Latest news with #Adolescence
Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
The 15 best TV shows of the year so far
'Adolescence' (limited series, Netflix) Where to begin? The long, cinematic camera takes that make you feel like you've intruded on a reality already in progress? The searing performances from Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, Erin Doherty, and a stable of largely unknown UK actors? This tight, four-episode drama, about an adolescent (Cooper) accused of killing a female classmate, is a gut punch that diagnoses a world of contemporary problems without ever feeling like a sociological treatise. Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks in "The Better Sister." JOJO WHILDEN/Jojo Whilden/Prime ' ' (season 1, Amazon Prime Video) The apple doesn't fall far. TV luminary David Milch's daughter, Olivia Milch, created this high-grade pulp drama with Regina Corrado, a key writer on David Milch's series 'Deadwood' (speaking of peak TV). Jaggedly funny and compulsively watchable, it follows two adult sisters (Jessica Biel and Pittsfield native Advertisement 'Black Mirror' (season 7, Netflix) A funny thing happened to Charlie Brooker's future-shock sci-fi anthology series on the way to 2025. It now feels more wickedly plausible than ever, and it therefore cuts closer to the bone. The season opener, starring Rashida Jones and Chris O'Dowd, is a soul-crushing masterpiece in which life and death become a matter of coverage tiers. It's still engineered to make you laugh until it hurts really, really bad. Matthew Goode in "Dept. Q" on Netflix. Jamie Simpson/Jamie Simpson/Netflix (season 1, Netflix) Scott Frank, who made chess exciting and sexy with his 2020 Netflix limited series ' Brian Tyree Henry in "Dope Thief." Apple TV+ 'Dope Thief' (season 1, Apple TV+) Brian Tyree Henry has been doing killer supporting work for a few years now on TV (' Advertisement ' ' (limited series, HBO) From the Department of Good Timing: At a moment when the principles of the civil rights movement are under attack, HBO released the third installment of a vital project that started back in 1987. These six chapters cover the period from the late 1970s to the present, exploring issues including fair housing, the war on affirmative action, the AIDS crisis, the Obama years, and more. It plays like a series of deeply reported feature stories. 'Forever' (season 1, Netflix) The Judy Blume renaissance continues with this series inspired by her 1975 novel about two teens dealing with raging hormones, societal expectations, and, yes, first love. Series creator Mara Brock Akil has moved the action to Los Angeles in 2018, where two Black high school athletes (Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone) fall head over heels and face highly realistic obstacles. Few series have so viscerally captured the pains of being a teenager. 'Inside the NBA' (TNT) Gone, but not forgotten. In fact, not exactly gone. TNT's freewheeling pregame and halftime show is the most spontaneous and entertaining sports enterprise on the air. Now Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, and ringmaster Ernie Johnson are moving (for NBA broadcast rights reasons) to ESPN and ABC, where the flavor promises to be a little different. But hopefully not too different. Here's hoping the new bosses let the mountainous Shaq tumble into some more Christmas trees. Advertisement Bella Ramsey in "The Last of Us." Courtesy of HBO ' ' (season 2, HBO) It takes nerve to kill off the main character early in the second season of a hit series. It takes skill and imagination to keep the train rolling along in the aftermath. You won't find a more assured mix of prestige and popular appeal than HBO's zombie apocalypse drama, which, of course, is about far more than a zombie apocalypse. And you won't find better evidence for the blurring of high and 'low' culture than the fact that one of HBO's best series is based on a video game. ' ' (season 2, Netflix) Palestinian-American actor/comedian ' ' (documentary, HBO) A penetrating study of what it means to have a popular alter ego, and what happens when that alter ego takes over. The late Paul Reubens, better known as Pee-wee Herman, makes for a controlling, passive-aggressive, but somehow still appealing subject as he thrusts and parries with filmmaker Matt Wolf. The end results, in two parts and about four hours, ask probing questions about identity, fame, and the many guises we try on to get ahead. Advertisement 'The Rehearsal' (season 2, HBO) Comedian Nathan Fielder's first-person docuseries has moved well beyond the point of stunting. The recently completed season culminates in a surreal plane flight, with Fielder at the controls and the plane full of actors, all coordinated to make a point about cockpit communication and preventable crashes. It makes for riveting television and deadpan advocacy, delivered in a self-conscious monotone that belies a passionate sense of purpose. 