Latest news with #JackThorne
Sydney Morning Herald
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Watched everything? Here are seven hidden gems you might have missed
So many options but nothing that floats your boat? Can't find anything new and exciting to dive into? Despite the monthly drops of titles from the band of streamers, wading through the hype and the home pages can be oddly frustrating and frequently unrewarding. So here are some suggestions, recent drama series that you might've missed that could fit the bill and warm the winter nights. Or at least keep you happily absorbed through the chills. Toxic Town (Netflix) Jack Thorne wrote Adolescence, one of the year's standout drama series. Here he tackles a different social issue in a four-part drama based on an actual case in the UK. In 2009, a group of mothers from the Northamptonshire town of Corby took legal action against a local steelworks, claiming its harmful waste had caused limb deformities in their babies. In the mould of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, this quietly powerful drama chronicles an historic legal action in which working-class litigants, initially unprepared for the entrenched opposition they're facing, refuse to give up the fight. Directed in low-key style by Minkie Spiro, its top-drawer cast is headed by Jodie Whittaker (Dr Who, One Night) as feisty Susan McIntyre, who meets the more reserved Tracey Taylor (Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus, Sex Education) in a hospital labour ward. Key supporting roles are capably filled by Brendan Coyle, Robert Carlyle and Rory Kinnear. Caught (Netflix) Over the past decade, novelist Harlan Coben has become a TV darling involved in a host of crime thrillers, some adapted from his books and others original screenplays. His fast-moving, deftly plotted mysteries (including Fool Me Once, Stay Close, Safe, Just un regard and The Five) make for ideal TV fodder, although the quality of the productions varies. Loading Most have smart set-ups, so it's easy to get hooked, but some quickly fade into the forgettable category. This one (original title Atrapados), based on his novel, is set in the Argentinian lakeside town of Bariloche and focuses on hard-charging investigative journalist Ema Garay (Soledad Villamil). She hosts a true-crime show online and has built an admiring following, in part because she live-streams her capture of culprits. Now she's hot on the trail of a rapist who grooms teenagers using a popular video game to establish relationships. But things get messy when she publicly outs a suspect and it emerges that she might be mistaken. Caught raises questions about citizen journalists and the rules that they play by, as well as the impact that their work can have. The Stolen Girl (Disney+) Given the title, it's not a spoiler to reveal that a child disappears early in this five-part drama, shattering her distraught parents, Elisa (Denise Gough, Andor) and Fred (Jim Sturgess). Elisa impulsively agrees to an invitation from another school mum (Holliday Grainger) for her nine-year-old, Lucia (Beatrice Campbell), to have her first sleepover. But when she returns to collect her daughter, the house is empty. It's a nightmare scenario played at a melodramatic pitch as Elisa becomes increasingly frantic and frustrated by what she sees as a lack of progress in the police investigation. As questions pile up in the twisty thriller developed by writer Catherine Moulton from Alex Dahl's novel, it emerges that the past is an important player and little is as it initially seems. La Palma (Netflix) This compact, four-part Norwegian series, built around the 2021 volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands, initially views the calamitous event from a tightly focused pair of perspectives. Fredrik and Jennifer (Anders Baasmo and Ingrid Bolso Berdal) are struggling with marital tensions when they arrive for their summer holiday with their sensitive teenage daughter (Alma Günther) and autistic son (Bernard Storm Lager). Meanwhile, a keen trainee (Thea Sofie Loch Naess), who has joined the local geological research team, identifies disturbing shifts in the areas being monitored, spurring a debate between the scientists about the implications of the discovery and the need to alert authorities. The tale subsequently opens out to include local officials concerned about sounding alarm bells at the height of the tourist season and the foreign affairs department in Oslo responsible for assisting its citizens. The build-up is handled with skill, and when nature unleashes its devastating power, the impact is suitably shocking and spectacular. Think Jaws with a volcano rather than a shark. Zero Day (Netflix) Loading Robert De Niro's first starring role in a TV series casts him as a respected former US president summoned from retirement after the country suffers a devastating cyberattack. The