Lucy Kirkwood

For a show that feels so now, Adult Material has been a long time in the making. It is nearly a decade since writer Lucy Kirkwood first thought of penning a story that would pull back the curtain on the mysterious world of the British pornography industry. Now, her vision has been fully realised as a four-part drama series.

Adult Material has a lot riding on it, in every sense. Belief in Kirkwood’s work is such that the show has become the flagship programme of Channel 4’s highly anticipated 2020 autumn season, a gaudy gem in its crown.

The powerful new series is set against the run-up to the 2016 US Presidential election, focusing on the relationship between China and the US and several issues that affect society today.

An American photojournalist tries to discover the truth behind the iconic image that launched his career nearly 30 years previously.

The famous image is of a man facing down a tank in China’s Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Years later, the journalist seeks out the Chinese man in the photo following accusations of fake news.