Derry Girls (Channel 4)

alchemist33

I thought it was better tonight. A few laughs, like "aren't they meant to be 90% wool?"

SoundsRight

The chubby one tweeted that it might be the funniest episode yet. Thought it was quite poor compared to the rest. The running gag about an escaped polar bear...how did that get off the drawing board? What'll they drop in next week? Aliens?

BobbyBobberson

I thought it was better than episode two not that that is a high bar. Some genuine funny moments. My other half is from Derry and they find it hilarious.

Terri26

Ah lads! Tonight's episode was really good. Lots of laugh out loud moments for me. Most comedies make me smile, this literally makes me lol. The traveller bit didn't make me laugh but the rest was quite good.
"They don't like your sort either. Pricks". 'Sorry you are missing This and That' typical mammy, typical teen correcting her! Michelle picking Take That over her cousin. Are you trying to change race. This is oak not mahogany that's against the trade descriptions act.
Genuine funny lines tonight.

FanadMan

castletownman wrote:

The only good bit I felt was the father tuning in to the news and smirking at himself when he spotted the girls at the concert.

Loved that bit. It was so set up though, as soon as the news report of the concert came on, they would have been shown.

DrPhilG

Not great sadly, maybe a one season wonder.

Always a few great lines but much of the episode was poor. What kind of effort at an accent they had the traveller fella doing, I have no idea.

Best line of the show was Sr Michael complaining that the wee woman's egg and onion sandwich would "turn an orange march".

Addle

I thought the travellers accent was very funny.
I thought the whole show was hilarious.
Maybe being a 90s teenage girl adds to my enjoyment.

minikin

Dreary Girls... they’ll run out of crowbars if they keep on cramming cliches, ‘things girls do’ and ‘Ulster news events’ into this comedy vacuum.

Addle

Wtf else is meant to feature in a show about girls from Ulster?

minikin

Addle wrote: »

Wtf else is meant to feature in a show about girls from Ulster?

Characters with a third dimension?
Interesting stories?
Original ideas?
Humour?

The first series was grand, this is ‘difficult second album’ gruel.
Like a second pot of tea made of squeezed bags.

If there’s nothing else they could think of bar ‘reeling in the years’ presented by teens with facial ticks then don’t make it.

alastair

SoundsRight wrote: »

The chubby one tweeted that it might be the funniest episode yet. Thought it was quite poor compared to the rest. The running gag about an escaped polar bear...how did that get off the drawing board? What'll they drop in next week? Aliens?

Didn’t rate the episode, but the escaped polar bear plot would have been lifted from the various actual and imagined animal escapes from Belfast Zoo. There was a panic when a supposed escaped lion was sighted near the zoo about ten years ago. Police search started and public warnings went out, before it turned out to be a, eh, large dog.

Sam Hain

Addle wrote: »

I thought the travellers accent was very funny.
I thought the whole show was hilarious.
Maybe being a 90s teenage girl adds to my enjoyment.

You're easily entertained.

Sam Hain

Addle wrote: »

Wtf else is meant to feature in a show about girls from Ulster?

What parts of Ulster have you visited that you are the oracle on their behaviour?
Derry is quite different to a lot of Ulster.

Avatar MIA

Sam Hain wrote: »

What parts of Ulster have you visited that you are the oracle on their behaviour?
Derry is quite different to a lot of Ulster.

It's because of the Derry air :pac::P

Skid X

alastair wrote: »

Didn’t rate the episode, but the escaped polar bear plot would have been lifted from the various actual and imagined animal escapes from Belfast Zoo. There was a panic when a supposed escaped lion was sighted near the zoo about ten years ago. Police search started and public warnings went out, before it turned out to be a, eh, large dog.

That would have been a better storyline.

A giant wee dog, so it was.

Rflwr88

As a Londoner married to someone from NI, some of the jokes make no sense to me but it’s mostly hilarious to me.

The traveller accent was lacking...

