"Derry Girls" Proves Teenage Girls Are Hilarious

Derry Girls made its worldwide premiere on Netflix at the end of December 2018, and everyone is talking about it—for good reason.

The show originally aired in the United Kingdom and became one of the most watched shows in Northern Ireland’s television history. The fact that Derry Girls is about Northern Irish girls in an all-girl Catholic school might have something to do with that, but what has made other countries RAVE about this half-hour, six-episode comedy?

Well, the writing, for start. It is created and written solely by Lisa McGee, who’s comedic lines, episode structure, and overall awesome female characters are all stellar. The cast is led by some of the funniest young women I’ve seen in a while. Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Erin), Louisa Harland (Orla), Nicola Coughlan (Clare), and Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (Michelle) lead as a group of four friends navigating high school in 90s Derry, Ireland (or Londonderry) among exams, nuns with amazing banter, "dead" animals, parents who never believe anything they say, and each other. What’s really refreshing is these girls aren’t depicted as “boy-crazed” but wise-cracking, messy, and downright hilarious. And all these actresses are relatively unknown. So, shows created, written, and staring women who are funny is possible--file that under things we already knew, but apparently still needed confirmation?

If you haven’t gotten your fill of Derry, never fear, Season Two is due in the UK in March, and will, hopefully (I’d say it’s a safe bet) be returning to Netflix sometime after that.

Be sure to check out Derry Girls on Netflix NOW!