What to Watch Now That You've Finished Normal People
There should be a German word for "the minor yet extremely real sadness of burning through a prestige television show too quickly." That's the case for many of us with the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel Normal People, which premiered on Hulu last month in the form of eight tantalizingly brief episodes—but with viewers around the world stuck quarantining inside, that whole first season was all too easy to knock out in a week. (Okay, a night.)
Luckily, there's plenty of similarly moody/Irish/irrepressibly sexual fare to keep you entertained once you've finished catching up on all things Marianne and Connell, even if the Conversations with Friends TV series is still a ways away. Below, find seven shows that you can count on to scratch the Normal People itch.
Derry Girls
Okay, it's tonally very different from Normal People, but it's a granular exploration of young people's lives in Ireland, which makes it a worthy next watch. (To be honest, I'll take any excuse to get people to watch this show.)
My Brilliant Friend
Visually enchanting? Check. Complex investigation of an intimate relationship? Check. Novel-based and cerebral enough to make you feel like you're expanding your worldview in quarantine? Check. This HBO show has it all.
Feel Good
Like Normal People, this Netflix series created by and starring comedian Mae Martin delves into what it truly means to care for another person in a romantic sense—especially when they're not who you thought you'd end up with.
Lovesick
Johnny Flynn. Need we say more? Before he was redefining the role of Mr. Knightley in Autumn de Wilde's Emma, he was Dylan, a 20-something guy forced to reunite with all of his exes after learning he has a sexually transmitted disease, in this charming, off-kilter Britcom.
Chewing Gum
Marianne and Michaela Coel's Tracey Gordon are both wonderfully weird young women trying to make their way in the world, and although Tracey's path is slightly more bizarre than Marianne's, its cheery tone could provide a nice respite from Normal People's gloom.
Love/Hate
If you're chomping at the bit for another Ireland-set series, try this Dublin crime drama that features the impeccable Ruth Negga along with Ruth Bradley, Killian Scott, and Chris Newman. It's sort of like...if Sally Rooney wrote an episode of The Wire?
Never Have I Ever
Okay, Normal People is a tear-inducing Irish romance and Never Have I Ever is a bright, bubbly Netflix sitcom about a teenage girl trying to get laid, but the latter's protagonist Devi deals with grief, loss and longing in a way that feels positively Rooney-adjacent. Plus, you'll need a few laughs after marathoning the Marianne/Connell saga.
Originally Appeared on Vogue
