Derry Girls
Derry Girls is a British sitcom created and written by Lisa McGee. Produced by Hat Trick Productions, it is set in Derry, Northern Ireland in the 1990s. The first series was broadcast in January and February 2018 on Channel 4. The second series was shown in March and April 2019. A third series was commissioned for 2020.
Synopsis
Erin, her cousin Orla, their friends Clare and Michelle, and Michelle's English cousin James navigate their teen years during the end of the Troubles in Derry, where they all attend a Catholic girls' secondary school.Erin lives with her father Gerry and mother Mary, her baby sister Anna, Mary's younger sister Sarah, Sarah's daughter Orla, and her maternal grandfather, Joe. James is Michelle's cousin; his mother Cathy left Derry for England to have an abortion but gave birth to him and raised him in London. She sends him back to Derry to live with Michelle and her mother Deirdre when she is going through a divorce.
Cast and characters
Main
- Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Erin Quinn, aged 16 at the beginning. Erin is passionate and ambitious, but at times alternatively vain or overly concerned with how she is regarded by others. Her dark sense of humour and sarcastic nature often get her in trouble.
- Louisa Harland as Orla McCool, Erin's maternal cousin, aged 15 at the beginning. Orla is very detached and quiet. Unlike most of her friends, Orla does not care what anyone else thinks of her. She often amuses herself by invading Erin's privacy for fun.
- Nicola Coughlan as Clare Devlin, one of Erin's best friends. Clare often acts as the voice of reason in the gang, as she is far more intimidated by authority figures than her friends. In the series one finale, Clare comes out to her friends and the school as a lesbian.
- Jamie-Lee O'Donnell as Michelle Mallon, one of Erin's best friends. Michelle is the wild child of the group, and her troublemaking tendencies often get her and her friends into trouble. She is shown to have a very keen interest in sex, drugs and alcohol, and shows almost no respect to any figures of authority, including her own mother.
- Dylan Llewellyn as James Maguire, Michelle's maternal cousin. English-born to an Irish mother, James is sent to live in Derry with his aunt Deirdre and cousin Michelle while his mother goes through a divorce. Due to his English accent, he is enrolled for his safety at an all-girls school.
- Tara Lynne O'Neill as Ma/Mary, Erin's disciplinarian mother. She tolerates no attitude or trouble from her daughter, but is loving and usually only wants what is best for her family. She has been married to Gerry for 17 years at the beginning.
- Kathy Kiera Clarke as Aunt Sarah, Orla's mother and Mary's sister. Sarah is caring but dim-witted, and often points out things that are painfully obvious. Although caring towards Orla, she is an inattentive mother and takes little responsibility for raising her. Like Orla, Sarah spends most of her time in Mary's house, where Mary does all the work, rather than their own house next door, which is sometimes mentioned but not shown.
- Siobhán McSweeney as Sister Michael, the headmistress of the school that the girls attend. She rules the school with an iron fist, and responds to most events with eye-rolling or sarcasm. In series two, she jokes she took holy orders for the free accommodation.
- Tommy Tiernan as Da/Gerry, Erin's father. Gerry is relaxed and very loyal and protective of his family. He is from the Republic of Ireland and holds an unspecified job where he drives 8 hours a day, and has a very strained relationship with his father-in-law.
- Ian McElhinney as Granda Joe, Mary and Sarah's father and Erin and Orla's grandfather. Joe moved in with the Quinns after his wife died. Although on good terms with the rest of the family, Joe has nothing but contempt for Gerry, constantly criticising him and encouraging Mary to leave him.
- Leah O'Rourke as Jenny Joyce, the prefect of the girls' school and a suck-up. Jenny and the gang detest each other, and she often flaunts her wealth and position of power. Incredibly sanctimonious, she is often called out by Sister Michael, who has no patience for her either.
Recurring
- Beccy Henderson as Aisling, Jenny's best friend and sidekick.
- Claire Rafferty as Miss Mooney, Sister Michael's deputy.
- Amelia Crowley as Deirdre Mallon, Michelle's mother and James' aunt, who is a nurse.
- Kevin McAleer as Uncle Colm, Joe's brother, whom the family consider incredibly dull and boring.
- Paul Mallon as Dennis, the aggressive proprietor of the corner shop which the girls frequent.
- Phillipa Dunne as Geraldine Devlin, Clare's mother
Episodes
Production
Filming takes place in Northern Ireland, with most scenes being shot in Derry and Belfast.The show was renewed for a second series shortly after the airing of the pilot episode of the first series. Production of the second series began on 8 October 2018. The second series began airing on 5 March 2019.
On 9 April 2019, immediately after the second series finale, it was confirmed by Channel 4 that Derry Girls would return for a third series. Production of the third series was due to commence in the spring of 2020, but was suspended following the announcement of the Coronavirus lockdown.
Merchandise
Books
An official hardback Derry Girls book is due for release on 12 November 2020, entitled Erin's Diary: An Official Derry Girls Book Hardcover, published by Trapeze Books.Reception
Derry Girls has become Channel 4's most successful comedy since Father Ted.Critical reception
Derry Girls has received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first series holds an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 21 critics. The website's critical consensus states: "A perfectly curated cast and raw writing drive Derry GirlsDerry Girls was the most watched series in Northern Ireland since modern records began in 2002, with an average audience of 519,000 viewers and a 64.2% share of the audience. Una Mullally of The Irish Times praised the series: "The writing in Derry Girls is sublime, the performances perfect, the casting is brilliant." On 11 January 2018, after the first episode had aired, the programme was renewed for a second series. Each episode was watched by over two million people. At the conclusion of the first series, Barbara Ellen of The Guardian wrote that Derry Girls evoked such programmes as The Inbetweeners, Father Ted and Bad Education.
The series was picked up by Netflix internationally, with series 1 being released on 21 December 2018. Series 2 was released on 2 August 2019, except in the UK and Ireland.