I'm liking this now. Thought the first episode was awful but then curbed my expectations and try to watch it when I'm not tired or hungover.

who was your man playing the traveller he looked familiar from somewhere

brian_t

bluewolf wrote: »

who was your man playing the traveller he looked familiar from somewhere

Ryan McParland

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3130001/

NIMAN

I think it's becoming fashionable now to have a dig at the show, be a hater.

I would agree the standard has dropped slightly from the first series, but it's still a decent enough comedy show.

Most comedy shows on TV aren't flat out laughfests. Most of them would be classed as mildly amusing, and DG falls into that category too IMHO.

Comedy is a very hard thing to make successfully. This is doing a decent job, but comedy is very like music, films and other forms of entertainment. It's all very subjective. Some people like it, others don't. Some like this film, others hate it. Some like this music artist, others can't stand them.

If you find you don't like it then maybe time to stop watching it?

NIMAN

NIMAN wrote: »

I think it's becoming fashionable now to have a dig at the show, be a hater.

It's not at all. The show has just gone to ****e in S2. Not a decent episode so far.

I would agree the standard has dropped slightly from the first series, but it's still a decent enough comedy show.

See above.

Most comedy shows on TV aren't flat out laughfests. Most of them would be classed as mildly amusing, and DG falls into that category too IMHO.

Most comedy shows ARE flat out laughfests. That's why they are comedy shows. The only thing S2 of this show has given is the odd smile or two. Not one LOL moment.

Comedy is a very hard thing to make successfully. This is doing a decent job, but comedy is very like music, films and other forms of entertainment. It's all very subjective. Some people like it, others don't. Some like this film, others hate it. Some like this music artist, others can't stand them.

From the comments I've seen and heard about S2, the negatives outweigh the positives.

If you find you don't like it then maybe time to stop watching it?

That's a ****ty thing to say. Many people agree its gone to the dogs but are still willing to see the rest of the series out. For someone who speaks so highly of the show, you're quick to turn away the critics. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and watch the rest of it....if that's OK with you?

I thought season 1 was excellent BTW.

I watched season 1 after watching the first episode of season 2. They're pretty similar.

Mantis Toboggan

Deleted User wrote: »

I watched season 1 after watching the first episode of season 2. They're pretty similar.

yeah season 1 is good but largely overrated.

I think this is because people didn't expect much at first and when a few episodes were good they soon became great. Also the soundtrack is good and the nostalgia element sucked people right in.

If you go back and watch season 1 now you'll find it's very similar to season 2 so far.

Mantis Toboggan

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

yeah season 1 is good but largely overrated.

I think this is because people didn't expect much at first and when a few episodes were good they soon became great. Also the soundtrack is good and the nostalgia element sucked people right in.

If you go back and watch season 1 now you'll find it's very similar to season 2 so far.

I completely agree. I absolutely loved season 1. I was so let down by the first episode of season 2. I went back and watched all of season 1 with my gf and realised its identical. Hit or miss at times but usually full of layered jokes. Exact same as season 2.

Like that joke about the polar bear... All the main characters are talking about the newscast about the DUP and Ian paisley at the same time. It's reused theme that they're talking about something benign and something seriously political.

Have a look at the average ratings online. The general consensus is that season 2 is marginally better so far. I recommend super fans should treat yourself to season 1 again and see if you enjoy the new ones more.

RhubarbCrumble

The traveller's accent seemed to be more "Limerick sham" than anything else.

Utopia Parkway

I think it’s the nostalgia element and the soundtrack that make the show really because as an actual comedy it’s very very average.

That said it’s an easy watch for 25/30 mins if you fancy a bit of light hearted escapism. Good fun but almost instantantly forgettable.

Great comedies are infinitely rewatchable 10, 20 years into the future. That’s why something like Father Ted is still pretty much constantly on repeat on various channels. I can’t see anyone really rewatching Derry Girls in 20 years time.

gmisk

Deleted User wrote: »

I completely agree. I absolutely loved season 1. I was so let down by the first episode of season 2. I went back and watched all of season 1 with my gf and realised its identical. Hit or miss at times but usually full of layered jokes. Exact same as season 2.

Like that joke about the polar bear... All the main characters are talking about the newscast about the DUP and Ian paisley at the same time. It's reused theme that they're talking about something benign and something seriously political.