incumbent president (Angela Bassett) appoints him to lead a commission investigating the cause of the attack, identify its perpetrators and protect the nation from another one. His unit is given unprecedented powers to arrest, detain and question suspects. De Niro resembles an ageing lion, a once-esteemed king of the jungle now plagued by cognitive problems that he's endeavouring to conceal. Series creators Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim and Michael Schmidt use the country-under-siege set-up as a springboard to explore how panic and pragmatism can drive a political agenda, and how that fear can be exploited, which seems an especially timely topic. The supporting cast is loaded with talent, including Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Kaplan, Connie Britton, Dan Stevens, Joan Allen and Gaby Hoffman. Paradise (Disney+) Writer-producer Dan Fogelman and actor Sterling K. Brown worked together on the beautifully crafted family drama This is Us. Here, they venture into different territory with an eight-part series that introduces Brown as Xavier Collins, a dedicated secret-service agent assigned to protect the US president (James Marsden). He's also the devoted dad of two children, the fate of their mother emerging in flashback as the drama unfolds. A murder on Xavier's watch casts suspicion on the highest levels of government but, beyond that, this is a series where the less you know about the plot, the better. One teaser should be enough: a zinger of a twist ends the first episode. Marsden is well-cast as a Kennedy-esque POTUS, as is Julianne Nicholson as an icily controlling powerbroker. Prime Target (Apple TV+) This eight-part thriller intriguingly ponders whether scientists and mathematicians can be held responsible for the ways in which their discoveries are deployed. Gifted Cambridge mathematician Edward Brooks (Leo Woodall) is obsessed with his study of prime numbers and it emerges that his work has the potential to cause chaos: he could unearth a code that can crack any digital system. Loading It's a significant threat to a range of entities that come gunning for him. Taylah Sanders (a magnetic Quintessa Swindell), an American government agent, comes to his aid and their partnership creates an odd-couple-on-the-run scenario, with Ed as a tunnel-vision academic and Taylah a gutsy tech wiz who can run like an athlete, shoot like a pro and hotwire a car. They're a dynamic, if perpetually vulnerable, duo. What TV shows have you watched recently that you think deserve extra recognition? Please let us know in the comments below.
The Age
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Watched everything? Here are seven hidden gems you might have missed
So many options but nothing that floats your boat? Can't find anything new and exciting to dive into? Despite the monthly drops of titles from the band of streamers, wading through the hype and the home pages can be oddly frustrating and frequently unrewarding. So here are some suggestions, recent drama series that you might've missed that could fit the bill and warm the winter nights. Or at least keep you happily absorbed through the chills. Toxic Town (Netflix) Jack Thorne wrote Adolescence, one of the year's standout drama series. Here he tackles a different social issue in a four-part drama based on an actual case in the UK. In 2009, a group of mothers from the Northamptonshire town of Corby took legal action against a local steelworks, claiming its harmful waste had caused limb deformities in their babies. In the mould of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, this quietly powerful drama chronicles an historic legal action in which working-class litigants, initially unprepared for the entrenched opposition they're facing, refuse to give up the fight. Directed in low-key style by Minkie Spiro, its top-drawer cast is headed by Jodie Whittaker (Dr Who, One Night) as feisty Susan McIntyre, who meets the more reserved Tracey Taylor (Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus, Sex Education) in a hospital labour ward. Key supporting roles are capably filled by Brendan Coyle, Robert Carlyle and Rory Kinnear. Caught (Netflix) Over the past decade, novelist Harlan Coben has become a TV darling involved in a host of crime thrillers, some adapted from his books and others original screenplays. His fast-moving, deftly plotted mysteries (including Fool Me Once, Stay Close, Safe, Just un regard and The Five) make for ideal TV fodder, although the quality of the productions varies. Loading Most have smart set-ups, so it's easy to get hooked, but some quickly fade into the forgettable category. This one (original title Atrapados), based on his novel, is set in the Argentinian lakeside town of Bariloche and focuses on hard-charging investigative journalist Ema Garay (Soledad Villamil). She hosts a true-crime show online and has