Love Derry Girls but I think a lot of the humour is very Northern Irish and takes being from Northern Ireland to appreciate/understand so I always wondered how it was so successful on a national level? Genuine question - just interested to hear from others.
I think it’s down to a mix of reasons. 1990s nostalgia has got big recently because the people who were young then are at a kind of nostalgia stage, especially those with kids (reminiscing on their own childhoods/teenagehoods as they see them grow up). Also, the ‘90s are in fashion with the younger generation and in a relatively unaltered way - they tend to wear real vintage pieces or decent modern copies, compared to the bastardised modern versions of previous eras. I’m actually taken aback at times when seeing teens dressed like this, almost feels like being taken back in time if you ignore the smartphones! Basically, I think a 1990s-based show was always going to be appealing in the current climate due to people’s renewed interest in the decade
Secondly, I think the fact it’s set in NI is a breath of fresh air. A lot of the series and films consumed in the U.K. are American, and even if they’re U.K.-based they tend to be English. I don’t think I know of another series set in NI whereas there are plenty of English, and a couple of Scottish and Welsh too. Literally cannot think of a single one (not counting Game of Thrones as that’s just the filming location). Anyway, the NI setting is a bit different, the dialect and cultural aspects are educational but more importantly entertaining. I can understand why Derry Girls was a hit outside of NI when it’s quite different to the usual offerings
My ex was from NI, as well as a couple of my friends, so I was familiar with the accent and a lot of the dialect / cultural references. The English friends I watched it with didn’t have much knowledge aside from a vague understanding of the Troubles. They could figure out some of the jokes etc but even when they couldn’t, they tended to laugh along at the absurdity. I’m the same - I don’t know a lot about pop culture but if someone makes a joke like “he’s got the feet of Joe Bloggs” I’ll be amused anyway at the concept of the joke rather than understanding it myself (maybe I’m weird
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Sorry for the essay, hope it makes sense