A Rooney hasn’t been in demand like this since the day Wayne made his Everton debut.
Normal People author Sally Rooney is being pestered to come up with a sequel to her lockdown hit, I hear.
BBC bosses are said to be “desperate” to roll out a second series of the coming-of-age tale based on the Irish writer’s novel, a touchstone for millennials.
No surprise after it became BBC Three’s most streamed show ever, with more than 16million views – beating Killing Eve.
Insiders say they have begun discussions with Sally about bringing back lovers Marianne and Connell, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, who turns 22 next Sunday, and 24-year-old Paul Mescal.
Even though Sally’s book and the show ended at the same point, sources say the Beeb wants to ride its success and take the story forward.
A source says: “The BBC are desperate to get going on series two. The viewing numbers are huge and they want more of the same.
“They want to strike while the iron is hot and get working on the series as soon as possible.
“Their hope is to roll out the series in a similar time frame to Killing Eve. But it all depends on if they can get Sally Rooney on board.”
The show’s executive producer has said he would be interested in doing a series that would return to Marianne and Connell 10 years later.
Lenny Abrahamson says: “I have a fantasy of doing a kind of 10-year… you know, seeing where they are in 10 years’ time sort of thing. It’d be good.”
Scriptwriter Alice Birch agrees: “Maybe down the line we’ll come back to Connell and Marianne.”
Meanwhile, the BBC is adapting Rooney’s debut novel Conversations with Friends as a television series.
It follows college students Frances and Bobbi in Dublin as they forge a strange and unexpected connection with married couple Melissa and Nick.
Normal People is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. A double bill airs every Monday on BBC One at 9pm
