“Normal People” heartthrob Paul Mescal has quickly parlayed his breakout popularity on TV into a burgeoning film career. After appearing in last year’s “The Lost Daughter” from first-time director Maggie Gyllenhall, he’s now the star of another feature debut from a female filmmaker on the rise.

“Aftersun,” a sensitive drama about family and memory, was conceived by Scottish writer-director Charlotte Wells.

Continue reading ‘Aftersun’ Trailer: Paul Mescal Stars In A24’s Acclaimed Sensitive Portrait Of A Young Father & Daughter at The Playlist.

What a year, right? With people stuck at home more than ever before, television felt even more essential, and the best creators rose to the challenge. While there was concern that pandemic shutdowns would destroy the landscape, there was no dearth of titles to choose from when it was time to pick the best 25 programs of 2020. Great shows missed the cut. And the diversity of genres and networks felt broader than ever.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021

Dramas, comedies, docuseries, mini-series, and genre-benders defined the year.

Continue reading The 25 Best TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2020 at The Playlist.

To say that Paul Mescal’s life has been forever changed is something of an understatement. His role as Connor in the BBC and Hulu adaptation of Sally Rooney’s “Normal People” has made him a recognizable face on both continents to fans of both the novel and the series. And today he landed an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Leading Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.

READ MORE: Emmys 2020 Snubs and Surprises include “Pose,” “The Mandalorian,” “Love is Blind” and more

“I was rehearsing at the time and I was watching my phone to see if it would vibrate or if I’d get messages or not and thankfully I did and I freaked out a little bit,” Mescal says.

Continue reading ‘Normal People’s’ Paul Mescal Got A Congratulatory Emmy Email From Hugh Jackman, Lenny Abrahamson Casting ‘Conversations With Friends’ at The Playlist.

For the most part, the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t have the same impact on the television landscape that it did with film. Yes, a few seasons were truncated (“Billions,” “The Good Fight”) and a few others had to reschedule wholesale (“Fargo”), but most of the TV output for the first half of 2020 was set long before anyone knew about the latest coronavirus. The truth is that this ridiculous year has arguably made people more reliant on television than ever, needing an escape from reality and having more time to invest in shows that they might have otherwise missed.

Continue reading The Best TV Of 2020… So Far at The Playlist.

As we’ve chronicled over the past few weeks, there are a lot of questions surrounding the Emmys in regards to the Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Drama Series nominations. Despite the news that there will be eight nominees in each category this year, there are still many deserving programs that will be snubbed. None of that drama, however, compares to the battle royale that once again is the Outstanding Limited Series race.

READ MORE: Will Emmy voters remember “Pose,” “Stranger Things” and “Handmaid’s Tale”?

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By most accounts, “Normal People,” Hulu’s new drama series based on the novel by Sally Rooney, is a pretty big hit for the streaming platform. However, instead of being excited by the popularity and acclaim being given to the series, producer Ed Guiney is forced to contend with an issue that no one making the drama series predicted—Pornhub.

READ MORE: Lenny Abrahamson On The Steps Taken To Capture The Intimacy Of ‘Normal People’ [Interview]

According to Variety, a video compilation of the sex scenes in “Normal People,” clocking in at around 22 minutes, popped up on Pornhub and drew a lot of interest from people wanting to see the steamier side of the new Hulu series.

Continue reading ‘Normal People’ Producer Is “Hugely Disappointed” That Sex Scenes Are Being Shared On Pornhub at The Playlist.

Lenny Abrahamson hasn’t taken the road you might expect for the director of a Best Picture and Best Director nominee. After “Room” earned four nods and saw Brie Larson win Best Actress in 2016, Abrahamson segued to the gothic thriller “The Little Stranger” which didn’t earn quite as euphoric a reception. Now, he’s back as an executive producer and helmer of Hulu’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s acclaimed novel “Normal People.”

Set in contemporary Ireland, the mini-series follows a couple from a small town, Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal), from a secret romance in secondary school (high school on this side of the Atlantic) to Trinity College in Dublin where their social standings flip upside own.

Continue reading Lenny Abrahamson On The Steps Taken To Capture The Intimacy Of ‘Normal People’ [Interview] at The Playlist.

Every
once in a while, there arrives a piece of entertainment—be it a film or TV
show—that makes you stop and think, “Something about this isn’t right.” On the
surface, all the pieces seemed to be set in place and arranged in a way that
anyone not looking closely could dismiss as passable or even enjoy. But,
somewhere in the back of your mind, a worrying sensation will not let you move
past the questions circling in your head.

Continue reading ‘Normal People’: A Genuine But Seriously Problematic Romance [Review] at The Playlist.

Perhaps, in these times of self-isolation and social distancing,and a non-stop, 24 hour news stream straight from hell, we’re not all in the mood to enlighten ourselves or enrich our lives. In my mind, if we get through all of this kinder than we were before then we’ve done the best we can.

READ MORE: ‘Mrs. America’: Cate Blanchett & Rose Byrne Are Stellar In ERA Fight Mini-Series [Review]

That being said, we need some distractions if possible and while new releases on the film side are relative slim pickings, there’s plenty of television coming out in the next month – both returning and new, that is well worth checking out.

Continue reading 10 Shows to Watch in April: ‘Defending Jacob,’ ‘Killing Eve,’ & More at The Playlist.

“Normal People” is definitely going to be a sexy show. I don’t say this just because the stars of the series are attractive, which they are, but just because, if the trailer is any indication, the Hulu/BBC drama is going to have quite a bit of sexual situations. Seriously, this trailer might get you a bit flustered.

In between the moments of passion, there is a plot that is teased in the trailer for the series.

Continue reading ‘Normal People’ Trailer: Sally Rooney’s Bestselling Novel Comes To Life On Hulu This April at The Playlist.

Odds are, if you’ve browsed the paperback section of your local bookstore (well, if you’re lucky enough to live near an actual bookstore), then you probably have come across the novel, “Normal People.” It’s a massive bestseller and, as you might expect, it’s now set to become a limited series that will air on BBC and Hulu.

READ MORE: The 60 Most Anticipated TV Shows Of 2020

As seen in the new trailer for “Normal People,” the series tells the story of the on-again/off-again romance between Marianne and Connell that spans their high school years and through college.

Continue reading ‘Normal People’ Trailer: Hulu/BBC’s Upcoming Limited Series Is Directed By Lenny Abrahamson at The Playlist.

As documented in our Best TV of The 2010 Decade feature, which you should read, the 2010s were the age of PeakTV, Prestige TV and the dawn of the streaming age. Now in this new decade of the 2020s, we enter the Streaming War era. Yes, Netflix is here and here to stay, HBO isn’t going anywhere and Showtime, FX and all the other major players are solidified in status.

Continue reading The 60 Most Anticipated TV Shows Of 2020 at The Playlist.