'Saturday Night Live' (season 51, NBC) Maybe it was the re-election of Donald Trump, or just the right meshing of cast and writers. Whatever the reason, 'SNL' felt energized this season, like a big league pitcher getting his fastball back. The 'White Potus' sketch melded pop culture heat with political satire. The Please Don't Destroy team found a groove with its digital shorts (go to YouTube and search for 'First Class'). Michael Che and Colin Jost refined their vibe of friendly antagonism on 'Weekend Update.' And a big, 50-year-old dog showed it can learn some new tricks. Seth Rogen in "The Studio." Apple TV+ ' ' (season 1, Apple TV+) Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen's painfully funny send-up of the current movie business is certainly insidery, but it's also madcap, slapstick fun, a tasty poison pill and a lament for the difficulty of making art in a world defined by fast commerce. Throw in cameos from a weeping Martin Scorsese, a frustrated Sarah Polley, an enraged Ron Howard, and more, and you've got the satire that contemporary Hollywood deserves. Advertisement ' ' (season 3, HBO) At some point Mike White's formula of narcissistic tourists behaving horribly in paradise will wear out its welcome. But that point hasn't arrived yet. The writing and the acting — this season's standouts include Walton Goggins, Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, and the returning Natasha Rothwell — are still top-shelf, and the American idiots abroad motif carries a little extra oomph in this day and age. The coconut milk is off! What do you think the best show of 2025 is? Sound off in the comments and let us know.
Cosmopolitan
21 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
A choking ban and ID checks: all the ways porn is changing in 2025 — and what needs to come next
It's a transformative time for pornography. Long gone are the days where explicit sexual content could only be found in the adult section of video stores. Now, porn is freely available at the click of a button — and it's not just limited to dedicated adult sites. Unsuspecting users are exposed to porn on social media platforms like X and Reddit, which are rife with X-rated content (but not so harshly regulated as porn sites). This easy accessibility means that the public are increasingly exposed to it at a younger age. Recent research shows that the average age in the UK that people first see explicit material online is 13. Concerningly, much of this material seems to depict violence, with a 2023 report finding that 79% of 18 to 21-year-olds who'd seen porn online had encountered videos portraying degrading acts, physical aggression, or sexual coercion. The effects of this have been much discussed in pop culture. In 2021, Billie Eilish famously revealed that she started having nightmares after being exposed to 'abusive' pornography from the age of 11. Meanwhile, the Netflix series Adolescence explored the consequences of young people having access to violent content online without the proper critical thinking skills to challenge certain acts, ideas, and attitudes. Beyond porn, young people are also increasingly exposed to non-consensual intimate content via terrifying 'nudify' apps and deepfake technology, which make it possible for any unsuspecting person (usually a woman) to be virtually stripped naked or superimposed into explicit videos and photos. All of this has led to a growing backlash against sexual content online — and a call for legislators to crack down on it. We can already see this happening in other counties. In Sweden, for example, live cam shows and custom-made pornographic content were banned last month. In the US, in light of age verification laws being introduced in certain US states (which critics say is a violation of privacy and a data risk), Pornhub is blocked in 17 states. Then, in May, a new bill was introduced aiming to criminalise pornography at a federal level, meaning, if passed, it could be banned across the whole of the US. And now the UK is following suit. It was already planned that from July, websites hosting pornographic content will have to run ID checks on users, but yesterday [18th June] it was confirmed that pornography depicting acts of strangulation will be made illegal in the UK, as per a government announcement. The amendment will be made to the Crime and Policing Bill — though there isn't yet a date for its implementation. The government's decision was made following an Independent Porn Review which found that media sources, including pornography, have 'effectively established choking as a 'sexual norm', and a belief that choking a partner during sex is 'safe''. This is, obviously, worrying, and it's encouraging that the government is trying to tackle the rise of non-consensual choking, which mostly affects women and girls. It's a move that's been welcomed by safety campaigners and women's charities alike, and generally viewed as a step in the right direction. But will these measures really work? Amid the dire state of sex education in the UK, is this the right focus? And, as right wing conservatism grows, is a crackdown on sexual expression actually moving us forward? Data shows sexual strangulation has been on the rise in recent years, and it seems explicit online depictions of it have contributed to this, particularly among young people. A recent survey by the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS) found that it's most common among those aged 16 to 34, with 35% of respondents saying they've been choked during sex, while 17% said it had happened without their consent. 'I've experienced choking from casual sex partners before, and not always with my consent,' 35-year-old Bryony* tells Cosmopolitan UK. 