Adult Material is a four-part British drama television series concerning a woman's life working in the adult film industry.[1]
| Adult Material | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Lucy Kirkwood |
| Directed by | Dawn Shadforth |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Hannah Holland |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Anna Goodridge |
| Cinematography | Chloë Thomson |
| Production company | Fifty Fathoms Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 5 October 2020 |
The show starred Hayley Squires and was created by an all female team.[2]
Synopsis
editThe 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
edit| 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
editSheridan Smith was originally considered for the Jolene Dollar role, but pulled out due to scheduling conflicts.[4] 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.[5]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Rosebud" | Dawn Shadforth | Lucy Kirkwood | October 5, 2020 |
| 2 | "Dry for Wet" | Dawn Shadforth | Lucy Kirkwood | October 5, 2020 |
| 3 | "Hayley" | Dawn Shadforth | Lucy Kirkwood | October 5, 2020 |
| 4 | "Deep Fake" | Dawn Shadforth | Lucy Kirkwood | October 5, 2020 |
Reception
editThe series received positive reviews and a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score.[6] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave it four stars, calling it "perfect drama".[7] James Walton of The Spectator called it: "Funny, tender and properly horrible."[8]
The show received four BAFTA nominations, including Best Mini-Series and Best Actress, for Hayley Squires.[9]
References
edit- ^ Carr, Flora (29 September 2020). "Why the cast of Channel 4 drama Adult Material visited a real-life porn set". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ "Channel 4's Adult Material delves into the world of pornography". The Royal Television Society. 8 October 2020.
- ^ "TV tonight: Adult Material explores the ins and outs of the pornography industry". The Guardian. London, UK. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ Rodger, James (6 May 2018). "Sheridan Smith to Play Ageing Pornstar". Birmingham Mail.
- ^ Dann D IMDb page showing this credit
- ^ Adult Material at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (5 October 2020). "Adult Material review: Porn and prolapses make for perfect drama". The Guardian.
- ^ Walton, James (10 October 2020). "Funny, tender and properly horrible: Channel 4's Adult Material reviewed". The Spectator.
- ^ "BAFTA Television awards 2021". BAFTA. 29 November 2021.