Derry Girls is a TV series set in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, focusing on the daily lives and social interactions of five teenagers. Written by Lisa McGee, the show aired for three seasons between 2018 and 2022. Categorized as a comedy, the series is a UK production, with episodes lasting approximately 22 minutes. The series aired on Channel 4 and was later made available to viewers on various international platforms.

Plot and Themes

The series takes place within the setting of decades-long political and religious tensions (The Troubles) between Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland. The main characters are Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle, and James, who is from England. All the characters attend a Catholic high school. The series humorously depicts the ordinary events experienced by teenagers in school, family, and friend circles, intersecting with the political atmosphere of the time.

The series has a narrative that combines themes such as adolescence, identity, belonging, and social pressures with a historical context. The indirect or direct relationships that teenagers establish with the political agenda progress in parallel with the development of the characters.

Characters

Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson): Erin, the main character of the series, is an observant young girl who often questions things internally. She experiences typical teenage problems in her relationships with her family and school environment.

Orla McCool (Louisa Harland): Orla is an energetic character with a vivid imagination. She usually keeps the group entertained with her impulsive and sometimes irresponsible behavior.

Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell): Michelle is a strong and confident young woman. She often attracts attention with her bold and rebellious attitude.

Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlan): Clare is an intelligent and disciplined person. Her devotion to her family and sense of responsibility make her the most organized member of the group.

James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn): James, Michelle's cousin who moved from England to Northern Ireland, tries to adapt to a new environment and offers different cultural perspectives. He is the only male in the group.

^{Erin, Michelle, James, Orla and Clare (IMDb)}

Mary Quinn (Tara Lynne O'Neill): Erin's mother Mary is a figure who takes on the family's responsibilities and adheres to traditional values. She carries the role of authority within the family.

Sarah McCool (Kathy Kiera Clarke): Orla's mother Sarah is a loving but careless character. She is overly focused on her own appearance and that of those around her.

Gerry Quinn (Tommy Tiernan): Erin's father, Gerry, is a figure who tries to maintain balance within the family. Despite his troubled relationship with his father-in-law and the sarcastic attitudes of those around him, he tries to be a reasonable person.

Joe McCool (Ian McElhinney): Mary and Sarah's father; Erin, Orla, and Anna's grandfather. He acts protectively towards his daughters and granddaughters.

Sister Michael (Siobhán McSweeney): Erin's high school teacher and the head nun at Our Lady Immaculate College. She is a disciplined and sometimes authoritarian figure who has a strong influence on her students.

^{Gerry, Mary and Sarah (IMDb)}

Reviews and Awards

The series has been highly rated by both critics and viewers. It has achieved a 99% critic score and a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It has an IMDb rating of 8.5.

Derry Girls achieved significant success at the BAFTA Television Awards. The series' BAFTA awards and nominations are listed below:

• Female Performance in a Comedy Programme (2023) (Siobhán McSweeney) — Winner
• Writer, Comedy (2023) (Lisa McGee, Brian J. Falconer) — Winner
• Scripted Comedy (2023) (Lisa McGee, Liz Lewin, Caroline Leddy, Michael Lennox, Brian J. Falconer, Jessica Sharkey) — Winner
• P&O Cruises Memorable Moment (For “The Finale, the people of Northern Ireland vote overwhelmingly for peace”) (2023) — Nominated
• Scripted Comedy (Lisa McGee, Michael Lennox, Sam Pinnell) (2020) — Nominated
• Best Scripted Comedy Programme (Lisa McGee, Michael Lennox, Caroline Leddy, Liz Lewin) (2019) — Nominated

Production Process and Backstory

Lisa McGee created the series partly based on her own childhood memories. The characters' speech patterns, settings, and social interactions contain autobiographical elements. The social and cultural structure of the city of Derry plays an important role in the series.

^{A scene from the series (IMDb)}

About the Series

According to creator Lisa McGee, the characters' favorite movies are as follows:

• Erin says Three Colors: Blue (1993) is her favorite, but she actually loves Beetlejuice (1988).
• Orla chooses Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995).
• Michelle lists The Exorcist (1973) as her favorite.
• Clare loves The Little Mermaid (1989).
• James says The Godfather (1972) is his favorite, but he actually prefers Ghost (1990).

Siobhán McSweeney, who portrayed Sister Michael, broke her right leg in a bicycle accident while working on another project in 2021. This unfortunate incident led to the character appearing with a crutch in the third season of the series. The show's producers included this situation in the script.

In January 2019, a large mural featuring the five main characters of the series was painted on the wall of the Badgers Bar and Restaurant in Derry. It is a tradition in Northern Ireland to paint murals depicting cultural and political history on the facades of buildings.

^{Derry Girls Trailer (Channel 4 Entertainment)}