BBC Three's drama 'Just Act Normal' has been hailed as 'one of the best series in a while' by viewers who discovered the touching show on iPlayer. The six-part coming-of-age series, written by award-winning playwright Janice Okoh, originally aired on BBC Three in April 2025 and won the BAFTA TV Award for Emerging Talent: Fiction.
A Story of Siblings in Crisis
The show follows three siblings—Tiana, Tionne, and Tanika—as they try to 'act normal' after their mother disappears, fearing they might be separated and sent into foster care if anyone found out the truth. The official synopsis teases: "When their mum disappears, Tiana, Tionne, and Tanika fight to hide the truth from the outside world in order to stay together as a family."
As Tiana struggles to keep their regular lives afloat, Tionne displaces his grief, and Tanika tries to convince her teacher to adopt them, chaos erupts when their mum's hapless drug dealer, Dr Feelgood, moves in.
Cast and Creative Team
Rising stars Chenée Taylor (Tiana), Kaydrah Walker-Wilkie (Tanika), and Akins Subair (Tionne) lead the cast for this Birmingham-set series. The cast is completed by seasoned actress Romola Garai, TV stars Sam Buchanan and Ivanno Jeremiah, alongside singer Jamelia and Hollyoaks' Jennifer Metcalfe.
The synopsis adds: "The series is an irreverent portrait of black working-class teenage life. A coming-of-age story of sorts. The first times, the f***-ups, and the excruciating desire to be more grown up than you're ready to be. It's a celebration of black joy, of council estates, and corner shops. Of working-class living and working-class dreams. It is human and tender, with a thumping great heart."
Viewer Reactions
Although the drama flew under the radar for most BBC viewers, those who caught it upon its release were thoroughly impressed. One X user raved: "#justactnormal is one of the best @BBC dramas I've seen in a long time! Just binged the whole season. Absolutely beautiful acting, directing and writing."
Someone else shared their glowing review on IMDb, saying: "I logged onto BBC iPlayer and this was the first thing that was there on the release date. I hadn't heard anything about it, but I started watching it. This show was honestly amazing. The actors are so talented. It's one of the best things I've watched in a while."
A third fan added: "I need everyone to stop what they're doing and watch 'Just Act Normal' on BBC iPlayer; absolutely beautiful, so funny and heart-breaking 10/10," while a fourth viewer chimed in: "Needed something short to watch and I ended up binging this show. It's quite amazing; it has a good balance of drama and comedy. The acting is wonderful; the storyline is intriguing and not a carbon copy of some other show you have watched."
Just Act Normal is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