'I was having sex once with a hook-up from Hinge and he suddenly grabbed my throat. I was so shocked by it that I froze — I would have struggled to talk with his tight grip anyway. He realised by my facial expression that I was taken aback and soon let go. It was a frightening experience.' Erotic asphyxiation is a genuine sexual kink/fetish, but seems to be increasingly misunderstood and mispracticed by those who seemingly don't know what they're doing. It has also sinisterly been used as a defence in many murder trials, including the harrowing case of Grace Milane, whose killer claimed she had died as a result of choking during consensual sex. Following this trial, the 'rough sex gone wrong' defence was banned in the UK — a key step in acknowledging that women cannot consent to their own harm or murder. As mentioned, women's groups have voiced their support for the criminalisation of choking porn, with Andrea Simon, the director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, saying in a press release: 'Women cannot consent to the long-term harm [strangulation] can cause, including impaired cognitive functioning and memory. Its widespread portrayal in porn is fuelling dangerous behaviours, particularly among young people.' The availability of this kind of violent porn, and porn more broadly, is why the government is introducing its age verification laws next month, as part of the Online Safety Bill, which will force any websites or platforms (presumably including social media sites) that allow pornography to introduce effective age checks. This may include users providing their driver's license or passport, credit card details, or even agreeing to facial age estimation technology. It's unclear how exactly this will work in practice, and whether sites like Pornhub will simply block access in the UK, as they have done in the US, in light of the potential privacy risks. In a statement, digital rights campaigners Open Rights Group warned: 'The roll-out of age verification is likely to create new cybersecurity risks. This could take the form of more scam porn sites that will trick users into handing over personal data to 'verify their age'.' Although the ban is well-intentioned, it's easy to announce something but much harder to implement it in practice. 'In one regard, yes, it's a good idea to [stop people seeing] anything that is clearly harmful to women. But simply banning it isn't going to solve the problem,' says Marcus Johnstone, a criminal defence solicitor at PCD Solicitors. For one, Johnstone continues, 'you can ban lawful porn sites depicting non-fatal strangulation, but then what happens? It goes underground'. There's also the issue of who the liability falls to. 'Are they criminalising the makers, watchers, possessors of the image, [or the platforms that host them]? None of that is very clear,' adds Sean Caulfield, a partner in the crime team at Hodge Jones & Allen. There's no denying that something needs to be done about rising misogyny and violence against women and girls, including non-consensual choking. But what young people really need is comprehensive sex education, including porn literacy. Banning choking porn doesn't seek to tackle the true crux of the problem. Instead, we should be ensuring that all content young people can access on the internet is safe, and that the porn they are being exposed to is appropriately regulated. 'It's clear we need far more effective legislation to ensure online safety,' says Susie McDonald, the CEO of Tender, a charity that educates on healthy relationships. 'But equally critical is the need for all children and young people to access high quality relationships education so they can understand the key tenets of healthy relationships like consent and respect — and recognise the early warning signs of abuse. 'Right now, too many simply don't have access to this vital education,' she continues. 'RSHE needs to play a key role in keeping our young people safe, online and in the real world. We have a responsibility to protect all children as early as possible.' Implementing parameters of safety around online porn, especially for impressionable young people, is key — but so is ensuring they have a full understanding of things like consent, to be able to make appropriate decisions in their own personal lives. 'Adults need to be trusted to make adult choices, but that only works if they're equipped with context and critical thinking skills,' agrees Madelaine Thomas, senior policy advisor at the Digital Intimacy Coalition. 'Porn is entertainment, not education. It is fiction and should be enjoyed as such, not as an instructional guide. Porn shouldn't be used to educate unless it explicitly labels itself as such. The key is in educating that porn is fiction and filling the gap in education to teach so that they don't look to fiction as fact.' For some, strangulation kinks are genuine, and there will be people in consenting sexual relationships who choose to engage in such acts. There is already a law banning porn depicting graphic strangulation, and incoming age verification laws that should, in theory, prevent under 18s from viewing pornography of any kind. Depictions of strangulation shouldn't be freely accessible online, but the problem goes far beyond the porn young people are watching. We urgently need comprehensive sex education, media and porn literacy, and to encourage open, judgment-free conversations about sex, relationships, and consent. There also needs to be more funding for services that work to prevent violence against women and girls, a justice system that actually achieves justice for victims of sexual violence, and education that seeks to address the rise in misogyny among young people — and the real world effects that it has.
