| Genre: | Drama |
| Director: | Dawn Shadforth |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 4 |
| Producer: | Anna Goodridge |
| Music: | Hannah Holland |
| Cinematography: | Chloë Thomson |
| Company: | Fifty Fathoms Productions |
| Network: | Channel 4 |
Adult Material is a four-part British drama television series concerning a woman's life working in the adult film industry.[1]
The show starred Hayley Squires and was created by an all female team.[2]
The series first aired on Channel 4 on 5 October 2020.[3]
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.
| Role | Actor | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jolene Dollar / Hayley Burrows | Hayley Squires | One of the top porn performers in the UK, and mother of three | |
| Rich | Jolene’s long-term partner, who runs Jolene’s social media | ||
| Amy | Teenage dancer who has just started working in the porn industry | ||
| Stella Maitland | An opinionated MP facing a scandal | ||
| Abby | Stella's personal assistant and lover | ||
| Tom Pain | US porn performer with a reputation for extreme content | ||
| Carroll Quinn | Wealthy UK porn producer | ||
| Phoebe | Alex Jarrett | Jolene’s eldest daughter | |
| Dave | Porn director | ||
| Sabelle | Timmika Ramsay | Friend of Jolene and a fellow porn performer |
Sheridan 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.
The series received positive reviews and a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score.[5] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave it four stars, calling it "perfect drama".[6] James Walton of The Spectator called it: "Funny, tender and properly horrible."[7]
The show received four BAFTA nominations, including Best Mini-Series and Best Actress, for Hayley Squires.[8]