Have a look at the average ratings online. The general consensus is that season 2 is marginally better so far. I recommend super fans should treat yourself to season 1 again and see if you enjoy the new ones more.

I got round to watching episode 3 of season 2.....it was ok....a few funny bits (I liked

the nuns choice of reading material on the bus

)
I think this season has been poor in comparison to the first no getting away from it.
I re-watched season 1 before it came back and it just worked a lot better for me I found it a lot funnier and each episode had a decent little arc.


I had no idea what the traveller was saying a lot of the time, the guy playing him is normally a decent actor usually as well he was good in a show called 6 degrees, but he was distractingly bad in this one.

Joe_ Public

Interesting that a lot of people are crediting the soundtrack as one of the positive aspects of the show. I can’t think of a sitcom where a few background tracks made a whit of difference to the quality. For me it’s always been around 40% character, 55% script and plot, 5% other odds and ends, and I’m afraid this series is falling down badly on the first two fronts.

Hyzepher

I was convinced Sister Michael was going to the concert

Addle

Maybe she was-now that'd have been funny to see.

Welsh Megaman

Rock The Boat

Wheety

"I'll just stop you there" is from Father Ted

Basq

I'm just really tiring of this show now..

gmisk

That was best episode of this series IMO.
Aunt Sarah stole the show with that opening scene.

I think it helped that it focussed on other characters more bar away from the kids.
Music was spot on, definitely not season 1 good but I will take it.

Welsh Megaman

gmisk wrote: »

Music was spot on, definitely not season 1 good but I will take it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilKcXIFi-Rc

redbuck

Thought it was back on form tonight.

JP Liz V1

Hyzepher wrote: »

I was convinced Sister Michael was going to the concert

All she does each night is pray :P

Atlantic Dawn

Better this week, I do love the Irish funeral

Delighted the show redeemed itself this week.

Basq

Slightly off-topic but jesus.. we get it JOE.ie.. you watched the episode! :rolleyes:




(in a 1 hour period)

In slightly more on topic, we need more Sister Michael. Her appearances are all too fleeting for arguably the best character in the show.

The actual girls (and wee English fella) often are getting the weakest dialogue.

wakka12

Addle wrote: »

Wtf else is meant to feature in a show about girls from Ulster?

Actually develop the character's personalities rather than always relying on jokes about protestants etc

DrPhilG

I just watched that episode twice in a row and laughed as much if not more the second time around.

Great episode after a weak season so far.

NIMAN

Best of s2?

Stevecw

I'm unusual that I've only seen season 2 without seeing s1. Was ok just about so far, i had it on series record so caught up every week. This one was proper funny, loved it. By far the best of this series anyway. This episode now will make me go back and watch Season 1, as I was wondering what all the hype was about!

LoughNeagh2017

I haven't seen these episodes yet but a man from my parish was an extra in one, the parish of Ballymaguigan, he was a player on the TG4 GAA show Underdogs and he must have made a contact there so it shows you it is all about who you know in the show business scene

Roar

A lovely half hour of TV, as all the other episodes have been. Ardal O'Hanlon's dodgy Derry accent aside, I thought it was a cracking episode. Laughed like a drain at the church scene at the start and Aunt Sarah walking down the aisle. And sister Michael with Colm - "....is this my wake?"

Agree with some of the posts above - season 2 is broadly similar quality-wise to season 1 for me.

One little bugbear of mine - I wish there was more on location stuff from Derry city. It can feel very confined by the studio some times. I was born in Derry so would love to see more of it on screen - that being said Derry has changed quite a bit in the last 25 years so it may not be entirely feasible.

Addle

I love seeing Kevin mcaleer back in tv.

Big Vern

Enjoyed last night’s episode, easily the best of Season 2 so far.

Loved the scene between Sister Michael with Colm, need to see more of them interacting!

Yer Da sells Avon

Addle wrote: »

I love seeing Kevin mcaleer back in tv.

Back in the '90s, my whole family would often watch him on Nighthawks. We'd all be there, sitting around the television, half of us looking at the back of it.