Derry Girls Creator To Launch New NI Comedy Series

Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee has launched her latest comedy series, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, with Channel Four.

The series was written and created by McGee, and once again set in Northern Ireland, following the lives of a group of schoolfriends, who have very different lives in the thirties.

On the series, Channel Four have said that it will take viewers on an, "enthralling and hilarious journey, exploring the themes of friendship, memory and what happens when life doesn't turn out quite how we expected". 

Running for eight episodes, the series sees the schoolfriends, mother of three, Dara, successful writer Saoirse, and Dara who is a full time carer for an elderly patient, becoming embroiled in a mystery, after attending the wake of a former classmate.

As they attempt to uncover the truth, the friends return from their native Belfast where "the pain of the past is plastered on every mural", to rural Donegal, and across Ireland. 

"I feel so incredibly lucky to be making another show for the phenomenal Channel 4 and to be doing it with Hat Trick Productions again and the creative team behind Derry Girls, the mighty Liz Lewin and Caroline Leddy, is just a dream", McGee said of the show. "I've wanted to make a comedy thriller set in Northern Ireland for such a long time. I cannot wait to share these flawed funny women with everyone". 

Along with McGee, the show will be produced by Hat Trick Productions, with Caroline Leddy, and Liz Lewin working as executive producers, alongside Managing Director for Hat Trick Productions, Jimmy Mulville. Leddy and Lewin had previously worked with McGee on Derry Girls. 

"I feel enormously grateful that Lisa, Liz and Caroline have decided once again to team up with Hat Trick and to be yet again working with Channel 4", Mulville added. "How To Get To Heaven From Belfast is an extraordinarily rich story which will thrill fans not only of Derry Girls but of lovers of comedy thrillers everywhere". 

Head of comedy at Channel Four Charlie Perkins, also commented, "This is huge. We couldn’t be prouder that Channel 4 feels like this extraordinary show’s spiritual home". 

"Getting to know the multi-hyphenated talents of Lisa, Liz, Caroline and their collaborators at Hat Trick Productions has been one of the greatest pleasures in my first year as head of comedy". 

"We can’t wait to bring Lisa’s next world to life for all those who already love her work and many more to come". 

Details regarding casting for the show will be announced soon.