The creators of Netflix’s viral sensation Adolescence - the UK’s most-watched drama of 2024, with 6.45 million viewers and a planned rollout in British schools -are about to raise the bar again with Reunion.
Starring EastEnders’ Rose Ayling-Ellis, Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan), Anne-Marie Duff (Shameless), and How to Have Sex breakout Lara Peake, this deaf-led thriller is already being hailed as their most powerful work yet.
Where Adolescence exposed the dangers of toxic online culture through the story of a teenage boy accused of murder, Reunion shifts focus to systemic neglect.
This time through the lens of a deaf ex-convict fighting for redemption. Both series share the same gut-punch intensity, but early screenings suggest Reunion’s emotional impact runs even deeper.
Set to premiere this Thursday at 9pm on BBC One, the four-part drama sees Matthew Gurney (The Last Kingdom) play Daniel Brennan, a newly released deaf convict navigating a world that refused to hear his truth a decade ago.
Like Adolescence’s Eddie Miller (Stephen Graham), Brennan is a flawed protagonist who defies easy categorization—neither hero nor villain, but a man trapped by circumstances.
A Production as Groundbreaking as Its Predecessor
Just as Adolescence sparked national conversations about online safety, Reunion is poised to do the same for deaf representation.
Sheffield-born deaf writer William Mager’s script delivers unflinching authenticity, with BSL scenes presented without translation—a bold choice that mirrors Adolescence’s unflinching portrayal of incel culture.
The production breaks new ground with:
- 35+ deaf professionals across cast and crew (triple the representation of most dramas)
- Unsubtitled BSL scenes, requiring hearing audiences to engage visually—much like Adolescence forced viewers to sit with uncomfortable truths
- A deaf co-director for courtroom sequences, a UK television first
- Prison sequences developed with ex-inmates and deaf charities, echoing Adolescence’s collaboration with youth violence experts
Philip Barantini (Boiling Point) directs with the same relentless tension that made Adolescence’s interrogation scenes so electrifying.
The courtroom scenes were co-directed by a deaf filmmaker – a UK drama first.
Early reviewers note Reunion’s third-episode twist rivals the jaw-dropping moment in Adolescence when Jamie’s online activity was revealed.
Why This Could Be Bigger Than Adolescence
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“Both shows ask who gets heard in society,” says producer Hannah Farrell. “But where Adolescence made you question your assumptions about teenage boys, Reunion forces you to confront how the justice system fails deaf people.”
Gurney’s Brennan is a far cry from Adolescence’s Eddie Miller, but both characters share a raw humanity. “Daniel’s anger, his flaws—that’s what makes him real,” says Gurney, who nearly rejected the role until seeing how it avoided tired stereotypes.
Ayling-Ellis, whose role mirrors Adolescence’s morally complex women, adds: “This isn’t just representation—it’s revolution.”
How to Watch
All episodes drop on BBC iPlayer from Thursday, including signed, subtitled, and audio-described versions - just as Adolescence partnered with charities to reach wider audiences.
As Mager puts it: “Adolescence changed the game. Reunion is here to rewrite the rules.”
