BBC One viewers definitely have a lot to say about the new adaptation of Normal People.
The 12-part adaptation of Sally Rooney's award-winning romance novel kicked off its run on the BBC on Monday (April 27), with its spellbinding story of young love.
Normal People chronicles the highs and lows of love blossoming between Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) and Marianne Sheridan (War of the Worlds' Daisy Edgar-Jones) as they try to keep their feelings secret from their social circles in rural Ireland.
"Don't tell anyone at school," popular Connell asks Marianne in one early encounter, with the wallflower admitting: "Like I talk to anyone at school?"
As they grow closer, the teens begin to question what they want out of life – and what their electric sexual connection means for their future.
One word that recurred in the first reactions to the premiere and three other episodes up on iPlayer was "perfect", as fans got completely swept up in this modern star-crossed romance:
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In the run-up to Normal People premiering, Daisy Edgar-Jones spoke to Digital Spy about how Lenny Abrahamson wanted to ensure the on-screen nudity in the series made both actors comfortable.
"When Paul and I are in a scene together, and he's topless and I'm topless, it's very different for him than it is for me," said Edgar-Jones.
"So I wanted it to feel that it was equal, and also that the nudity wasn't sexualised – which I don't think it is. I think it's more often in a non-sexual capacity that they are nude.
"I think that was really important because what Sally writes is a really raw and real relationship, and that's a really real part of being in a relationship – being able to be comfortable with each other."
Normal People airs its third and fourth episodes next Monday (May 4) at 9pm on BBC One.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