Irish Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Erin Doherty cast alongside Bill Nighy and Helena Bonham Carter in new BBC drama
ERIN DOHERTY has been announced among the cast of a new BBC drama by the award-winning writer Hugo Blick which is set in a 1970s caravan park. The actor, whose grandfather hails from Carndonagh in Donegal, was born and raised in Crawley, west London. She recently starred in the Netflix hit Adolescence and previously played Princess Anne in The Crown. Her role in the new BBC series California Avenue sees her working with Bill Nighy, Helena Bonham Carter and Tom Burke. Cailfornia Avenue stars Bill Nighy, Helen Bonham Carter, Erin Doherty and Tom Burke (Pic: BBC) Doherty stars as Lela in the show, a young mother who is on the run with her daughter. In the coming months she will be on location in Hertfordshire, where filming for the six-part series is due to begin. 'Over the past few decades, whether through comedy, political dramas or even a western, I've looked to explore what television fiction can be,' writer Blick said of the show. 'California Avenue is an exploration of the people who inspired me to want to do this,' he added. Nighy and Bonham Carter star as Jerry and Eddie, Lela's parents, while Burke co-stars as showman outcast, Cooper. The series is the latest collaboration between Hugo Blick and production partners Drama Republic, Eight Rooks and the BBC, following their work on The English, The Honourable Woman and Black Earth Rising. Executive producer and Drama Republic co-founder, Greg Brenman, described Blick's show as a 'world of precious relationships and unexpected revelations, all delivered with a big, big heart and generous humour'. 'If you ever needed reminding of Hugo's incredible range as a storyteller, look no further,' he added. Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said the series will take viewers on 'the journey of a lifetime to 1970s California Avenue". Filming begins later this summer in and around Hertfordshire.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Who is on Question Time? Full BBC line-up for tonight
Question Time has confirmed the line-up for this week's episode - see who 📺 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Question Time is back with another episode this week. Fiona Bruce will host another topical debate. But who will be on the panel this time? Question Time will be tackling the challenges of 'growing up in the 21st Century' this week. The BBC has confirmed the line-up for its flagship debate programme. Debuting back in 1979, it has been a firm weekly fixture of the Beeb's TV schedule in the decades following. The latest episode will feature a YouTube star as well as political stalwarts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But who exactly is on the Question Time panel this week? Here's all you need to know: What to expect from Question Time this week? Fiona Bruce, the host of Question Time | BBC Fiona Bruce will once again be hosting the latest episode of the topical debate show. It will be broadcast from Greenford in north-west London this week, according to Radio Times . It is set to be a 'special programme on the challenges of growing up in the 21st Century'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Who is on Question Time this week? The line-up for the latest episode of the long-running BBC show has been revealed. It includes the following: Peter Kyle MP David Willetts Katharine Birbalsingh Jack Thorne TommyInnit What are the Question Time panellists known for? This week's edition of Question Time, features a mix of politicians and other public figures. If the name Jack Thorne rings a bell it is because he was one of the minds behind 2025's blockbuster hit Adolescence. Thorne is also known for writing the Harry Potter stage play - the Cursed Child. He also penned another Netflix series this year in Toxic Town - starring Jodie Whittaker. Peter Kyle is a current member of Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet and holds the position of Secretary of State for Science and Technology. He is the MP for Hove and Portslade (formerly just Hove) and was first elected at the 2015 general election. