Normal People is back by popular demand after its release this past April.
Based upon Sally Rooney’s 2018 best-selling novel, the television series documents the complicated relationship between two close friends — Connell and Marianne – as they endure their school days in Ireland.
Normal People quickly became the most sought-after series on the BBC Three channel, receiving 16.2 million requests for the show on iPlayer and over 21.8 million for the channel itself within seven days of its release.
Comprised of two special episodes, the comeback will be directed by Lenny Abrahamson, featuring Paul Mescal (Connell) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Marianne) returning to their previous roles.
Richard Curtis, the co-founder of the RTÉ Does Comic Relief fundraiser during which the episodes will air, spoke highly of the specials.
There’s a beautiful piece called ‘Normal Older People,’ which is imagining what would have happened to Marianne and Connell 40 years from now. I promise you, these are two very special bits. It’s so much better than anything we’ve ever made. I mean, I can’t even say all about it, because there’s a guest star in it. But it’s really, really beautiful. I can’t imagine any context in which they would have allowed this little sort of extra special into the world of Normal People.
Much akin to their characters, Mescal and Jones have become close friends throughout the filming process. Jones opened up about the experience in a recent interview.
I feel very lucky to have met Paul through this process. He’s a wonderful, wonderful person and a very giving actor. He’ll be a friend for life.
The two special episodes of Normal People will air on Friday, June 26th.