, a third wrote: “I actually got the recommendation from a friend and hadn’t seen anything about while scrolling through Netflix.
“The guy that played Mannix wrote Adolescence which was also really great.”
All eight episodes of Bodies are streaming now on Netflix.