Derry Girls: The Revival of Teen Humour and Redemption of Modern TV

Tessa Norenius

Pop Culture & Opinions Set during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Derry Girls is a timeless and charming series that is beloved by its eponymous people of Derry. Airing on Netflix, Derry Girls was instantly a hit among viewers worldwide. Following five high schoolers and their adventures of coming of age, it aired for four seasons to see its end in 2022. Nowadays, Netflix teen shows often face criticism for being labeled as 'cringe' and 'trashy,' frequently mocked on platforms like TikTok. The sentiment is debatable, though Netflix originals have garnered a reputation of repetitive, cliché, and lazy attempts to appeal to current teenage audiences: meaning quick stories and even quicker cancellations. Derry Girls follows the common narrative of growing up and the struggles it comes with, but it doesn’t follow the traits most other Netflix shows we have grown accustomed to. The show follows some of the classic conventions of a sitcom, but what distinguishes it from the painfully un-funny “humor” of typical sitcoms or the swift plots of modern teen series is its clever interplay of comedy, narrative, and characters. Genuine humor, a rarity in teen-targeted shows, is a distinctive feature of Derry Girls. Comedy has often taken the back seat to more mature and serious content and the prevailing trend has been leaning towards dramas, which Gen Z seems to be enjoying more. Of course, humour is always subjective but the comedic strand in Derry Girls isn’t one of niche or satirical taste, meaning it can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. A lot of the jokes in Derry Girls are more of a dry humour, but paired with the outrageous situations the protagonists find themselves in, it’s a naturally balanced act. One of the most central elements of this humour is dialogue. It is filled with quips in conversations and witty remarks that earn a good chuckle. Comedic timing is key to achieve this effect without overdoing it. Siobhán McSweeny, who plays the sarcastic and hilarious Sister Micheal, won a BAFTA (British Academy Television Award) for Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme, showing how well-received the show’s humor has been. There is also a bit of a vivacious kind of humour where the characters end up in pretty creative situations. It’s the kind of humour where you have to laugh at what the characters have gotten themselves into. For example, at one point in the show, the “Derry Girls” sneak out to go to a Take That concert and on the way get into a pretty unique situation: hitchhiking, running away from Irish Travellers, and hiding from a Polar Bear that escaped from a zoo. The hectic but still perfectly timed comedy is a large reason the show is so enjoyable. The characters; adventures also bring a sense of nostalgia of a time where kids were less sheltered and got into the wildest possible situations. Incidentally, the setting also adds a lot of context and emphasis on the blunt comedy. The obvious social commentary on the struggles in Ireland comes in the form of a lot of Protestant vs. Catholics jokes that have become a common theme in many Irish productions. So while the show is a teen show, one of the reasons it is so popular is thanks to the setting and period, which gives it a wider demographic it can target and act as a homage to those who lived through the struggles. Because of the versatility of the show, you can understand the historical related humour without having to necessarily relate to it (but if you do, there is that other level of comedic understanding). Overall, the comedy of Derry Girls is a great equilibrium of clever and arbitrary humour, resulting in tenacious flow and a truly enjoyable watch. However, what ties it all together would be the characters themselves—each one with a distinct personality, building on the stereotype of a classic TV friend group. With perfect comedic timing of one-liners and conversations, the core of the show is the friendship of the five main high schoolers. Derry Girls is a clever mix of deliberate humour and history to create an undemandingly enjoyable show. Without the desperation of modern teen shows, but with the coming-of- age antics of one, it makes for a genuinely fun watch for this generation. It gives redemption to the Netflix original name and gives hope to what does well and what doesn’t in the current TV industry. You’ll learn to love the Derry Girls and their hometown, and once you watch it, you’ll be a Derry Girl too.