Alma’s Not Normal Picked Up To Series At BBC Two

BBC Two has ordered a full series of Alma’s Not Normal, the comedy from writer and performer Sophie Willan, following the success of its pilot.

The pilot, broadcast earlier in April, was watched by more than a million viewers, trended online during transmission and drew strong reviews. Five further episodes have now been commissioned, with the pilot set to be rebroadcast as the first instalment of the series.

Written by and starring Willan as Alma Nuthall, a working-class woman from Bolton with big dreams and few resources, the comedy draws on Willan’s own life, including her time in the care system. The story follows Alma as she tries to get her life back on track after a break-up, turning to sex work to fund her ambitions, surrounded by a family of eccentric, unruly women.

Willan developed the show after becoming the first winner of the BBC’s Caroline Aherne Bursary. It is produced by Expectation and was commissioned as part of a wider set of BBC Two comedy orders, with the new episodes expected to air in 2021.