'Derry Girls'

Who? | Creator Lisa McGee. Stars Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, and Tara Lynne O'Neill. 

What? When? Where? | 'Derry Girls' is an ensemble cast coming of age comedy on Netflix. There are 19 episodes over 3 seasons. The show is set in Londonderry, Northern Ireland during the Troubles in the early 1990's. We follow a group of girls as they stumble through various shenanigans and teenage rights of passage: schemes to get out of exams, crushes and heartbreaks, house parties, concerts, seaside holidays, etc. Episodes vacillate between protagonist Enrin Quin's quasi-functional household, the friends' Catholic girls school run by an unsparingly critical and hilarious nun, Sister Michael (Siobhán McSweeney), and various adventures and misadventures in Derry and across the region. The threat of sectarian violence always looms in the background, but everyone in Derry seems inured to it. 

Why do we like it? | It's 'class.' It's 'cracker.' It's absolutely hysterical. The writing is top notch. Each actor in the cast consistently delivers wonderful performances. The nostalgic early 1990's score makes you want to sing along to lyrics you may have forgotten you know by heart. And perhaps most importantly, it's an unflinching portrayal of a community held together by a genuine love and care for one another. It's not sappy. It's not perfect. But it does leave you deeply invested in each character. 

Rating | 9.4/10

Review By | Henry