Lisa McGee, the creator of the hit comedy Derry Girls, is back with a new eight-part series, How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. Described as a 'rubbish, female, Northern Irish A-Team', the show blends thriller, surrealist comedy and mystery, following three childhood friends drawn into a dark investigation after the death of a schoolmate.
The series stars Roisin Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne as Saoirse, Robyn and Dara, who reunite after the shocking death of their friend Greta. Inspired by Columbo and Scooby-Doo, the show explores female friendship and the secrets that bind old friends. 'The problem with a group of friends that have known each other since they were kids is that you know everything,' McGee said.
Originally written as a play during McGee's time at Queen's University Belfast, the script was revived after she reconnected with schoolfriends at Derry Girls premieres. The story jumps between past and present, with flashbacks hinting at a dark secret from the trio's teenage years. 'You're living this agreed lie,' McGee added.
The three women—a TV writer, a mother of four, and a carer for her mother—embark on a madcap sleuthing adventure to uncover the truth about Greta's death. Along the way, they confront their own unspoken past, with matching tribal tattoos and a shared refusal to discuss 'the thing we never talk about'. The show promises car chases, explosions and a mystery within a mystery.
