Stephen Graham Led A British Prison Series That Makes Netflix's Adolescence Look Mild

Anyone familiar with the work of Stephen Graham, the co-creator and star of Netflix's "Adolescence," knows that the English actor revels in roles that are inherently dark and heavy. His character, Eddie Miller, in the 2025 Netflix miniseries — which the internet can't stop raving about — was a prime example of that, but it's hardly the most severe or haunting role he played during the three-plus decades he's been an actor. If you saw 2007's "This is England," you'll never forget Graham's neo-Nazi Combo, and the same goes for Joseph, a broken man who confronts the abuser who sexually assaulted him as a child in 2019's "The Virtues." That's also the case with Eric McNally, a prison officer Graham played in the BBC's 2021 anthology prison drama, "Time."

In the three-episode first season, McNally serves as the supervising officer of Mark Cobden (the other lead played by a restrained Sean Bean), a middle-aged teacher convicted of killing a man while driving under the influence. As a guard, McNally is firm, diligent, and incredibly tough, but he also carries the daunting burden of having his son David (Paddy Rowan) behind bars in a different facility. Trouble begins to brew for McNally when an inmate tells him that he knows where David is, and if he doesn't help certain people here, his son might get hurt soon.

Both men face impossible situations, with Cobden finding himself in a world ruled by violence he can't handle, and McNally facing the kind of corruption he carefully steered away from his entire career. Little by little, the characters begin to break down in a flawed penal system that seems designed for ruining lives instead of rehabilitating troubled criminals.

"Time" isn't for the faint of heart. Creator Jimmy McGovern establishes that quickly in the first episode, throwing us into a prison milieu that's as harsh, volatile, and listless as one imagines. Sudden outbursts of violence and aggravations are constantly in the air, and if you're not on your toes at all times, they can sweep you away like a tornado. McGovern also emphasizes, through painstaking details, that the British penal system is different from the American one we usually see in movies and TV shows. The rules here might be somewhat milder, but the impact a facility like this can have on one's psyche remains just as potent.

We see that mostly through the eyes of Cobden, who wanders around in this place like prey in a lion's den, terrified and hopeless, never knowing where the next blow might come from. McNally sees that he's different from the rest — a man truly haunted by his crime and seeking penance while hoping there's a redemption at the end of it — and tries to help and protect Cobden as much as he can without breaking his own principles. But the guard clearly has a growing black cloud over his head, too, as he's forced to help one of the prison's most powerful inmates in order to save his son from murder.

Both Bean and Graham deliver phenomenal, if difficult, performances that "Time" expertly utilizes to become a standout entry in the genre. And although they undeniably dominate the show, it'd be unfair to dismiss the rest of the cast, which is just as apt in the smaller supporting roles — especially James Nelson-Joyce as Cobden's bully, Johnno, Jack McMullen as Cobden's cellmate, Daniel, and Kevin Harvey as a caring and endearing father, Paul.

Given its anthology structure, "Time" season 2 takes place in a women's prison and focuses on three new main characters, Orla ("Doctor Who's" Jodie Whittaker), a desperate single mother, Kelsey ("The Last of Us" star Bella Ramsey), a pregnant young heroin addict, and Abi (Tamara Lawrance from HBO's "Get Millie Black"), a Black woman sentenced to life for an unthinkable murder. Although these women's lives are quite different from one another, their paths inevitably intertwine when they're placed in the Carlingford Prison for their various crimes.

Season 2 might not have gotten the same attention as its predecessor, but nevertheless, both critics and viewers praised it, particularly for its gritty atmosphere as well as the central performances. As TV Insider's Matt Roush wrote in his review, "The second season is at its best when its female inmates open up, venting after gruelling [sic] and grisly encounters that make 'Orange Is the New Black' look like a trip to Disneyland."

Both seasons of "Time" are available on Apple TV+ in the U.S., but note that the streamer has increased its subscription fee to $12.99 per month. Meanwhile, the third and final season of "Time" was confirmed in November 2025 (via The Hollywood Reporter), and it will star "Broadchurch's" David Tennant alongside Siobhan Finneran, who reprises her role from seasons 1 and 2 as prison chaplain Marie-Louise O'Dell. We also know that the last season will focus on young offenders, though there's no official release date yet.