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Normal People is an Irish romantic psychological drama limited series produced by Element Pictures for BBC Three and Hulu in association with Screen Ireland.[1][2][3] It is based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Sally Rooney. The series follows the relationship between Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal), as they navigate adulthood from their final days in secondary school to their undergraduate years in Trinity College. The series was primarily written by Rooney and Alice Birch and directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald.

Normal People
Genre	Psychological drama Romance
Based on	Normal People by Sally Rooney
Written by	Sally Rooney Alice Birch Mark O'Rowe
Directed by	Lenny Abrahamson Hettie Macdonald
Starring	Daisy Edgar-Jones Paul Mescal
Composer	Stephen Rennicks
Country of origin	Ireland
Original language	English
No. of episodes	12 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Ed Guiney Andrew Lowe Emma Norton Anna Ferguson Sally Rooney Lenny Abrahamson
Producer	Catherine Magee
Production locations	Ireland Sweden Italy
Cinematography	Suzie Lavelle Kate McCullough
Editors	Nathan Nugent Stephen O'Connell
Running time	23–34 minutes
Production companies	Element Pictures Screen Ireland
Distributor	BBC Studios (UK) Endeavor Content (international)
Release
Original network	BBC Three RTÉ One Hulu
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Surround
Original release	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)
Chronology
Related	Conversations with Friends

The series was released on BBC Three in the United Kingdom on 26 April 2020, followed by weekly airings on BBC One. It premiered on RTÉ One in Ireland on 28 April 2020. In the United States, the series was released in its entirety on Hulu on 29 April 2020. The series has received critical acclaim, with praise for the performances, directing, writing, aesthetics, and its portrayal of mature content. At the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, the series was nominated for four awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor for Mescal and Outstanding Directing for Abrahamson.[4]

Premise

The series follows Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron through their time at secondary school in County Sligo on Ireland's Atlantic coast, and later as undergraduate students at Trinity College Dublin.

The focus is mainly Connell's and Marianne's complex relationship. Among her peers at secondary school, Marianne is regarded as an oddball, but she denies caring about her social standing.

Despite her academic achievements, her home life is complicated by her dismissive mother, Denise, and her resentful brother, Alan. Her father is deceased and is later revealed to have been domestically abusive, though her family avoids mentioning him.

Connell is an athletic, high-achieving student living with his single mother Lorraine, who is employed by Denise as a house cleaner. He is popular in school, though he remains silent while Marianne is constantly bullied. This creates complexity and point of contention as their relationship develops. In addition to that, both characters struggle to articulate their feelings and misread each other's intentions. [5]

Cast

Main

• Daisy Edgar-Jones as Marianne Sheridan, a student from an affluent family who is studious, outspoken, and therefore disliked. She begins a relationship with Connell which he suggests they keep secret. She later attends Trinity College Dublin and studies history and politics. Marianne struggles with validation from her family and romantic relationships which have an impact on the way she views herself.
• Paul Mescal as Connell Waldron, a well-liked, academically gifted student and athlete. His mother works as a cleaner for Marianne's family. He struggles with what he wants out of life and decides to follow Marianne's suggestion and apply to be an undergraduate at Trinity College to study English.

