Counting the days until Normal People finally hits screens?

Here's the lowdown on one of 2020's most anticipated TV series ahead of its launch next week.  

What’s it about?

Based on the bestselling novel by Sally Rooney, the 12-part Normal People TV adaptation follows teenagers Connell and Marianne from the end of their school days in Mayo through their time at college in Dublin. The book, released in 2018, has sold thousands of copies both here and on the other side of the Atlantic and was ranked 25^th in the Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century. The series was co-produced and partly-scripted by Rooney and was shot on location in Dublin, so fans can expect it to stay true to the story they know and love.

Why has the show generated so much hype?

Well, partly for all the acclaim the novel has earned. Normal People has been longlisted for the Man Booker prize, celebrities like Taylor Swift and Lena Dunham have sung its praises and booksellers in the US have struggled to keep up with demand for copies. Add to that the fact that previous Oscar nominee Lenny Abramson, (Room, Frank) directed the series and you can see why there’s so much excitement for it.

Who’s in it?

The TV adaptation stars 24-year-old Kildare native Paul Mescal as Connell and 21-year-old English actress Daisy Edgar-Jones as Marianne. Mescal has said that he identified closely with his character long before he was cast. “I felt, I know who he is, and I know I could do a good job doing that if I was given the opportunity,” he told the Irish Independent. “I had an immediate understanding of how I would go about playing him.” Edgar Jones was similarly eager to play a part in bringing the story to life. “I got the book and I just fell in love with it,” she told the Guardian. “The stakes were really high because I thought: ‘Oh my God, I love this more than I’ve loved anything. I really want this part.’”

Where can I watch it and when?

Normal People will air weekly on BBC, starting with a double bill on Monday 27 April at 9pm. RTE is set to show the series from the following night, Tuesday April 28, and will also kick off with a double bill.