Normal People

Sally Rooneys brittle 2018 love story Normal People was a publishing sensation, the kind of book that sparked evangelical fervour in those who loved it and annoyed the heck out of those who didnt. Its central couple, Connell and Marianne, were just so irritating.

Yet as one of the latter, I rather fell for this BBC adaptation, thanks to pinpoint perfect casting. Daisy Edgar-Jones (she was in Cold Feet) as Marianne and newcomer Paul Mescal as Connell bring off-kilter charm to their roles as an awkward couple of sixth formers, who against all the odds, start to fall in love.

Marianne is brilliantly bright, but lonely and unhappy, with a horrible mother and a ghastly brother, while Connell is a popular sporting star. But stolen glances in the corridors soon lead to something more.