Derry Girls to come to an end

Series 3 will be the last, C4 confirms

Derry Girls is to end after its upcoming series, Channel 4 has confirmed.

The hit comedy revolves around teenagers in Northern Ireland the 1990s – but with the actors playing them now in their late 20s, or older, credibility is becoming stretched.

However, creator Lisa McGee has hinted that she has plans for a spin-off movie about the further adventures of Erin, Clare, Orla, Michelle and James.

Earlier this summer, she said: ‘For a while I didn’t know if it would work but now an idea is starting to vaguely form in my head, so after series three I’ll think about that a bit more. I’d like to do it and I think the cast would too, so that would be the long-term plan.’

Speaking of her decision to end the series, she said today: ‘It was always the plan to say goodbye after three series.

'Derry Girls is a love letter to the place I come from and the people who shaped me. It has been an honour to write it and I will be forever proud of everything it's achieved. I'd like to thank the people of Derry and Northern Ireland for getting behind us.

'Who knows if Erin, Clare, Orla, Michelle and James will return in some other guise someday, but for now this is it for us and we’re excited to start filming this series with our incredible cast and crew to hopefully take our loyal fans on one last adventure.

Filming is about to start on the third series, which has been long delayed because of coronavirus.

Earlier this year, star Nicola Coughlan tweeted: ‘Covid has pushed back filming several times which has been so shite, but honestly the storylines in this series are the best we’ve ever done so I can’t tell you how worth it the wait will have been.’

Made by Hat Trick productions, the first series of Derry Girls aired in 2018, and provided breakthrough roles for its cast, also including Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell and Dylan Llewellyn.

Coughlan has since appeared in Netflix period drama Bridgerton; Harland in the streamer’s series The Deceived, co-created by McGee; and Jackson will be in the forthcoming big-screen version of The Flash.

Channel 4's head of comedy Fiona McDermott praised the comedy, saying: 'Every so often a special show comes along, that brings with it so much joy. Channel 4 is so proud to be the home for Derry Girls and of the part we’ve played in putting it on the world stage.

'Although this might be the end for now, we promise fans won’t be disappointed at what’s in store. [It's] a fabulously funny and moving series and we can’t wait to get filming.'