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From the other side of the political aisle is David Willetts. He was Minister of State for Universities and Science under David Cameron between 2010 and 2014 - and is now a Conservative Peer. Willetts is the president of the Resolution Foundation - which is a think-thank aiming to improve the standard of living of low- to middle-income families. He served as an MP from 1992 to 2015, when he was made a peer. Britain's so-called strictest headmistress Katharine Birbalsingh is the co-founder of the Michaela Community School in Wembley, London. She was also appointed as the chair of the Social Mobility Commission in 2021 and received a CBE in 2020. TommyInnit is a YouTuber, Twitch streamer, comedian and author - he started uploading streams online in 2013 and has had billions of views since. The internet star, real name Tom Simons, made his name with his Minecraft streams but is now also known for his stand-up comedy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He will also be the only member on the panel born in the 21st century - and is just 21 years old. Which contrasts with the more mature ages of the other panelists this week. How to watch Question Time tonight? The latest episode will be first broadcast on BBC News and iPlayer at 9pm, it has been confirmed. It will be repeated on BBC One and 10.40pm and is set to run for approximately an hour. Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at . It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Who is on Question Time? Full BBC line-up for tonight
Question Time has confirmed the line-up for this week's episode - see who 📺 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Question Time is back with another episode this week. Fiona Bruce will host another topical debate. But who will be on the panel this time? Question Time will be tackling the challenges of 'growing up in the 21st Century' this week. The BBC has confirmed the line-up for its flagship debate programme. Debuting back in 1979, it has been a firm weekly fixture of the Beeb's TV schedule in the decades following. The latest episode will feature a YouTube star as well as political stalwarts. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But who exactly is on the Question Time panel this week? Here's all you need to know: What to expect from Question Time this week? Fiona Bruce, the host of Question Time | BBC Fiona Bruce will once again be hosting the latest episode of the topical debate show. It will be broadcast from Greenford in north-west London this week, according to Radio Times . It is set to be a 'special programme on the challenges of growing up in the 21st Century'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Who is on Question Time this week? The line-up for the latest episode of the long-running BBC show has been revealed. It includes the following: Peter Kyle MP David Willetts Katharine Birbalsingh Jack Thorne TommyInnit What are the Question Time panellists known for? This week's edition of Question Time, features a mix of politicians and other public figures. If the name Jack Thorne rings a bell it is because he was one of the minds behind 2025's blockbuster hit Adolescence. Thorne is also known for writing the Harry Potter stage play - the Cursed Child. He also penned another Netflix series this year in Toxic Town - starring Jodie Whittaker. Peter Kyle is a current member of Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet and holds the position of Secretary of State for Science and Technology. He is the MP for Hove and Portslade (formerly just Hove) and was first elected at the 2015 general election. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From the other side of the political aisle is David Willetts. He was Minister of State for Universities and Science under David Cameron between 2010 and 2014 - and is now a Conservative Peer. Willetts is the president of the Resolution Foundation - which is a think-thank aiming to improve the standard of living of low- to middle-income families. He served as an MP from 1992 to 2015, when he was made a peer. Britain's so-called strictest headmistress Katharine Birbalsingh is the co-founder of the Michaela Community School in Wembley, London. She was also appointed as the chair of the Social Mobility Commission in 2021 and received a CBE in 2020. TommyInnit is a YouTuber, Twitch streamer, comedian and author - he started uploading streams online in 2013 and has had billions of views since. The internet star, real name Tom Simons, made his name with his Minecraft streams but is now also known for his stand-up comedy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He will also be the only member on the panel born in the 21st century - and is just 21 years old. Which contrasts with the more mature ages of the other panelists this week. How to watch Question Time tonight? The latest episode will be first broadcast on BBC News and iPlayer at 9pm, it has been confirmed. It will be repeated on BBC One and 10.40pm and is set to run for approximately an hour.