built an admiring following, in part because she live-streams her capture of culprits. Now she's hot on the trail of a rapist who grooms teenagers using a popular video game to establish relationships. But things get messy when she publicly outs a suspect and it emerges that she might be mistaken. Caught raises questions about citizen journalists and the rules that they play by, as well as the impact that their work can have. The Stolen Girl (Disney+) Given the title, it's not a spoiler to reveal that a child disappears early in this five-part drama, shattering her distraught parents, Elisa (Denise Gough, Andor) and Fred (Jim Sturgess). Elisa impulsively agrees to an invitation from another school mum (Holliday Grainger) for her nine-year-old, Lucia (Beatrice Campbell), to have her first sleepover. But when she returns to collect her daughter, the house is empty. It's a nightmare scenario played at a melodramatic pitch as Elisa becomes increasingly frantic and frustrated by what she sees as a lack of progress in the police investigation. As questions pile up in the twisty thriller developed by writer Catherine Moulton from Alex Dahl's novel, it emerges that the past is an important player and little is as it initially seems. La Palma (Netflix) This compact, four-part Norwegian series, built around the 2021 volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands, initially views the calamitous event from a tightly focused pair of perspectives. Fredrik and Jennifer (Anders Baasmo and Ingrid Bolso Berdal) are struggling with marital tensions when they arrive for their summer holiday with their sensitive teenage daughter (Alma Günther) and autistic son (Bernard Storm Lager). Meanwhile, a keen trainee (Thea Sofie Loch Naess), who has joined the local geological research team, identifies disturbing shifts in the areas being monitored, spurring a debate between the scientists about the implications of the discovery and the need to alert authorities. The tale subsequently opens out to include local officials concerned about sounding alarm bells at the height of the tourist season and the foreign affairs department in Oslo responsible for assisting its citizens. The build-up is handled with skill, and when nature unleashes its devastating power, the impact is suitably shocking and spectacular. Think Jaws with a volcano rather than a shark. Zero Day (Netflix) Loading Robert De Niro's first starring role in a TV series casts him as a respected former US president summoned from retirement after the country suffers a devastating cyberattack. The incumbent president (Angela Bassett) appoints him to lead a commission investigating the cause of the attack, identify its perpetrators and protect the nation from another one. His unit is given unprecedented powers to arrest, detain and question suspects. De Niro resembles an ageing lion, a once-esteemed king of the jungle now plagued by cognitive problems that he's endeavouring to conceal. Series creators Eric Newman, Noah Oppenheim and Michael Schmidt use the country-under-siege set-up as a springboard to explore how panic and pragmatism can drive a political agenda, and how that fear can be exploited, which seems an especially timely topic. The supporting cast is loaded with talent, including Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Kaplan, Connie Britton, Dan Stevens, Joan Allen and Gaby Hoffman. Paradise (Disney+) Writer-producer Dan Fogelman and actor Sterling K. Brown worked together on the beautifully crafted family drama This is Us. Here, they venture into different territory with an eight-part series that introduces Brown as Xavier Collins, a dedicated secret-service agent assigned to protect the US president (James Marsden). He's also the devoted dad of two children, the fate of their mother emerging in flashback as the drama unfolds. A murder on Xavier's watch casts suspicion on the highest levels of government but, beyond that, this is a series where the less you know about the plot, the better. One teaser should be enough: a zinger of a twist ends the first episode. Marsden is well-cast as a Kennedy-esque POTUS, as is Julianne Nicholson as an icily controlling powerbroker. Prime Target (Apple TV+) This eight-part thriller intriguingly ponders whether scientists and mathematicians can be held responsible for the ways in which their discoveries are deployed. Gifted Cambridge mathematician Edward Brooks (Leo Woodall) is obsessed with his study of prime numbers and it emerges that his work has the potential to cause chaos: he could unearth a code that can crack any digital system. Loading It's a significant threat to a range of entities that come gunning for him. Taylah Sanders (a magnetic Quintessa Swindell), an American government agent, comes to his aid and their partnership creates an odd-couple-on-the-run scenario, with Ed as a tunnel-vision academic and Taylah a gutsy tech wiz who can run like an athlete, shoot like a pro and hotwire a car. They're a dynamic, if perpetually vulnerable, duo. What TV shows have you watched recently that you think deserve extra recognition? Please let us know in the comments below.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
