Jurassic lark!

Meet the dinosaur expert who’s roped into planning the wedding of the year for her sister…

Dinosaur

Available: Sunday 14 April Genre: Comedy Season: 1 Eps: 6

Nina is a 30-something living with autism who has her world turned upside down when her sister suddenly gets engaged and wants help to organise the wedding.

The six-part sitcom Dinosaur, which also airs on BBC3 from Tuesday 16 April (starting with a double bill at 9pm and 9.25pm), follows Nina, who’s working as a fossils expert for a Glasgow museum and living with her sister

Evie (Kat Ronney). Everything is going well until Evie drops a bombshell.

‘Evie’s known her boyfriend Ranesh for just six weeks and, out of the blue, she tells Nina they’re getting married, which is disturbing for Nina, who is living with autism,’ says co-creator Ashley Storrie, who plays Nina. ‘This development signifies a big shift for Nina, who knows she must learn to accept that change.’

Later, however, there’s an even bigger shock in store – Evie asks Nina to be her maid of honour!

‘Nina wishes she could be the perfect maid of honour, but organising the wedding is a daunting prospect,’ says Ashley. ‘So it’s a double-edged sword for Nina

– she doesn’t want to do it, but she’s a perfectionist, so if she’s going to have to do it, she must do it the best she can.’

Ashley credits the show with helping her navigate her own autism diagnosis.

‘When I joined the cast, I was scared about being unable to “mask” my condition in social situations, so I was surprised when the producers said: “Don’t do that, just be your authentic self,”’ she says. ‘Playing an unmasked autistic woman like Nina has been liberating. Dinosaur is about embracing difference and not being ashamed of it.’