"In Lisa McGee's show "Derry Girls," about a group of teen-agers growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, the threat of violence-in the form of car bombings and street riots-was portrayed as so commonplace that it became, effectively, a nuisance. It wasn't just terrifying; it was annoying, getting in the way of salon appointments and nights out."
"Much of the comedy of "Derry Girls," which became a surprise smash hit on Netflix, derived from this juxtaposition: the mundane-a school ride-and the unthinkable. The main character, Erin, and her friends are animated by schemes that have nothing to do with the turbulent times in which they happen to live."
"If violence was ambient background noise in "Derry Girls," it has come front and center, albeit in a more cartoonish fashion, in McGee's new show, "How to Get to Heaven from Belfast." The eight-episode comedic murder mystery shifts the creator's approach while maintaining her signature comedic sensibility."
Lisa McGee, creator of the Netflix hit "Derry Girls," brings a similar comedic sensibility to her new series "How to Get to Heaven from Belfast," an eight-episode murder mystery. While "Derry Girls" portrayed violence during the Troubles as commonplace background noise to teenage life, allowing characters to focus on typical adolescent concerns like boys and fashion, the new show places a death investigation at its center. However, the tone remains comedic rather than serious, functioning more as a buddy comedy than a traditional murder mystery. The series follows a group of Irish women investigating the death, maintaining McGee's signature style of blending serious circumstances with humor and everyday character dynamics.
Read at The New Yorker
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