Ardal O’Hanlon joins Derry Girls Season 2
David Farnor | On 18, Feb 2019
The Derry Girls have a new fella joining the family – none other than Ardal O’Hanlon.
The comedian and actor, who is best known for his iconic role as Father Dougal in Father Ted, has joined the cast of Channel 4’s comedy. He will guest in Season 2 as Eamonn, the awkward, middle-aged mummy’s boy of the Quinn/McCool extended family.
The comedy has wrapped filming on its sophomore run and will return to screens with six new episodes next month. Fans will have to wait and see what shenanigans the gang get up to, but Erin Quinn (Saoirse Monica Jackson), her cousin Orla McCool (Louisa Harland) and friends Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) and Michelle’s tag along English cousin, aka The Wee English Fella, James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn) will be back, navigating their teens in 1990’s Derry in their hilarious, unique fashion.
The show is the creation of acclaimed writer Lisa McGee, who mined her own experiences to create a candid, one-of-a-kind, family-centred comedy set against the backdrop of The Troubles.
Across the UK, consolidated viewing figures revealed that the first series of Derry Girls was watched by an average of 2.5 million viewers, making it Channel 4’s biggest comedy launch since 2004. Derry Girls is also the biggest ever comedy launch series on All 4.
Derry Girls Season 2 was commissioned for Channel 4 by Head of Comedy Fiona McDermott and Commissioning Editor Jack Bayles. The series is written by Lisa McGee. Caroline Leddy, Liz Lewin, Jimmy Mulville and Lisa McGee are Executive Producers.
Channel 4 drops first trailer for Derry Girls Season 2
12th February 2019
The Derry Girls are back this spring for a second season, and a new trailer gives us a first look at their return.
The series, which premiered at the start of last year, is created by Lisa McGee, who mined her own experiences to create a candid, family-centred comedy set against the backdrop of The Troubles. It proved an instant hit with audiences, with its opening episode becoming Channel 4’s biggest comedy series launch in almost 5 years. It was also All 4’s biggest comedy launch since 2012, in terms of views during its first six days.
It follows Erin (Saoirse Monica Jackson), her cousin Orla (Louisa Harland) and friends Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) and Michelle’s tag along English cousin, aka The Wee English Fella, James (Dylan Llewellyn) as they navigate their teens in Derry in the early 1990s. The series also stars Tommy Tiernan as Erin’s long-suffering father, Tara Lynne O’Neill as Erin’s mother, Ian McElhinney as Granda Joe and Kathy Kiera Clarke as Aunt Sarah.
“There are laughs aplenty to be found in the period scenarios, while the presentation is sparky and witty (Erin’s narration repeatedly turns out to be read from her diary), but it’s the character work that really impresses,” we wrote in our review of the opening episode. “Laugh-out-loud funny and performed with heartfelt sincerity, you’ll want to be friends with these Derry Girls immediately.”
Channel 4 agreed and swiftly ordered a second season. Now, it’s not much longer to wait until it finally arrives on our screens. Watch the trailer below – or, if you’ve never hung out with the Derry Girls, read
Derry Girls renewed for Season 2
17th January 2018
Channel 4 has renewed Derry Girls for a second season, only a couple of weeks after its first episode aired.
That episode was Channel 4’s biggest comedy series launch in almost 5 years with 2.5 million viewers so far (part-consolidated after 6 days), with a 13.5% share of audience and more than double the slot average of 16-34 year old viewers. It is also All 4’s biggest comedy launch since 2012, in terms of views during its first six days.
The show is created by Lisa McGee, who mined her own experiences to create a candid, family-centred comedy set against the backdrop of The Troubles. The series follows Erin (Saoirse Monica Jackson), her cousin Orla (Louisa Harland) and friends Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) and Michelle’s tag along English cousin, aka The Wee English Fella, James (Dylan Llewellyn) as they navigate their teens in Derry in the early 1990s. The series also stars Tommy Tiernan as Erin’s long-suffering father, Tara Lynne O’Neill as Erin’s mother, Ian McElhinney as Granda Joe and Kathy Kiera Clarke as Aunt Sarah.
The gang are used to seeing their country on the nightly news and speaking in acronyms (The IRA, The UDA, The RUC). It’s a time of armed police in armoured Land Rovers and British Army checkpoints. But it’s also the time of Murder She Wrote, The Cranberries, The X Files, Nirvana and Wayne’s World.
“There are laughs aplenty to be found in the period scenarios, while the presentation is sparky and witty (Erin’s narration repeatedly turns out to be read from her diary), but it’s the character work that really impresses,” we wrote in our review of the opening episode. “Laugh-out-loud funny and performed with heartfelt sincerity, you’ll want to be friends with these Derry Girls immediately.”
Channel 4 evidently feels the same way, with Director of Programmes Ian Katz and Head of Comedy Fiona McDermott commissioning a second run before the first six-episode season has even finished airing.
“Derry Girls is a blast of fresh air. It’s everything we want from Channel 4 comedy: young, warm, brimming with new talent and rooted in an underrepresented part of the country,” says Katz. “And a hit to boot. I’m delighted that we’ve commissioned a second series and can’t wait to see what Lisa does next.”
“It’s a real thrill, and a testament to all involved, when a new comedy lands so well with such a broad audience,” comments McDermott. “At the heart of Derry Girls are brilliant comedy characters that feel universal, mischievous and funny so it’s wonderful to be able to back it with a second outing so quickly and confidently.”
“I’m absolutely delighted,” adds McGee. “Derry Girls is such a special project for me and it means so much that the audience have taken to Erin and the gang so warmly. I can’t wait to start writing series 2.”