Normal People has driven BBC Three to receive its best week for programme requests on the iPlayer – doubling a record set by the first series of Killing Eve.
After the adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel became available on iPlayer, BBC Three received more than 21.8 million play requests for the programme in just seven days. Killing Eve received 10.8 million.
Normal People follows teenagers Marianne and Connell, as they start a secret relationship away from the knowledge of their peers. It follows their journey as they grow older, falling in and out of love.
The 12-part BBC series stars Cold Feet actress Daisy Edgar-Jones as Marianne, and Paul Mescal in his first television role as Connell.
The show is seemingly loved by young people; out of the 16.2 million requests in its first week, 5 million were from 16-34 year olds.
Fiona Campbell, controller of BBC Three, said: “We’re delighted that Normal People has been such a success and so many people have come to iPlayer to watch it.
“From the initial read-through, the phenomenal thought and preparation the directors put into everything from the aesthetics, locations through to the costumes, we felt this piece would always be incredibly unique and it’s clear the audience thinks so too.
“It’s a modern masterpiece which has helped in catapulting the careers of two brilliant young actors and we’re looking forward to bringing more drama to BBC Three in the future.”
The binge-worthy show has been praised for highlighting the importance of speaking about men's mental health, as Connell deals with a deep depression while at college.
Sarah Greene, the actress who plays Connell's mother, Lorraine, has also praised the show for starting conversations about consent.
The channel also said of all the requests for BBC Three programmes on iPlayer, Normal People currently makes up a staggering 70% of the total.
Piers Wenger, controller of BBC drama, and Rose Garnett, director of BBC films, said: “BBC audiences have been bewitched by the story of Connell and Marianne, just as we were after reading the transcript of Sally’s extraordinary novel.
“Taking Normal People from script to screen has been an incredible experience and we’re overwhelmed by the response.
“Lead writers Sally and Alice, directors Lenny and Hettie, all the team at Element Pictures and of course Daisy and Paul should all be so proud of what has been achieved.”
Additional reporting by PA
