Stephen Graham and Hannah Walters had 'no idea' Adolescence would be so successful

Stephen Graham and Hannah Walters have revealed that they had "no idea" their TV show Adolescence would have such an impact.

Graham starred as Eddie Miller in the Netflix drama series, while his wife Walters served as executive producer.

The heartbreaking show tells the story of a British family whose lives are dramatically changed when their 13-year-old son is arrested for murdering a girl in his class.

The series, which premiered earlier this month, tackles issues such as male rage and incel culture.

Adolescence racked up 66.3 million views in its first two weeks on Netflix, making it the streamer's most-watched limited series in that time span.

Speaking to Variety, Graham said that since the show's release, he has been stopped on the street by several people, including an "elegant" older woman who burst into tears and wanted to hug him.

"I suppose what I'm trying to say is that we had no idea that it would impact socially the way it has, but it seems to have cut through all the race, creed and hierarchical structures of society with the message that it's carrying about our youth," the actor said.

Meanwhile, Walters admitted that the response to the show has been "overwhelming".

"Somebody sent us an email saying that he'd been the business for 38 years and had never known anything to have had an impact like that," she told the publication.

"We're number one in 80 countries, including Saudi Arabia, India, Australia... it's just incredible," the producer continued. "I didn't think the subject matter would resonate with the world, but it really has."

Walters added that they had received a number of "beautiful and heartfelt messages" from young people since the series was released, saying the show had encouraged them to talk to their parents about difficult subjects.

Asked if there were any plans for a second series or a sequel, Stephen joked, "Possibly, let's see how the figures are. But yeah, there's the possibility of developing another story."