It’s no secret that TV shows aren’t the best at realistically depicting the experience of being a teenager. Countless shows and movies focus on the trials and tribulations of high school and teen years, but most of them glamorize this period of life or play into tired tropes that don’t feel relatable to teenagers today. It doesn’t help that a majority of teen shows have actors that are nearing (or in) their thirties, playing sixteen-year-olds.
There is one show, however, that manages to capture the experience of being in high school, in a way that not many other shows are capable of doing. This, of course, isDerry Girls.Derry Girlstakes place in the town of Derry in Northern Irelandin the 1990sduring the Troubles, a period of civil unrest in the country. The show follows a group of teenagers as they navigate their coming of age while the turmoil of their country looms in the background. The show doesn’t try to romanticize the teenage experience in the same way that many other shows do. Instead, it leans into the awkwardness and uncomfortable moments that come with adolescence.
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Derry Girlsis a comedy, but it’salso a coming-of-age story. The show is hilarious and packs a ton of clever and well-written jokes and situations into each episode. However, it doesn’t forget to have a heart as well. For example, there is a moment in the show where the adult characters learn of a great tragedy that signifies more unrest for Ireland, while the kids are performing in a talent show. The footage of both scenes intercut with each other is a fantastic juxtaposition that shows the reality of the time: life keeps happening even in the midst of tragedy. It also hits home how much the teen years of these kids will be affected by the socio-political state that they find themselves in.
A common complaint lobbied at teen shows is that the actors are always older than the characters they’re attempting to portray. This is mostly done so that productions don’t have to deal with thelegal intricaciesof employing minors and the child labor laws that come with that. However, it can warp the public image of what a teenager actually looks like, when the actors who constantly portray them are well past puberty. While the cast ofDerry Girlsis still much older than their characters (many of the actors are in their 30s), they still manage to look and feel like real teenagers in a way that not many other shows have been able to achieve.
The show accomplishes this by leaning into the reality of being a teenager rather than trying to glamorize it. The characters don’t dress as stylishly as their peers, and aren’t particularly popular at school. The makeup and costume department did a great job of outfitting the actors to look like normal, working-class teenagers in the 90s. The characters often make dumb decisions and can be awkward and nervous around others, all of which feel true to the average teen experience.
Of course,the show isn’t just for teenagers. It is still entertaining for a much older audience as well. It might remind people of their own teenage experience back in the day, particularly if they grew up during the same time period. That being said, even if someone didn’t find the show relatable to their own teenage experience, they would still be able to appreciate the show on its own merits because the writing is so strong.
Derry Girlsmanages to hit all the marks of discussing teenage life without falling into tired tropes. While the main crew of kids has their moments where they attempt to seem cooler and more popular, their attempts to gain popularity aren’t the only plot points of the show. Rather, their relationships with each other and the world around them are at the forefront of the story. The typical popularity, bullying, and dating tropes often found in teen shows aren’t really present inDerry Girls, which makes it not only unique, but more relatable. While bullying and vying for social status are things that still occur in high schools, the way those things are depicted in most media (i.e., without any nuance or subtlety) isn’t reflective of the experiences thatGen Z high schoolersare having these days. WhileDerry Girlstakes place more than 30 years in the past, it still feels more relevant to today than a lot of other teen shows.
The characters themselves are all charming and funny in their own ways, from Michelle’s brashness to Claire’s nervousness to Orla’s uniqueness. They’re alldelightfully weird, which makes them feel like real humans rather than a teenage ideal. Their families, particularly the family of the main character Erin, also feel realistic in the way that they interact with each other. They have their strange quirks, they squabble, and their financial troubles reflect the reality of growing up working-class in a way that feels true-to-life.
Derry Girlsis a masterclass on how to create a teen show that isequal parts entertaining and relatable. Obviously, if a show was exactly like real life it would get boring, butDerry Girlsmanages to incorporate those elements that feel accurate to teenage life without sacrificing the situational humor or how endearing the characters are. The humor of the show itself is spot-on. Every joke hits its mark, especially because so many of them rely on the character dynamics that the show sets up perfectly. It’s a show that, above all else, manages to capture the particular awkwardness and anxiety of being a teenager growing up in uncertain times, which is still incredibly relevant to teens and adults alike today.
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