‘Derry Girls’
If you loved Normal People, you’re in luck because impeccable Irish television doesn’t end there. The first season of Derry Girls, an irreverent sitcom set in a period known as “the Troubles” in (London)derry, Northern Ireland, absolutely lives up to its elusive 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Although it originally aired in 2019, Derry Girls is finally getting the attention it deserves due to cast member Nicola Coughlan’s recent Bridgerton stardom. The Lisa McGee creation effortlessly illustrates the cognitive dissonance required for All-Girls Catholic School-attending teens to navigate their sexual awakenings while surrounded by nuns on all sides — Irish ones, at that. Derry Girls nails the “Bildungsroman” trope, while simultaneously doing serious justice to the historical turmoil in the backdrop. Flanked by a “wee English fella” who is simply too British to survive attending the nearby boys’ school, the cast of Derry Girls employs the sharpest dark humor around. Whether you’re interested in IRA bombs or “F bombs,” this show has it all.