Channel 4 has confirmed the release date of the eagerly awaited season 3 of Derry Girls.
The broadcaster shared a first look at the third and final season of the hit sitcom which last aired back in April 2019. The show - which follows the lives of five teenagers growing up in Derry, Northern Ireland - is Channel 4's most successful comedy since Father Ted.
Series creator and writer Lisa McGee confirmed Derry Girls said "it was always the plan to end the series after three seasons" in autumn last year. McGee and star Nicola Coughlan, known for her role as Clare and of Bridgerton fame, both announced the show had completed filming in December 2021.
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The television series follows Erin Quinn and her cousin Orla with their friends Clare, Michelle, and Michelle's English cousin James during the end of the Troubles in Derry, where they all attend a Catholic girls' secondary school. The gang repeatedly find themselves in outrageous yet hilarious scenarios, providing a stark contrast to the political unrest of the era.
When is Derry Girls back?
Series 3 has been scheduled for release later this month after fans have had to wait two years since the previous season aired. The first episode is due to air on Channel 4 on Tuesday, April 12 at 9.15pm.
"The third and final series of #DerryGirls starts Tuesday 12th April," Channel 4 announced on Twitter. The announcement was coupled with a clip from the new series showing the gang in a video library with reoccurring characters Sister Michael (Siobhán McSweeney) and Dennis (Paul Mallon) making an appearance.
Who is in the cast of Derry Girls?
The main Derry Girls cast is expected to reprise their roles for the final season. Leading cast members Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Erin), Louisa Harland (Orla), Nicola Coughlan (Clare), Jamie-Lee O'Donnell (Michelle), and Dylan Llewellyn (James) will continue their coming-of-age journey for one last season.
Season 2 concluded on President Bill Clinton's visit to Derry on November 30, 1995. The show is a fictionalised version of McGee's time spent growing up in Northern Ireland during events of the Troubles and the Northern Ireland peace process.
Other stars are expected to be joined by Tara Lynne O’Neill as Ma/Mary, Kathy Kiera Clarke as Aunt Sarah, Siobhan McSweeney as Sister Michael and Tommy Tiernan as Da/Gerry.
What can we expect in Season 3?
Although the cast and crew have so far been tight-lipped about the plot of their final season, several teaser clips have been released of the gang in action on their final adventure together.
Alongside Channel 4's announcement at the end of March, a first look teaser trailer was also shared back in December last year stirring up excitement among fans. The clip appears to show a nighttime raid, with the whole group forced to put their hands up as helicopter spotlights on their faces.
Derry Girls will be broadcast on Channel 4 on Tuesdays at 9.15pm, starting on April 12. Seasons 1 and 2 are available on the broadcaster's streaming service All4. Season 1 is also available to stream on Netflix.
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