Netflix Sitcom Set In the ‘90s Is A Criminally Underrated Hidden Gem
Derry Girls is a great coming-of-age sitcom set in Northern Ireland during the 1990s, at the end of The Troubles. I was immediately charmed by the show’s sense of humor, setting, and hilarious characters. It’s a show that captures the emotional turmoil of adolescence while dialing up the absurdity for the sake of comedy.
Derry Girls
Created by Lisa McGee, Derry Girls follows a group of friends who attend the all-girls secondary school Our Lady Immaculate College.
Most episodes center around those friends getting into trouble such as faking a miracle to avoid testing, or unintentionally helping a pair of burglars rob their school. The show often deviates from that formula to focus on their parents, usually as a B-plot but occasionally allowing the adult characters to take the spotlight for an episode.
Whacky Tone, But Big Issues
While Derry Girls is very comedy-forward, it also has its fair share of interpersonal drama, and the political unrest of the era looms in the background of every episode.
As whacky as the show’s typical tone is, it handles issues like parental death, coming out as gay, and the personal stakes of national politics very well when it needs to.
By setting the show at the end of The Troubles the show gains a hopeful optimism that feels right at home in a coming-of-age story.
A 90s Setting
The 90s setting also allows Derry Girls to mine the decade’s pop culture for comedy and style, something it excels at. My favorite recurring bit is the popularity of line dancing, a craze the characters unironically indulge in, having full conversations while performing the very silly-looking dances. Its use of 90s bands like The Cranberries and Fatboy Slim helps to sell its period setting and gives the show a bit of style.
A Core Friend Group
As great as the setting is, characters are always the most important part of a sitcom, and Derry Girls is no exception.
The core friend group consists of pseudo-intellectual Erin, eccentric Orla, high-strung Clare, party girl Michelle, and group punching bag James are consistently funny characters. It’s also full of character-driven gags, such as James being the only boy at their school, and Orla constantly reading Erin’s diary out loud for her personal enjoyment.
A Great Teen Dramedy
Derry Girls shares a lot of DNA with some of my favorite sitcoms, and I think it’s a great example of the type of teen dramedy I wish was more prominent.
Being a period piece about high schoolers, it immediately reminded me of Freaks and Geeks, though I appreciated that it’s less focused on relationship drama. The community themes, sincerity, and foul-mouthed brand of comedy also reminded me quite a bit of Reservation Dogs, which I consider the best show of this decade.
Streaming Derry Girls On Netflix
I loved every episode of Derry Girls, a show that masterfully weaves its slice-of-life drama into an unabashed comedy, something that the TV world has lacked in recent years. It’s a unique setting and memorable characters elevate the phenomenal comedic writing rather than overpowering it.
All three seasons of Derry Girls are streaming on Netflix, and I highly recommend it, especially to those who like their drama-infused comedies to be a bit more fun.
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