‘Adolescence' overtakes ‘Stranger Things 4' to become Netflix's No. 2 most-watched English-language series ever
British limited series 'Adolescence' has become Netflix's second most-watched English-language show of all time, surpassing the popular 'Stranger Things' Season 4. As of June 1, 'Adolescence' has gathered 141.2 million views since its release on March 13, just 80 days ago. Netflix ranks its top shows based on views gathered in the first 91 days of release, and in that same timeframe, 'Stranger Things 4' had recorded 140.7 million views in 2022. Only Wednesday, the gothic teen mystery series, 'Wednesday', starring Jenna Ortega, holds a stronger position in Netflix's English-language rankings, with a remarkable 252.1 million views in its first 91 days. The success of 'Adolescence' marks a significant moment for British storytelling on the global stage, showing strong viewership across different countries. When expanding the list to include all languages, Korean sensation 'Squid Game' Season 1 remains Netflix's most-watched series ever, with 265.2 million views. Its upcoming second season has also performed strongly in early data, reaching 192.6 million views and placing just behind Wednesday and ahead of Adolescence. With still a few days left in its 91-day tracking window, 'Adolescence' may yet widen the gap between itself and Stranger Things, solidifying its spot in Netflix's streaming history. 'Adolescence' has gained praise for its emotional storytelling, sharp performances, and thought-provoking themes, resonating strongly with both teen and adult audiences. Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini, 'Adolescence' is a four-part mini-series that tells the powerful and emotional story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper), who is arrested after being accused of murdering a classmate. Each episode is filmed in a single continuous take, a creative choice that heightens the drama and makes the viewer feel as though they are right there with the characters, living each moment in real time. With its raw performances, bold direction, and unique storytelling approach, 'Adolescence' has received critical acclaim and strong word-of-mouth support, which have helped propel its global popularity.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Adolescence' Netflix Team On The Show's Global Success And Impact
Jack Thorne, Owen Cooper, Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty attend Netflix's FYSEE ... More "Adolescence" event at Saban Theatre on May 27, 2025 in North Hollywood, California. It is the unnerving television phenomenon that has taken the world by storm - and now, the hit Netflix limited series Adolescence is seeing if their massive success will ultimately translate into Emmy nominations. Revolving around a community in Northern England, whose lives are turned upside down when their 13-year-old son is accused of murdering a classmate. What follows is a master class in episodic storytelling, acting performances, sound design and innovative camera techniques by filming scenes in one continuous take. Owen Cooper behind-the-scenes on the set of "Adolescence" Starring Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty and introducing impressive newcomer Owen Cooper, Adolescence has become far more than just a dramatic tale for entertainment value, becoming the third most-watched Netflix series of all time for the streaming giant with more than 140 million views globally - it has encouraged a rather important conversations between parents and kids within this social media day and age. This past Tuesday night, a handful of the Adolescence cast and crew came together at the Television Academy building in North Hollywood, California for Netflix's FYSEE screening and a Q&A discussion. Before the festivities began, I spoke with these various creatives about their dedicated work on the series and why they believe that their team's outstanding achievements, both in front of the camera and behind, have impacted audiences in such a unique way this year. (Left to right) Jenelle Riley, Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne, Owen Cooper, Erin Doherty, Ashley ... More Walters, Shaheen Baig, James Drake, Aaron May and David Ridley are seen onstage during Netflix's "Adolescence" FYSEE event at Saban Theatre on May 27, 2025 in North Hollywood, California. Graham, who plays 'Eddie Miller' on Adolescence and is also the co-creator, writer and executive producer, said, 'One of the key elements was it was made with truth, with honesty, with integrity and with a lot of love. It's a heavy piece, but we had a lot of fun making it. We never expected this kind of tsunami of success. It was just a little colloquial piece of drama that was made at home and we loved making it. So then, you throw it up into the ether and see what happens." Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne attend Netflix's FYSEE "Adolescence" event at Saban Theatre on May ... More 27, 2025 in North Hollywood, California. Jack Thorne, who is also a co-creator, writer and executive producer on the project, said, 'Well, I think I'm the luckiest writer alive. The way this show worked was that everyone involved took authorship of it - took responsibility for telling the story and that meant that everyone brought their A-game in all those different functions. It was just a dream. It was a summer of dreaming with brilliant people.' Owen Cooper attends Netflix's FYSEE "Adolescence" event at Saban Theatre on May 27, 2025 in North ... More Hollywood, California. Cooper, who plays 'Jamie Miller' on Adolescence in his first-ever acting job, said, 'I think a lot of families can relate to it. It can hit a lot of homes and it's a relatable piece. It's hard to explain - because it's a Northern show, it helped me act, because it's not where I'm from, but it's true to life.' Even the music composers of the four-episode series had some thoughts on why they believe Netflix viewers are resonating with this limited series. David Ridley said, 'I think we feel that it opens a wide variety of conversations, with a script that's really elegantly put together and quite simple, and just paints around for people then to sort of jump in and talk about how much kids are on their phone these days - the manosphere, sort of relationship dynamics, what's going on at schools, maybe around the world, but certainly in the UK. There are so many conversations that it has opened and I feel like particularly parents have resonated with this and with the issues around parenting today and how difficult that is.' Aaron May and David Ridley attend Netflix's FYSEE "Adolescence" event at Saban Theatre on May 27, ... More 2025 in North Hollywood, California. Fellow Adolescence composer Aaron May added: 'I guess that if we've sort of covered the thematic elements, the part of the reason why those thematic elements have been able to resonate so strongly is because the way it's told with the one-shot format, and the performances make it feel so real. So, I think that the format just really helps to portray those themes and it gives a real-life context to those themes.' Ashley Walters attends Netflix's FYSEE "Adolescence" event at Saban Theatre on May 27, 2025 in North ... More Hollywood, California. Walters, who plays 'Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe,' said, 'There's a lot of parents around the world. You can't watch our show as a parent and it not move you, and it not make you think about what are you doing as a parent to ensure your child's safety online. We're all going through it. I've had so many conversations with other parents around the world. I've got an eight-year-old that is obsessed with his iPad. I'm always having conversations with my wife about should we get him on it less, or should we take it away from him. We've always been scared to approach those conversations because it's like a limb to those kids, to that generation. I think Adolescence just blew that all out of the water. It made that conversation okay to have, and I think that's why it resonated so much. It gave permission.' Erin Doherty attends Netflix's FYSEE "Adolescence" event at Saban Theatre on May 27, 2025 in North ... More Hollywood, California. Doherty, who plays 'Briony Ariston' on Adolescence, said of the show's popularity, 'It's like catching lightning in a bottle - and sometimes, for whatever reason, it all comes together. I think everyone just wanted to be there and to put their all into this story, and they knew the importance of what it meant to tell it correctly. I think that's what kind of fueled and charged the whole project for everyone. They were just so proud to be a part of it and we all just wanted to do it to the best of our ability.' For those that have already watched all four episodes of this Netflix limited series, I wondered what this Adolescence team hopes the audiences has or will take away from seeing this on-screen narrative play out, from start to finish. Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in "Adolescence" Graham said, 'Just that communication with each other, do you know what I mean? Fathers talking to sons, mothers talking to daughters, mothers talking to sons, fathers talking to daughters. Just having that kind of awareness as a family of what's happening in your own home, and create and continue that line of communication.' Thorne said, 'Talk to your children, and I mean that to teachers, to parents. It's hard - I'm a parent. I find it impossible to talk to my kid, at times, but we need to open up these conversations because they're having conversations with people that we don't know about and we need to be able to make sure that the lines of communication are clear, so that they're able to be honest and be open. If you do all those things, then you might save them - not from being like Jamie - Jamie is one-in-a-million, but from their own unhappiness, their own isolation, their own hurt.' Mark Stanley, Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham in "Adolescence" Cooper said, 'Especially in Adolescence, there's a massive lack of communication due to work and business, but that's what every father has to go through. They have to do the work to pay the bills and stuff, but that should never come before your family. Your family comes first, so it's always communication with your sons and your daughters. It's very important in a family - and what Adolescence does, it shows the lack of communication can cause a child to - not all the time, but it can cause them to be lonely and stuff like that.' Ashley Walters in "Adolescence" Walters said, 'It's important to talk. I feel connection maybe has been lost slightly over the years, when it comes to the Internet, devices - we talk less. So, the days of like sitting around the table on a Sunday, having a Sunday lunch with your kids and your parents or whatever - those are the times where you would find out what's going on in your child's life. How was school? Are you being bullied? Are you not? We're not doing those things as regular anymore. So, I feel like hopefully people will take that away. Hopefully, people will take away that there are beautiful pros that come with how technology has grown so rapidly, but there are also cons. Maybe we should go back to some of the basics - just some. I'm not saying take away computers for life. I'm just saying like one day out of the week is good to talk, right?' Erin Doherty and Owen Cooper in "Adolescence" Doherty said, 'I hope that it ignites a conversation about how we support our younger generation. I'm not a parent, so I don't know the intensity of what it means to watch the show from that lens, but I know they're chatting about it, obviously. From people of my generation, I know that what it has done is open up that avenue to preempt how we can navigate that world. So hopefully, it does that, which is all you can really hope for with any piece of art, is that it starts a conversation.' Concluding my FYSEE Netflix conversations with this cast, I wondered what they would say to each of their Adolescence characters, if only they could, after embodying them on-screen and seeing how their actions & experiences ultimately played out. What do they need to hear? Owen Cooper in "Adolescence" Cooper said with 'Jamie' in mind, 'I've never had that question before. Well, you know, Jamie's where he is now and he can speak to his family once a week, so just keep his head down - don't get into trouble in the place where he is. If he keeps his head down, he'll be fine and be sweet, and then he'll get out and be with his family again.' Amari Jayden Bacchus and Ashely Walters in "Adolescence" Walters said with 'Bascombe' in mind, 'Quality time with your son is important. It's a lesson I had to learn, as well. As an actor, I'm always traveling. I'm always working, and sometimes, you don't realize you're neglecting some of your loved ones. So yeah, that's what I would say.' Erin Doherty in "Adolescence" Doherty said with 'Briony' in mind, 'Oh, she needs a hug. Oh my gosh, that's my one thing - I've walked away and I kind of always had this little pipe dream of like - maybe one day, I'll be a therapist. Honestly, I just don't. It's gone. It's disappeared. I just don't think I could do it. It's so intense. I don't think she needs to hear any words. She just needs a hug.' Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham in "Adolescence" Graham concluded with 'Eddie' in mind, 'It's a great question. I'd tell Eddie, if we could have the conversation before the incident happened, I'd tell Eddie to show his lad a lot more love, do you know what I mean? Put his arms around the boy, tell him he loves him. That'd be my thing I'd say to Eddie.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Adolescence writer says benefit cuts 'punching down' on disabled people
