It can be difficult to create a well-written show about teenagers. Often times the show ends up being criticized as too light or too dark, particularly when the show is set in a time of fighting. This balance is crucial for a good show. There are some shows that just nail it, and the Netflix sitcom Derry Girls is one of them.
It doesn’t seem like it would though. A show about a group of teenagers set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles? Somehow this show is also a comedy?
Derry Girls nails it, though. Perhaps it is because creator Lisa McGee had a few hits under her belt by the time she created Derry Girls. She seems to specialize in shows that don’t seem like they would be funny and then finding the perfect balance for humor in them. In 2018 the first season of Derry Girls had viewers in stitches. The second season was received just as well.
Erin is a teenager in the early 1990s in Northern Ireland. She and her friends are just trying to navigate the world of being a teenager. They fight about their school uniforms with their parents. They deal with the economic woes of wanting to go on school trips. They have dynamic families who don’t always get along. They are a bunch of kids trying to live their lives. They just happen to be doing so with the Troubles in the background.
The costumes in the show are fantastic. The 1990s had such distinctive fashions. It is nice to really see them utilized in a piece of media set at that time. The hair and makeup are also spot on and give the viewer insight about each of the characters. The music is full of great hits from the ’90s. Since it is shot on location the viewer is given beautiful outdoor shots, as well as shots of soldiers: showing the duality of Erin’s world, but also how normal it is for her. There are times when the show also uses actual news reel or footage of events.
I don’t think that I can stress enough how funny Derry Girls is. Every character is just amazing. So well written. Each character gets hilarious lines at some point in the series. The amount of work that the writing staff did to flesh out these characters is phenomenal and really pays off. I would sing the praises of Derry Girls just for the writing alone. It also helps that the cast do their jobs so well.
I highly recommend Derry Girls. It is just a gift of a show. Well acted, well written and well shot. If you are in a bad mood you will be laughing in no time.
So, please, give it a shot the next time you are looking for a new show.
ALWAYS KEEP SPARKLING!!!
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