There's no denying that Lisa McGee's 'Derry Girls' has been a game changing series for Northern Irish comedy.
Who would have thought that a sitcom about the tail end of the Troubles - a bitter conflict whose after-effects are still being felt 28 years later - would find an audience in Britain, let alone across the world?
It's even more remarkable when you consider Troubles movies and TV dramas have always been a massive turn off for English, Scottish and Welsh audiences.
Only a handful of films about the violence managed to cut through the reticence of British and international audiences to engage with the conflict.
And even though acclaimed films like Neil Jordan's 'The Crying Game' and Jim Sheridan's 'In the Name of the Father' were successful, they were not huge hits.
Somehow, though, the adventures of four teenage girls and a wee English fella in a Derry convent school have commanded viewing figures of over three million people in the UK and caught international attention on Netflix.
But as we prepare for the final two episodes of the Channel 4 show, what are the six best 'Derry Girls' episodes?
"The Chip Shop" (Series One, Episode Two)
The prospect of a school trip to Paris has the pupils of Our Lady Immaculate College whipped up into an almighty frenzy.
With school lick Jenny Joyce announcing she is paying for her trip out of her trust fund, Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle and James are shocked to discover their parents have failed to create ones for them.
In a desperate measure, Michelle steals a notice board from the local chippy to give them first dibs on all part-time jobs.
However when the chippy owner, Fionnula finds out and forces them to clean the takeaway as a punishment, inevitably there are disastrous consequences.
Aunt Sarah, meanwhile, tries to capitalise on a recent misfortune that befell her long winded Uncle Colm by arranging an interview on the local news that could land them free chips.
Memorable moment: Uncle Colm's epic account of being held up in his home: "The slightly taller, fella, he says to me, says he: 'Do you know who we are?' And I says to him, says I: 'Well, I can't be sure now. Maybe, if you took off the balaclavas?"
Classic Sister Michael school assembly moment: "On Monday morning, several of our Year 13s will face their GCSE Maths resit. Now I know how daunting resit examinations can be, so if anyone is feeling anxious or worried, or even if you just want to chat, please, please, do not come crying to me."
"The Ukrainians" (Series One, Episode Four)
The Children of Chernobyl have arrived in the Maiden City, with the Quinns excited by the prospect of taking in a Ukrainian student.
The family are landed with the hugely unimpressed Katya and Erin, Orla, Clare and Michelle are baffled when she seems to take a romantic interest in James.
Meanwhile Ma Mary and Sarah react badly when they discover Grandpa Joe is dating a local woman, 62-year-old Maeve and is wooing her with pastries.
Michelle has her sights set on seducing another, rather reserved Ukrainian boy, Artem who turns out not to be the lad she thinks he is.
At a party with a chocolate fountain and a DJ thrown for the Ukrainians by Jenny Joyce, Erin gets bothered by the notion that James and Katya's relationship might not be as innocent than she initially thought.
Memorable moment: Katya's skewering of Northern Ireland's sectarian divisions: "But you're not different religions here. You're different flavours of the same religion, no?.. To me, is stupid!"
Classic Ma Mary moment: "What were you doing up Pump Street with a cream horn, da?"
"Across the Barricade" (Series Two, Episode One")
Erin, Michelle, Orla, Clare and James have to take part in a cross community retreat run by Fr Peter with the pupils of a local Protestant boys school.
For the priest, it's an opportunity to address sectarian misconceptions and divisions.
For Michelle and Erin, it is an opportunity to get off with really hot Protestant lads.
James is just desperate to impress another group of other lads by talking about babes and beer, given that he spends all his time with a group of girls.
Fr Peter's and the girls' ambitions, however, are thwarted when Clare is appalled by what she thinks is a sinister sectarian comment from one of the boys from the other school.
Memorable moment: Fr Peter's vain attempt to get both sets of pupils to find out what Protestants and Catholics have in common, culminating in Orka's observation that "Protestants hate ABBA!".
Classic Michelle moment: "These Prods have some serious moves up their sleeves, you know. They're not as f**ked up about sex as we are. They've put the work in. They know what they're doing."
"The Curse" (Series Two, Episode Four")
In an episode guest starring Ardal O'Hanlon, Sarah upsets guests at a wedding by dressing in white and upstaging the bride.
Things go from bad to worse when Mary and Sarah's maternal aunt Bridie accuses Erin, Orla, Michelle, Clare and James of elbowing her son Eamonn out of the way during the playing of "Rock the Boat" at the disco.
During the ensuing argument, Mary tells Bridie to drop dead which she does, prompting speculation that she has the ability to put a curse on people.
Events at Bridie's wake take a bizarre turn when Gerry finds himself running the sandwich making operation in the kitchen and Michelle brings along some hash cookies.
This results in some very unexpected behaviour from Joe.
Memorable moment: A nervous Erin and Orla doing the dishes and offering to do the dusting and hoovering in the Quinn family home in case Mary hexes them.
Classic Gerry moment: "How's the Wicked Witch of the North West?"
"The President" (Series Two, Episode Six)
Clintonmania has swept Derry as the city prepares for the arrival of the US President.
Erin, Michelle, Orla and Clare are determined to get their place at the front of the crowd at the Guildhall.
Joe and his CB enthusiast neighbour Jim rope Gerry into trying to track down with Uncle Colm where the President might be staying and end up driving all night in Co Donegal.
James, meanwhile, is delighted that his mum has returned to Derry.
But with her keen to take him back to England, will he leave Derry and how will Erin, Orla, Clare and especially his cousin Michelle react?
Memorable moment: Dennis, the perpetually angry shopkeeper, trying to sell dodgy purple, red and white American flags and arguing that the reason why there are only 30 stars on them is some of the states left.
Classic James moment: "I'm a Derry Girl!"
"The Night Before" (Series Three, Episode One)
Cameos don't come any bigger than the one Lisa McGee and director Michael Lennox pulled off in this season opener.
Liam Neeson appears as a police officer who questions the girls after they unwittingly help thieves rob their school while they are trying to break in to get their GCSE results.
Meanwhile Grandpa Joe has a new cat called Seamus who is running amok through the neighbourhood killing other people's pets.
With Erin and Clare fearing they are about to be framed for the break in by Neeson's RUC officer, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Enter Uncle Colm to break the RUC interrogators.
Memorable moment: The interrogation - particularly Liam Neeson's character's jaded and exasperated reaction to Uncle Colm's talkfest: "What was it we asked him?" and his insistence that there is "no-one in Londonderry called Hans", prompting Colm to say "there's a young lad in Pennyburn called Diego".
Classic Orla moment: "Can I hold your gun?"
Comments
Post a Comment