DERRY GIRLS creator Lisa McGee has revealed her intention to conclude the show after three series and a feature film.
The much-anticipated third series of the hit comedy series chronicling the exploits of a group of teenagers growing up in Derry during the Troubles in the 1990s has been delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
While the cast reunited for a special Zoom-based sketch in aid of charity earlier this year, they are still waiting to be given the green light to begin filming again.
In the meantime, McGee has been busy working on Erin’s Diary, a new official tie-in book written from the perspective of Saoirse Monica Jackson’s character.
Offering a deep dive into the inner workings of the show’s central character, it serves as the perfect bridge between series two and three, with fans still facing a lengthy wait for more Derry Girls.
It could also end up being the beginning of the end for the hit show, with McGee admitting to the I Newspaper that she is keen to wrap things up after series three with a feature film.
“I don’t want to write them beyond 18. It’s about that magic time, before you’re officially an adult,” she explained.
According to McGee, the gang will be a little older in the new series - around 17, to be precise.
“They’re going to be forced to grow up a bit this series,” McGee says.
“They’re still eejits, they still get into a lot of trouble, and embarrass themselves and do all those things you’d expect the Derry Girls to do, but they do have to face some big things this time. It’s still funny. The most important thing is that it brings joy to people. I want to make people really, really laugh.”
(Channel 4)With the second series concluding with Bill Clinton’s historic visit to Derry in 1995 and the beginning of the peace process, the third season will see the girls adjusting to the change and the initial uncertainty that faced many living through that period at the time
“In series three, we realise that people want this [peace] long term, they want to make this work. You were constantly worried about it – you didn’t believe it would last," McGee says.
“I play with that a lot in series three. Aunt Sarah has this mad idea that there are going to be loads of new criminals out there, now there’s no IRA – ‘Well, we knew what we were dealing with then…’ – people had these ridiculous conversations about what to expect, when that was all we’d known.”
