Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee has written a new comedy thriller set in Northern Ireland for Channel 4.
The eight-part series, titled How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, follows a group of schoolfriends who now lead very different lives in their late thirties.
However, after attending the wake of a former classmate, successful writer Saoirse, mother-of-three Robyn and Dara, a full-time carer of an elderly parent, will find themselves embroiled in a mystery.
As they attempt to put the pieces of the puzzle together and uncover the truth, the women will embark on an adventure which will take them from their native Belfast, where “the pain of the past is plastered on every mural”, to the wildness of rural Donegal and right across Ireland.
Channel 4 has said the series will take viewers on an “enthralling and hilarious journey, exploring the themes of friendship, memory and what happens when life doesn’t turn out quite how we expected.”
Written and created by McGee, the series will be produced by Hat Trick Productions and executive produced by Caroline Leddy and Liz Lewin, who both worked on Derry Girls, and Jimmy Mulville.
Reflecting on the show, McGee said: “I feel so incredibly lucky to be making another show for the phenomenal Channel 4 and to be doing it with Hat Trick Productions again and the creative team behind Derry Girls, the mighty Liz Lewin and Caroline Leddy, is just a dream.
“I’ve wanted to make a comedy thriller set in Northern Ireland for such a long time. I cannot wait to share these flawed funny women with everyone.”
Charlie Perkins, head of comedy at Channel 4, said: “This is huge. We couldn’t be prouder that Channel 4 feels like this extraordinary show’s spiritual home.
“Getting to know the multi-hyphenated talents of Lisa, Liz, Caroline and their collaborators at Hat Trick Productions has been one of the greatest pleasures in my first year as head of comedy.
“We can’t wait to bring Lisa’s next world to life for all those who already love her work and many more to come.”
Details about the cast line-up is to be announced in due course.
Jimmy Mulville, managing director at Hat Trick Productions, added: “I feel enormously grateful that Lisa, Liz and Caroline have decided once again to team up with Hat Trick and to be yet again working with Channel 4.
“How To Get To Heaven From Belfast is an extraordinarily rich story which will thrill fans not only of Derry Girls but of lovers of comedy thrillers everywhere.”
McGee wrote and created the Channel 4 comedy series Derry Girls which follows a group of teenagers navigating growing up in Northern Ireland in the context of the Troubles.
Launched in 2018, its three series received critical acclaim and went on to win a Royal Television Society Award and a Bafta TV award.