Hilarious troubled teens
CAN you joke about anything? Does it take a fixed number of years before you can laugh at the past? In the Sixties, some felt a sitcom about the Home Guard, just two decades after the Second World War, might be inappropriate. The success of Dad’s Army proved them wrong.
Then there was the Nazi occupation of France and the French resistance, hardly the stuff of high jinks yet by 1982, it was quite able to tickle TV audiences in the form of ’Allo, ’Allo!
Set in Northern Ireland in the Nineties, Lisa McGee’s comedy DERRY GIRLS (C4) marks the first attempt, I believe, to make giggles out of The Troubles and doesn’t treat the divisions of Derry/ Londonderry just as backdrop. In the first episode, main girl Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) and her pals were joined at their convent school by lone boy James (Dylan Llewellyn) who despite being Catholic couldn’t go to the boys’ school because he’s English.
The subject was even more pronounced last night, as Erin’s unremarkable Uncle Colm (Kevin McAleer) finally found something to talk about. His experience at the hands of balaclava-wearing gunmen turned him into a local celebrity and the family saw this as an opportunity to get free chips.
Unfortunately, Erin and Co had rather spoiled relationships with the local chippy while trying to raise money for a school trip.
It’s a clever thing, Derry Girls, pulling off several jobs while never forgetting to make us laugh. As well as turning the lead and bombs and graffiti of the era into something not far off comedy gold, it’s also good on the pains of growing up.
Hearing that a classmate is going to use her “trust fund” to pay for the Paris trip, Erin goes home and asks if she can dip into hers.
“Sure,” says Erin’s splendidly formidable mammy (Tara Lynne O’Neill). “Account number, 654321, password, catch yourself on!” Wrapped up in school, friendships and the distant shoreline of getting off with actual boys, Erin and pals haven’t realised they’re poor.
Meanwhile, at home, as on the streets, ancient quarrels rumble on. “Why can’t you leave my Mary alone?” Granda (Ian McElhinny) thunders at his son-in-law, Erin’s Da. “Because we’ve been married for 22 years?” protests Da (Tommy Tiernan).
Two episodes in to what we hope will be a long run, Derry Girls provides a rude and robust riposte to anyone who ever asked if you can joke about everything. Sure you can. As long as you’re funny.
What sort of person goes to a beautiful Caribbean island like Sainte Marie, home of DEATH IN PARADISE (BBC1) and spends their time playing cards? Only the wicked, as last night’s tale, focussing on a poisoned poker champion, proved. Fans of this sea breeze of a cop show know how important veteran island officer, Dwayne Myers (Danny John-Jules) is to the work in hand.
Despite his eye for the ladies and preference for a short cut, Dwayne is the one who knows someone who knows someone, the one who always remembers a vital detail from years back. It was a treat, then, to see him temporarily promoted to the role of detective.
It would have been, that is, had the script not kitted him out with a bad suit, a comedy briefcase and made him all but useless at the job. We know this show’s never tried to be an in-depth character study but it should respect the ones who’ve been in it since the start.