We’re living in a great era for television, but there’s been quite a shift in how content is released thanks to streaming services. While many networks still release 22-episode seasons, most shows are shorter these days, and many don’t last as long as they used to. Even fan-favorite series Ted Lasso was always meant to end after its third season. Shorter runs may be a newer concept for television in the U.S., but it’s always been more common overseas, so we’re not too surprised to hear the news that the beloved UK sitcom Derry Girls, which is set in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, is going to end after its third season (or “series”). The show’s creator, Lisa McGee, released a statement today, explaining that the series was always meant to end this way.
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“It was always the plan to say goodbye after three series,” McGee wrote. “Derry Girls is a coming of age story following five ridiculous teenagers as they slowly… very slowly… start to become adults, while around them the place they call home starts to change too and Northern Ireland enters a new more hopeful phase – which was a small, magical window of time. Derry Girls is a love letter to the place I come from and the people who shaped me,” McGee continued. “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. Thanks also to the team behind the series, the incredible Hat Trick Productions, and a special thanks to Channel 4 – the channel I grew up watching; the channel that made me want to write comedy, and the only channel that could have made out show. 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 [season] with our incredible cast and crew to hopefully take our loyal fans on one last adventure.” You can view McGee’s statement below:
Derry Girls stars Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Louisa Harland, and Dylan Llewellyn. According to Deadline, the show’s debut in 2018 was Channel 4’s biggest UK comedy premiere in 15 years. The second season of the show was released in 2019, but the third and final season has been delayed by the pandemic. However, filming is expected to begin this week. While the show is a Channel 4 series, it does air globally on Netflix, which is where fans located in the U.S. will be able to view the final season.
How do you feel about Derry Girls coming to an end? Tell us in the comments! ย