TV Series For Fans Of Sally Rooney
- Chiara Bressan
- Dec 13, 2025
- 5 min read
If, in recent years, you too have been captivated — and rightly so — by the phenomenon of Sally Rooney, the Irish writer who, along with other contemporary female narrative voices, has deservedly achieved success, you know that no one describes relationship dynamics quite like Rooney. Sally Rooney fits into both the genre of novels labeled, more or less pejoratively, as Sad Hot Girl Books, and the mammoth genre of Irish authors, musicians, and intellectuals who have brought enviable prestige to the nation for centuries. See Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, musicians of the caliber of Hozier, The Cranberries, Sinéad O'Connor, and many others. Small fry, in short. If you are not immune to Irish charm, today I recommend five TV series for Sally Rooney lovers: small-screen adaptations of twisted and genuine, awkward and even slightly toxic, imperfect but always very real relationship dynamics. And with female protagonists.
Fleabag
Who doesn't adore Phoebe Waller-Bridge after watching Fleabag? If what you love about Sally Rooney is the true-to-life messiness of interpersonal relationships, the combination of trauma, anti-heroism, and imperfect female characters, then Fleabag is totally for you. The protagonist of Fleabag is a woman in her thirties, without a stable relationship, who has to come to terms with her own dysfunctionality and falls in love with a priest — and what a priest, masterfully played by Andrew Scott. She is the complete opposite of what is considered politically correct, morally acceptable, and sexually demure for a “respectable woman.”
The parodic and bittersweet criticism, constructed using the theatrical monologue technique (we learn the protagonist's thoughts through flashes of stream of consciousness in which Phoebe breaks the fourth wall and looks directly into the camera with sharp comments and sarcastic reflections), brings to light wounds, regrets, vulnerabilities, but above all, a great deal of authenticity. This is why Fleabag appeals to and resonates so much with Sally Rooney's fans: she is a real woman full of flaws, not the cloying, artificial heroine of idealized and implausible narratives. You can find it on Prime Video.
Normal People
At the risk of sounding trite, I cannot fail to mention and recommend THE TV series par excellence for Sally Rooney fans. It was 2020 when I read Normal People. Covid was raging and I was devoting myself to reading, and I didn't like the book very much. I found the characters irritating and the dialogue insubstantial. Then, some time later, I decided to watch the HBO adaptation and was blown away. Normal People was the TV series that launched Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, who haven't stopped since. Their chemistry on screen, the expressiveness of their conversations, the unspoken words, the communication difficulties, it was all there. Everything I hadn't been able to grasp from the book and that made me think that this was how it worked, Normal People was a screenplay. And then everything else to complete a perfect picture: the cinematography, the postcard views of rural Ireland, the delicacy of the intimate scenes, the Italian interlude à la Call Me By Your Name, and the soundtrack. I still remember Imogen Heap's Hide and Seek with the scene of the two of them in the car. Goosebumps. Normal People is one of my all-time favorite TV miniseries, and if you liked the book, but even if you didn't, and if you haven't even read it, I'm sure you'll appreciate it. Get your tissues ready for the heartbreaking ending. It should still be available on Netflix.
Conversations With Friends
The second TV series based on a novel by Rooney is Conversations With Friends, based on the Irish writer's book of the same name. With an impeccable cast featuring Joe Alwyn and Alison Oliver, it captures the delicacy, intimacy, and relational and emotional complications of Sally Rooney's prose. If you loved the TV series Normal People and Rooney's debut novel, you won't be disappointed by this other adaptation. Of course, Connell and Marianne are unbeatable, but Frances and Nick are no slouches either, with the magnetic and tender attraction they bring to the screen. Bisexuality, mental health, and feelings that break the mold of the traditional monogamous model are some of the themes that are laid out before our eyes in the book and the series. It was on Hulu until recently, but I'm afraid it has now been removed.
Dying For Sex
Michelle Williams in Dying For Sex is the closest thing I've found to Fleabag. We are finally giving space and voice to ordinary female characters who show all their complex vulnerability and, above all, whose lives do not revolve around a man. Molly is going through a very delicate moment in her life and decides she wants to spend the time she has left exploring her sexuality. The same repressed and stigmatized sexuality that, as a woman and cancer patient, she has always lived with shame and embarrassment. Dying For Sex is a liberating act, a revolutionary claim to the right to pleasure, clumsy, inclusive, funny, a journey that challenges the prejudices of being oneself and explores female affections and relationships. I have no doubt that Sally Rooney's fans will appreciate its beauty. Available on Disney+.
Tell Me Lies
Tell Me Lies is definitely the exception on this list, because it's bad. Forget the romance of Normal People and the existential sarcasm of Fleabag, Tell Me Lies will probably make even Sally Rooney's most avid fans cringe. So why recommend it? Because, despite its many flaws, it is one of those narratives that depict the varied universe of romantic relationships. Because even if you notice its thousand flaws, you'll be compelled to binge-watch it until the end, because it's so thoroughly toxic. Tell Me Lies recounts the dynamics of a very venomous relationship, with all the usual clichés: the pathological, manipulative narcissistic sociopath and his victims, sometimes played by insecure girls in search of orgasms and validation, sometimes by unsuspecting friends sucked into the invisible web of his devious plots, mere pawns instrumental to his own masturbatory ego.
Don't expect a masterpiece; character development and growth are virtually non-existent, and your irritation with the female protagonist will skyrocket. But if you know that deep down you can be attracted to slightly trashy products, it could be a decent pastime and an interesting foray into the portrayal of an obvious personality disorder. It can be found on Disney+.
If you are looking for other TV series to watch, I refer you to my articles The Best TV Shows to Watch in Autumn: 5 Perfect Picks for the Season and Top 5 Cozy and Suspenseful TV Series to Get You Through Autumn’s Dreary Days. Don't be fooled by the seasonal title; these TV series are great at any time of year.
