Skip to content
Normal People is a new 12-part drama set in Ireland, centering on the relationship between two individuals, Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones, above) and Connell (Paul Mescal), who meet in school, and for all that they dance around the houses, it’s clear they have a thing for each other.. It’s also obvious that the actors are far too old to be playing 18-year-olds in their final year of school, as they’ve just completed their mock A-levels, but anyway…
He’s attracted to her because she rebels against the school rules, turning up late to class and telling the teacher “Just give me a detention, then“, while she’s waif-like and likes the fact he’s a strapping bloke who’s ‘man of the match’ at rugby.
She lives in a massive house, while he resides in a semi-detached, and they dance around each other like nervous mid-teenagers, too scared to reveal their feelings for each other, but given how the actors are both in their early 20s, that doesn’t work whatsoever. Okay, so this series is meant to start at this junction in their lives and see them through college and beyond, but even still, it doesn’t wash.
Adrian Mole trying to unlock the secrets of Pandora’s box… this is not.
Apparently, this is an “exquisite, modern love story” from a “best-selling novel”, but I was bored senseless as we’re meant to care about these character-free no-marks.
Still, if it works for you, then you’ll be pleased to know that while there’s two episodes on BBC1 tonight, and the entire thing is also on the BBC iPlayer. We appear to have the premiere of this, as it airs on Hulu in the US on Wednesday.
And there’s a bit of bump-n-grind in episode 2, if that’s your bag.
Normal People begins on BBC1 tonight at 9pm with two episodes per week. The entire series is already on the BBC iPlayer.
The series is not yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but then given that you can watch it for free online, haven’t the BBC shot their bolt on trying to sell anything? In the meantime, though, you can buy the Novel.
Episodes 1 and 2 Score: 0/10
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Producer: Catherine Magee
Writers: Alice Birch, Sally Rooney
Novel: Sally Rooney
Cast:
Marianne: Daisy Edgar-Jones
Connell: Paul Mescal
Lorraine: Sarah Greene
Ms Neary: Liz Fitzgibbon
Mr Kerrigan: Muiris Crowley
Rachel: Leah McNamara
Alan: Frank Blake
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.