WHAT does it take, these days, to start a national conversation? The answer would appear to be a bingeable TV or Netflix drama that “touches the heart strings” while “pulling no punches”.

First, we had ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which forced a decades-long scandal into the public eye (and resulted in new legislation to exonerate those who had been wrongly convicted).

Then we had Baby Reindeer, which got everyone chatting about stalking, victim-blaming, and the ethics of bingeable Netflix dramas.

Now we have Adolescence: a writing/directing/acting tour de force which explores, well – where to start? – teenagers, technology, masculinity, incel culture, violence, and the growing gulf between the generations.

The four-part series, written by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini, has already garnered reviews so glittering everyone involved must be blinded by the dazzle.

The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan called it “the closest thing to TV perfection in decades” while the Telegraph’s Anita Singh described it as a “masterclass”. This praise, of course, meant the spluttering contrarians over at the Spectator were lining up to highlight its “flaws”. I always imagine them wetting a finger and holding it up to work out the direction of the prevailing wind, just so they can set themselves implacably against it.

Anyway, from the moment it burst on to Netflix, Adolescence’s chilling portrayal of growing up online has been the talk of the steamie, with Sir Keir Starmer – whose government recently backed away from moves to ban under-16s from social media – lauding it as a call to action.

As you may know by now, the series centres on 13-year-old Jamie Miller (played by newcomer Owen Cooper) who stabs Katie, a fellow pupil, to death after she rejects him.

This is not a spoiler: Jamie’s guilt is never in question. The series is not about the twists and turns of the investigation – it’s about the........

© Herald Scotland