Adult Material
{{short description|British television series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| genre = Drama
| based_on =
| writer = Lucy Kirkwood
| director = Dawn Shadforth
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 4
| producer = Anna Goodridge
| music = Hannah Holland
| cinematography = Chloë Thomson
| editor =
| runtime =
| company = Fifty Fathoms Productions
| network = Channel 4
| released = {{Start date|2020|10|5|df=yes}}
}}
Adult Material is a four-part British drama television series concerning a woman's life working in the adult film industry.{{Cite web |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-09-29/adult-material-real-porn-set/ |title=Why the cast of Channel 4 drama Adult Material visited a real-life porn set |last=Carr |first=Flora |date=29 September 2020 |work=Radio Times |publisher=Immediate Media Company |access-date=1 October 2020 |quote=}}
The show starred Hayley Squires and was created by an all female team.{{cite web |url=https://rts.org.uk/article/channel-4s-adult-material-delves-world-pornography |title=Channel 4's Adult Material delves into the world of pornography |work=The Royal Television Society |date=2020-10-08 }}
The series first aired on Channel 4 on 5 October 2020.{{cite news |author=|date=October 5, 2020 |title=TV tonight: Adult Material explores the ins and outs of the pornography industry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/05/tv-tonight-adult-material-explores-the-ins-and-outs-of-the-pornography-industry |work=The Guardian |location=London, UK |access-date=June 8, 2024}}
Synopsis
The series follows Hayley Burrows, ostensibly an ordinary hardworking mum-of-three who has been working as Jolene Dollar in the adult entertainment industry for many years. Her life is dramatically changed by an incident between Amy, a new girl in the industry, and an American hardcore actor, Tom Pain.
Jolene meets MP Stella Maitland on a talk show, just before Stella is exposed for downloading porn on her work computer. With her home life falling apart and facing health issues, Jolene decides to quit the industry and gets a job in a coffee bar.
While facing a defamation trial for speaking out about Amy's treatment, Jolene, now supported by the disgraced Stella, goes to extreme lengths to save her family from financial ruin.
Main cast
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Role | Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jolene Dollar / Hayley Burrows | Hayley Squires | One of the top porn performers in the UK, and mother of three |
| Rich | Joe Dempsie | Jolene’s long-term partner, who runs Jolene’s social media |
| Amy | Siena Kelly | Teenage dancer who has just started working in the porn industry |
| Stella Maitland | Kerry Godliman | An opinionated MP facing a scandal |
| Abby | Mandeep Dhillon | Stella's personal assistant and lover |
| Tom Pain | Julian Ovenden | US porn performer with a reputation for extreme content |
| Carroll Quinn | Rupert Everett | Wealthy UK porn producer |
| Phoebe | Alex Jarrett | Jolene’s eldest daughter |
| Dave | Phil Daniels | Porn director |
| Sabelle | Timmika Ramsay | Friend of Jolene and a fellow porn performer |
Production
Sheridan Smith was originally considered for the Jolene Dollar role, but pulled out due to scheduling conflicts.{{cite web |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/sheridan-smith-play-ageing-porn-14624226 |title=Sheridan Smith to Play Ageing Pornstar |first=James |last=Rodger |date=2018-05-06 |work=Birmingham Mail }} Adult industry professionals Rebecca More and Danny D were advisors and coaches for the series, with the latter landing a cameo in episode two as reporter Sam Pike.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#000000 |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |country=UK |total_width=
|episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|Title = Rosebud
|DirectedBy = Dawn Shadforth
|WrittenBy = Lucy Kirkwood
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|10|5}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|Title = Dry for Wet
|DirectedBy = Dawn Shadforth
|WrittenBy = Lucy Kirkwood
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|10|5}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|Title = Hayley
|DirectedBy = Dawn Shadforth
|WrittenBy = Lucy Kirkwood
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|10|5}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|Title = Deep Fake
|DirectedBy = Dawn Shadforth
|WrittenBy = Lucy Kirkwood
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|10|5}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
}}
Reception
The series received positive reviews and a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score.[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/adult_material Adult Material at Rotten Tomatoes ] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave it four stars, calling it "perfect drama".{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/05/adult-material-review-porn-and-prolapses-make-for-perfect-drama |title=Adult Material review: Porn and prolapses make for perfect drama |first=Lucy |last=Mangan |date=2020-10-05 |work=The Guardian }} James Walton of The Spectator called it: "Funny, tender and properly horrible."{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/funny-tender-and-properly-horrible-channel-4-s-adult-material-reviewed |title=Funny, tender and properly horrible: Channel 4's Adult Material reviewed |first=James |last=Walton |work=The Spectator |date=2020-10-10 }}
The show received four BAFTA nominations, including Best Mini-Series and Best Actress, for Hayley Squires.{{cite web |url=https://www.bafta.org/television/awards/tv-2021 |title=BAFTA Television awards 2021 |date=2021-11-29 |work=BAFTA }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|8905884}}
- [https://www.channel4.com/programmes/adult-material Adult Material at Channel 4.com]
Category:2020 British television series debuts
Category:2020 British television series endings
Category:2020s British drama television series
Category:2020s British television miniseries
Category:Channel 4 television dramas
Category:British English-language television shows
Category:Television series about pornography