Recurring

• Sarah Greene as Lorraine Waldron, Connell's single mother who is employed by the Sheridan family as their cleaner. She and Connell share a close relationship and she expresses disappointment when Connell chooses his public image over treating Marianne well when they are in school. Prior to Marianne and Connell's secret relationship, she is very close with Marianne.
• Aislín McGuckin as Denise Sheridan, Marianne's single, wealthy mother who is a solicitor. Marianne's father is described as being abusive towards her. She doesn't have a close relationship with Marianne and often fails to control Alan's abuse towards Marianne throughout the series.
• Éanna Hardwicke as Rob Hegarty, a close friend of Connell's who attends the same school.
• Frank Blake as Alan Sheridan, Marianne's brother with whom she's not close. He does not treat Marianne well, frequently makes derisive comments about her, and is sometimes physically abusive.
• Eliot Salt as Joanna, a close friend Marianne meets at Trinity College.
• India Mullen as Peggy, a friend Marianne makes at Trinity College who also comes from a wealthy background.
• Desmond Eastwood as Niall, Connell's flatmate during his time at Trinity College. He and Marianne become friends and he often encourages Connell and Marianne's relationship.
• Sebastian de Souza as Gareth, the classmate of Connell's at Trinity College who is an advocate of free speech and Marianne's early collegiate love interest.
• Fionn O'Shea as Jamie, part of Marianne's social circle at Trinity College who is very competitive. He has a crush on Marianne throughout their university days.
• Leah McNamara as Rachel Moran, a fellow schoolmate of Marianne and Connell's and part of Connell's social circle. She and Connell once had a casual fling, making her occasionally jealous of Marianne. Connell asks her to the Debs formal instead of Marianne, resulting in them becoming estranged for the first time.
• Seán Doyle as Eric, one of Connell's school friends.
• Niamh Lynch as Karen, one of the nicer girls to Marianne at school in Sligo.
• Kwaku Fortune as Philip, a friend of Marianne's at Trinity College.
• Clinton Liberty as Kiernan.
• Aoife Hinds as Helen Brophy, Connell's girlfriend at Trinity College.
• Lancelot Ncube as Lukas, Marianne's boyfriend in Sweden.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	UK release date	US release date	Ireland air date
1	Episode 1	Lenny Abrahamson	Sally Rooney and Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	28 April 2020
At a secondary school in County Sligo, rural Ireland, a friendship sparks between the popular athlete Connell and outcast Marianne, which soon ignites into an intense romance. Connell lives at home with his kind mother, and Marianne lives in a mansion with her distant, busy mother and hateful brother. Connell's mother happens to be the housekeeper at Marianne's home. Marianne confronts Connell about her feelings for him and they kiss, but he's uncertain due to social pressures and keeps their acquaintance hidden.
2	Episode 2	Lenny Abrahamson	Sally Rooney and Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	28 April 2020
Connell and Marianne's romance blossoms, but he is eager to keep their relationship a secret to protect his high social standing in school. Connell and Marianne have sex and they continue to grow closer. However, Connell continues to ignore her in school. Marianne acts as though it is fine, but it puts their delicate connection under strain. Connell and his mother are very close in contrast to the high tension between Marianne and her family, which continues to grow.
3	Episode 3	Lenny Abrahamson	Sally Rooney and Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	5 May 2020
As their school days come to a close, Marianne cuts Connell off after a hurtful betrayal. Marianne turns up to a party, surprising everyone by looking glamorous. After a hurtful encounter at the party Connell drives her home, and they make up. Connell doesn't ask Marianne to the debs, which is the final straw. His mum expresses Marianne's hurt, but Connell brushes it off. Marianne stays home on the night of the debs still feeling betrayed; meanwhile Connell dances the night away with Rachel. Later on, full of beer and regret, Connell stumbles home crying, contemplating his loss.
4	Episode 4	Lenny Abrahamson	Sally Rooney and Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	5 May 2020
As he struggles to fit in at Trinity College, Connell is reunited with Marianne through Gareth, a classmate whom she is seeing. The tables are turned as Marianne has become the popular one and Connell the friendless loner. After meeting at a party, they decide they still want each other in their lives despite Marianne having moved on.
5	Episode 5	Lenny Abrahamson	Sally Rooney and Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	12 May 2020
Late night calls and constant close contact means Marianne's bond with Connell grows stronger. He becomes a part of Marianne's clique, although he doesn't really fit in. Connell apologizes for how he previously treated her, leading to Marianne doubting her seemingly strong relationship with Gareth. After thinking it over, she abruptly dumps him and then sleeps with Connell soon after returning from a party. However, someone else also has their eye on Marianne.
6	Episode 6	Lenny Abrahamson	Sally Rooney and Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	12 May 2020
For a while, things are ideal and Connell and Marianne's renewed relationship blossoms due to lack of pressure for once. Marianne goes home for a family dinner, which ends in tears due to more abuse from her brother. After he loses his job, Connell can no longer pay his rent. Unable to stay and too ashamed to ask Marianne to stay at her place, he has to move back to Sligo. Their fling comes to an abrupt end but it is not clear why.
7	Episode 7	Hettie Macdonald	Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	19 May 2020
Connell spends his days in Sligo getting drunk with old friends. Meanwhile, Jamie is finally free to make his move on Marianne and they start seeing each other. After meeting at the shop, Marianne and Connell rekindle their friendship. Marianne confesses that Jamie likes sadomasochism and claims she also likes it. Connell goes back to college for his results then goes drinking after being accepted into the prestigious Schols programme along with Marianne. She is celebrating with her friends and Jamie when Connell shows up bloody and drunk. Marianne tells Connell to leave after he tells her of his new girlfriend. Connell and Marianne discuss their breakup, and they realise it was due to a misunderstanding. Connell goes home to his girlfriend, Helen.
8	Episode 8	Hettie Macdonald	Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	19 May 2020
Connell and Niall have spent the summer backpacking in Europe. They visit Marianne's summer family home in the Italian countryside, where Jamie and Peggy have also been spending time. During their evening dinner, Jamie's controlling attitude is apparent to all and the two reach a breaking point. Marianne turns to Connell for protection and she stays in his room, where he comforts her.
9	Episode 9	Hettie Macdonald	Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	26 May 2020
Marianne is away on the Erasmus student exchange programme in Sweden where she finds herself in another unhealthy relationship with Lukas. In Ireland, Connell worries after Marianne's well-being, drawing the ire of Helen. During a session where Lukas takes bondage photos of her, Marianne gets upset and she breaks up with him.
10	Episode 10	Hettie Macdonald	Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	26 May 2020
Connell's mental health suffers after an old school friend dies by suicide, and he goes home to Sligo for the funeral. He becomes more distant from Helen even as she tries to support him, and eventually, she leaves him. He sees a counsellor who helps him connect to his emotions, and he deepens his connection with Marianne, despite the distance.
11	Episode 11	Hettie Macdonald	Mark O'Rowe	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	2 June 2020
Back in Sligo, Marianne and Connell struggle to find identity in their relationship. Things come to a head between Marianne and Alan, and he breaks her nose. She calls Connell for help; he confronts Alan, then takes her away, promising her that she will never experience such abuse again.
12	Episode 12	Hettie Macdonald	Alice Birch	26 April 2020 (2020-04-26)	29 April 2020	2 June 2020
With Connell and Marianne's relationship finally on track, he invites her to spend Christmas with his family. Meanwhile, Marianne's relationship with her mother has reached a low point. Connell receives an offer to study for a MFA program in New York, prompting the pair to reflect upon their future together.

