10 Incredible TV Scenes Shot In A Single Take

Few recent dramas have made shockwaves quite like Adolescence, co-created by its star, Stephen Graham. The four-part Netflix series delves into the aftermath of a 13-year-old boy's arrest for the alleged murder of a female classmate. Though Adolescence should be applauded for its cutting social commentary, astounding writing, and visceral performances, it's the way it's shot that stands out, since every episode is a singular tracking shot.

This feat is incredible, particularly when considering how some episodes involve hundreds of actors, numerous set changes, and sequences that require heavy choreography, like the opening police raid.

There's one shot in the second episode where a student is chased out of a classroom's window, forcing the camera operator to leap through a window without missing a beat. That same episode concludes with an aerial shot, which required the crew to attach a camera to a drone, fly it around, drop it down, and get picked up by an operator. The sequence is executed so seamlessly, many viewers wouldn't realise how intricate it must've been to pull it off.

Speaking of which, the prep needed for Adolescence was intense. Each episode spent three weeks in production, with one week for filming. No scene-stitching was used, meaning one mistake could force everyone involved to start from scratch. As a result,  it's no surprise to learn that certain episodes had to be filmed more than ten times.

This must've been nightmarish to coordinate, but it was clearly worth it as Adolescence is sure to leave a lasting impression.