The screenwriter behind hit TV drama Adolescence has told the BBC the government's planned benefit changes are "punching down" on disabled people. Jack Thorne, who is autistic and won critical acclaim for the Netflix drama, said the plans were "wrong and dangerous and that we need to be challenging them as a society". The government announced plans in March to make £5bn welfare cuts amid increasing demand and to encourage people back into work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said: "We are determined to support people in all parts of the country by tackling poverty and creating secure, well-paid jobs." Thorne told the BBC's Access All podcast that the plans were going to cause "severe hardship" for thousands of disabled people and "enough is enough". He said: "It is very expensive being a disabled person. And the extra payments are required for people to have any quality of life." According to the charity Scope, disabled households face an average of £1,010 extra costs per month. "I'm aware of friends of mine that are really struggling right now, and it makes me incredibly angry that talented, brilliant people are being denied the support that they need in order to lead a reasonable quality of life," Thorne said. "I don't understand why I live in a country now where we punch down quite as much as we do and it worries me about the future direction of travel." Changes to benefits include freezing the "health element" of Universal Credit for existing claimants at £97 per week and reducing the amount for new claimants to £50 from 2026. Parliament is also set to vote on plans to tighten eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (Pip), which is used to cover the additional costs of being disabled, whether you work or not. Thorne was one of more than 100 influential disabled people to sign an open letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which said of the cuts: "This is not reform; it is cruelty by policy." The letter, published as part of the new #TakeThePIP campaign, was signed by actors Liz Carr and Doctor Who star Ruth Madeley, as well as comedians Rosie Jones and 2018's Britain's Got Talent winner Lee Ridley, otherwise known as Lost Voice Guy. They say the changes to the way Pip will be awarded is a "radical departure from the current system". Currently those receiving the benefit must score 12 points across various activities in the assessment, but from 2026 four of the 12 points must come from one single activity for the applicant to receive the highest rate. The signatories said these changes mean those who "can't wash below the waist, for example, could now not qualify and lose vital benefits", "For us, Pip is not a benefit - it is access to life. Without it, people are left housebound and isolated." What are the Pip and universal credit changes and who is affected? Thorne, who has written dramas including His Dark Materials, Toxic Town and the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child said: "They're [the government] worried about all these different things, but the answer to that is not [to target] the people who are suffering the most. "Talented, brilliant people are being denied the support that they need in order to lead a reasonable quality of life." Thorne was diagnosed autistic as an adult and lived with an intense skin condition called cholinergic urticaria in his 20s, meaning he was allergic to heat and his own body movements. He spent six months in bed "because every time I moved, I was having an allergic reaction". He says he has been passionate about supporting and representing the disabled community ever since. "They [the government] just got this one so wrong, and I don't think it's been done with enough consultation with the disabled community. And I think if they did consult meaningfully, they would discover what they need to do here. And it's not this." A consultation on some of the planned changes to benefits is available to fill in online until 30 June. The DWP added: "Pip is a part of the way that we support disabled people and people with long term health conditions. "But with the number of people claiming Pip doubling since the pandemic, it's right that we rebalance the system to ensure support is targeted to those who need it most. "Alongside this, as part of our Plan for Change, we've increased the 'national living wage', uprated benefits, and are helping over one million households by introducing a fair repayment rate on Universal Credit deductions." Thorne received critical acclaim earlier this year for his Netflix drama Adolescence, which he co-wrote with actor Stephen Graham and told the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a girl in his class. The show sparked national debates about the impact of social media and "manosphere" influencers, particularly on boys, and led to a meeting with the prime minister to talk about protecting people online. "It's been amazing, Adolescence having the impact it has had. We're still all reeling from it." He said since the meeting the Women and Equalities Select Committee had started an investigation into the manosphere and a group of Labour MPs are "pushing very hard" for legislative changes to protect people using the internet. Thorne says Starmer was "very sincere and he was very interested in Adolescence and I'm really grateful for that". "And I think he needs to be as interested in this," he added. Adolescence hard to watch as a dad, Starmer tells creators