Production

Development and casting

In May 2019, it was announced that BBC Three and Hulu ordered 12 episodes based on the novel that would premiere 2020 starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal as Marianne and Connell, respectively.[6] Sarah Greene and Aislín McGuckin were also announced as part of the cast.[7] Sally Rooney herself would help with the adaptation alongside writers Alice Birch and Mark O'Rowe. Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald would direct and the Irish company Element Pictures would produce the series.[8][9]

Filming

Principal photography began on location in County Sligo and Dublin in May 2019.[10]

Tubbercurry primarily made up the fictional town of Carricklea, with Streedagh Point along Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way used for beach scenes, Knockmore House in Enniskerry, County Wicklow for the Sheridans' residence, a terraced home in Shankill, Dublin for the Waldrons' residence, and Hartstown Community School in Clonsilla, Fingal, County Dublin for the secondary school scenes featuring real-life students in the background.[11] Students from Trinity College Dublin were also featured in the series while filming at the university.[12][13] Scenes at Marianne's Dublin flat were shot on Wellington Road in the affluent area of Ballsbridge.

Although set in Trieste in the novel, filming took place in Central Italy, primarily in and around Sant'Oreste, Stimigliano, and the villa Il Casale on Tenuta di Verzano, in Lazio. They waited until February 2020 to film the Sweden scenes in Luleå so snow would be on the ground and the Baltic Sea frozen over for Marianne to walk on.[9]

Music

Episode-1 ends with the song "Warped Windows" by Anna Mieke.

Episode-2 opens with the song "Did It To Myself" by Orla Gartland.

