Absolute Beginners (TV series)

Absolute Beginners (Absolutni debiutanci) is a Polish teen drama television series. It was released on Netflix on 25 October 2023.

Premise
Lena and Niko travel to the Polish seaside to make an admissions film for their dream film school. There, they meet a boy who will put their friendship to the test.

Main

 * Martyna Byczkowska as Lena Głowacka, a teenager on the autism spectrum and Niko's best friend
 * Bartłomiej Deklewa as Niko, Lena's best friend
 * Jan Sałasiński as Igor Tymczenko, a promising young basketball player from Silesia who is attending a basketball camp on the coast
 * Paulina Krzyżańska as Malwina, Igor's summer fling and Niko's friend
 * Katarzyna Warnke as Tamara, Lena's mother
 * Piotr Witkowski as Dawid, Lena's stepfather
 * Anna Krotoska as Bogusia, Niko's mother
 * Andrzej Konopka (actor) as Paweł, Niko's father
 * Julian Świeżewski as Marcin, Igor's coach

Recurring

 * Maciej Kosiacki as Jacek
 * Jakub Wieczorek as "Ryba", Malwina's father
 * Ewa Ekwa as Wika
 * Maciej Maleńczuk as the campsite owner
 * Mariusz Bonaszewski as the club president

Guest

 * Agnieszka Holland as the chairwoman of the examination committee
 * Agnieszka Smoczyńska as a member of the examination committee
 * Xawery Żuławski as a member of the examination committee
 * Natalia Fiedorczuk as a member of the examination committee
 * Łukasz Maciejewski as a member of the examination committee
 * Jerzy Matula as a member of the examination committee

Production
The series was filmed in Ustka, a spa town on the Slovincian Coast.

Reception
Reviewing the pilot episode, Joel Keller of Decider wrote, "With some interesting lead performances, and a plot that goes beyond the standard teen coming-of-age stuff, Absolute Beginners sets up an intriguing story about teens who either aren’t sure about what they want or are sure but have trouble expressing it."