Episode-2 ends with the song "Angeles" by Elliott Smith.

Episode-3 ends with the song "Only You" by Alison Moyet.

Episode-4 ends with the song "Undertow" by Lisa Hannigan.

Episode-5 ends with the song "Make You Feel My Love" covered by Ane Brun.

Episode-6 opens with the song "Too Much" by Carly Rae Jepsen.

Episode-7 ends with the song "Metrona" by The Sei.

Episode-8 ends with the song "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Nerina Pallot.

Episode-9 opens with the song "Rare" by Selena Gomez.

Episode-10 ends with the song "Everything I Am Is Yours" by Villagers.

Episode-11 ends with the song "Strange Weather" by Anna Calvi featuring David Byrne.

The series featured music from The Young Will Eat The Old, the debut album from Irish hip hop duo Tebi Rex.[14]

Release

The first look pictures came out on 1 November 2019. BBC Three and Hulu released their own teasers on 17 January 2020, followed by trailers on 31 March 2020.[15]

The 12 episodes became available as a BBC Three box set on BBC iPlayer on 26 April, followed by a BBC One airing on 27 April. The series became available on Stan in Australia on 27 April and began airing on RTÉ One in Ireland on 28 April.[16][17] The series premiered in the US on Hulu on 29 April.[18] The series has been sold to over 20 broadcasters worldwide.[19]

In June 2020, Abrahamson directed Edgar-Jones and Mescal in a one-off spoof short episode as part of RTÉ Does Comic Relief, in which Marianne and Connell give confessions to a priest played by Andrew Scott.[20][21]

Reception

Critical response

The series has received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a 91% "Certified Fresh" rating, with an average score of 8.15/10 based on 85 reviews. The site's critic consensus states, "Anchored by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal's vulnerable performances, Normal People is at once intimate and illuminating, beautifully translating the nuances of its source material."[22] On Metacritic the series has a score of 82 out of 100 based on reviews from 25 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[23]

Caroline Framke of Variety magazine wrote: "With its trifecta of elegant writing, directing, and acting, Hulu's Normal People is just as bleak and uncompromising as Rooney's novel—a feat, and one that takes several episodes to fully absorb. In fact, it took me until about halfway through to understand just how much it was affecting me. ... As Marianne and Connell's relationship grows deeper, Normal People becomes as immersive as the book that inspired it, making you both crave and dread knowing—or perhaps more accurately, experiencing—what happens next."[24]

The production has received particular praise for its realistic portrayal of intimate content[25] and the work of Ita O'Brien as the show's intimacy coordinator.[26] The nudity sparked debate on Irish radio, with callers to Joe Duffy's Liveline saying it was inappropriate.[27]

The series has been widely praised by major critics and publications. Linda Holmes of NPR described Normal People as "a lovely series, not just to binge, but perhaps to dole out to yourself a couple of episodes at a time"[28] while CNN described it as "perfectly [understanding of] the desires we place on communication technologies and the ways they nearly always come up short" and "irresistible in abnormal times".[29]

Prathyush Parasuraman of Film Companion, wrote, "Rarely have I seen the sort of cultural dialogue that I saw post the release of Normal People in April 2020, when it was released in the UK. Based on Sally Rooney's namesake book, the story follows Marianne and Connell through the later years of their high-school, their years at college, and the post-collegiate restlessness, failing to be what one wished for oneself only years ago. It's set in and around Ireland, with brief detours to sunny Italy and snowy Sweden."[30]

The Irish Independent noted that the series glosses over references to The Communist Manifesto and Doris Lessing's feminist novel The Golden Notebook, which Rooney, who has described herself as a Marxist, included in the book.[31]

Viewing figures

Normal People reportedly gave BBC Three its best ever week on iPlayer (26 April to 3 May), receiving over 16.2 million programme requests across the 12 episodes, about 5 million of which were from 16- to 34-year-olds, and bringing BBC Three requests up to 21.8 million, doubling the previous record of 10.8 million from the release of the first series of Killing Eve. Seventy per cent of BBC Three requests that week were for Normal People and a quarter had finished all 12 episodes.[32][33] It became the most-streamed series of the year on the BBC, with 62.7 million views from April to November 2020.[34]

The first two episodes were reported to have been watched on RTÉ One by an average of 371,000 viewers with an additional 19,000 on RTÉ One +1 and 301,000 streams on RTÉ Player, becoming the most watched opening of a drama series on RTÉ Player. Thirty per cent of 15- to 34-year-olds watching TV were watching Normal People.[35] The finale had over 319,000 viewers, 33% of the total RTÉ audience and 20% increase over the previous week.

In June 2020, it was reported that Normal People had garnered over 3 million views on RTÉ Player, breaking the previous record for the streaming service of 1.2 million, which was held by the fourth series of Love/Hate.[36]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref.
2020	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie	Paul Mescal	Nominated	[37]
		Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special	Lenny Abrahamson (for "Episode 5")	Nominated
		Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special	Sally Rooney and Alice Birch (for "Episode 3")	Nominated
	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie or Special	Louise Kiely	Nominated
	TCA Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials	Normal People	Nominated	[38]
2021	AACTA Awards	Best Actor in a Series	Paul Mescal	Nominated	[39]
		Best Actress in a Series	Daisy Edgar-Jones	Nominated
	British Academy Television Awards	Best Mini-Series	Lenny Abrahamson, Sally Rooney, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Emma Norton and Catherine Magee	Nominated	[40]
		Best Actor	Paul Mescal	Won
		Best Actress	Daisy Edgar-Jones	Nominated
	British Academy Television Craft Awards	Best Director: Fiction	Lenny Abrahamson	Nominated
		Best Editing: Fiction	Nathan Nugent	Nominated
		Best Photography & Lighting: Fiction	Suzie Lavelle	Nominated
		Best Sound: Fiction	Niall O'Sullivan, Steve Fanagan and Niall Brady	Nominated
	BSC Awards	Best Cinematography in a Television Drama	Suzie Lavelle	Won	[41]
	Casting Society of America	Limited Series	Louise Kiely	Won	[42]
	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Limited Series	Normal People	Nominated	[43]
		Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries	Paul Mescal	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries	Daisy Edgar-Jones	Nominated
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Limited Series or Television Film	Normal People	Nominated	[44]
		Best Actress – Limited Series or Television Film	Daisy Edgar-Jones	Nominated
	MTV Movie & TV Awards	Best Breakthrough Performance	Paul Mescal	Nominated	[45]
	Producers Guild of America Awards	David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television	Lenny Abrahamson, Sally Rooney, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Emma Norton, Anna Ferguson and Catherine Magee	Nominated	[46]
	Satellite Awards	Best Miniseries	Normal People	Nominated	[47]
	RTS Awards	Director – Drama	Lenny Abrahamson	Won
		Photography – Drama and Comedy	Suzie Lavelle	Won
		Editing	Nathan Nungent	Nominated
	Irish Film & Television Awards	Best Drama	Normal People	Won	[48]
		Director – Drama	Lenny Abrahamson	Won
		Script – Drama	Sally Rooney	Won
		Lead Actor in a Drama	Paul Mescal	Won
		Supporting Actor in a Drama	Desmond Eastwood	Nominated
			Fionn O'Shea	Won
		Supporting Actress in a Drama	Sarah Greene	Won
		Cinematography	Kate McCullough	Won
			Suzie Lavelle	Nominated
		Costume	Lorna Marie Mugan	Nominated
		Editing	Nathan Nugent	Nominated
		Production Design	Lucy van Lonkhuyzen	Won
		Sound	Steve Fanagan, Niall Brady, and Niall O'Sullivan	Won
		Makeup and Hair	Sandra Kelly and Sharon Doyle	Nominated
		Score	Stephen Rennicks	Nominated

References

External links

• Normal People at BBC Online
• Normal People at IMDb

На других языках

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- [en] Normal People (miniseries)

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[ru] Нормальные люди

«Нормальные люди» (англ. Normal People) — ирландский драматический телесериал режиссёров Ленни Абрахамсона и Хэтти Макдональд, снятый по одноимённому роману Салли Руни. Премьера состоялась 26 апреля 2020 года на сервисах Hulu и BBC Three.

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