Nearly four years after bidding farewell to the beloved Derry Girls, Lisa McGee has returned to the screen with a fresh, darkly comedic twist. On February 15, 2026, Netflix unveiled McGee’s latest project, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, a series that’s already generating the kind of buzz usually reserved for true crime blockbusters or franchise juggernauts. But this time, the excitement circles around a uniquely Northern Irish blend of humor, mystery, and the tangled threads of old friendships.
The show’s premise is deceptively simple: three women in their thirties—Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara—reunite in Belfast after the death of a childhood friend, Greta. What starts as a bittersweet gathering quickly morphs into a Knives Out-style whodunit, with the trio uncovering secrets, confronting old wounds, and scrambling to keep their own skeletons firmly in the closet. As reported by Sky News, the series deftly mixes McGee’s trademark wit with a darker, messier edge, a combination that has propelled it up Netflix’s most-watched lists almost overnight.
“I’ve always loved murder mysteries from when I was a little girl,” McGee told Sky News. “I was obsessed with Jessica Fletcher and Murder, She Wrote, so it was really like whenever someone gave me the chance to do it, I was going to grab it. But I knew I needed to do it my way. I wanted it to be very female-led, have a big comedy element to it, a bit messy.”
McGee’s journey into storytelling began long before the worldwide success of Derry Girls. Growing up in Derry, she would stage plays on her street, roping in every neighborhood kid—willing or not. “So, I was kind of the unofficial babysitter for the whole street. All the mums loved me, but the kids probably didn’t because I was making them learn lines and stuff like that,” she recalled, with a laugh. Even then, her stories had a dark undercurrent, perhaps influenced by her upbringing in a city shadowed by conflict before the Good Friday Agreement. “Outside of Ireland, people couldn’t believe it, but that was what was going on. But it was so every day to us. It just became so part of your routine, and it was only like years later when I moved to London that I actually... realised that’s probably not normal.”
This authenticity—of place, of character, of humor—runs through How To Get To Heaven From Belfast. As Independent Culture observed, the series “shares the same DNA as Derry Girls,” but it’s far from a repeat. Instead of teenage hijinks, the show delves into the complexities of adult female friendships, exploring how old loyalties, resentments, and guilt can linger long after school days are over. The series doesn’t sentimentalize these bonds; affection is real, but so is the competitiveness and shame that sometimes come with it.
The cast is a who’s-who of Irish and British television, anchored by Roísín Gallagher (Saoirse), Sinéad Keenan (Robyn), and Caoilfhionn Dunne (Dara). Gallagher, known for roles in The Fall and The Dry, brings a sharp, dry wit to the screenwriter Saoirse. Keenan, familiar to fans of Unforgotten and Being Human, delivers a nuanced turn as Robyn, while Dunne, who’s appeared in Industry and Love/Hate, rounds out the trio with a performance that’s equal parts vulnerability and steel.
The supporting cast is equally impressive. Bronagh Gallagher, an iconic Irish actor whose credits include The Commitments and Pramface, plays the series’ main antagonist. Josh Finan, Ardal O’Hanlon, Emmett J. Scanlan, Michelle Fairley, Natasha O’Keeffe, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Darragh Hand, and Emma Canning all pop up in memorable roles, many of them familiar faces from Derry Girls or other major TV dramas. As Huffington Post highlights, this reunion of talent not only delights fans but also deepens the show’s sense of place and authenticity.
Each of the eight episodes runs about 50 minutes, making the series ripe for a weekend binge. But don’t expect a straightforward comedy. While the jokes come fast—McGee’s dialogue remains as sharp as ever—there’s always an uneasy undertone. Old resentments bubble up, stories don’t quite add up, and viewers are left wondering: what are these women protecting, and from whom?
“The show balances comedy and mystery as it explores the women’s shared past and the secrets they keep,” notes Netflix. Early episodes lay out the fractures in the trio’s relationship before the bigger questions begin to surface. The pacing is tight, with each episode adding new information while still giving the characters room to breathe and evolve. And just as in Derry Girls, the setting is more than a backdrop; Belfast’s unique humor and history infuse every scene, adding layers of authenticity and resonance.
McGee herself is candid about the challenges of following up a cult hit. “I wanted to see myself and my friends on screen, which sounds incredibly simple, but I feel like it doesn’t happen that often and I sometimes feel particularly Irish stories and stories about Irish women, they can be quite tragic and serious, you know?” she told Sky News. “I really want to keep making stories about where I come from and I feel just so lucky that I can do this now and I’ll keep trying to do it until they tell me to stop.”
As for a second season? McGee is keeping her fingers crossed, but nothing is guaranteed. “I haven’t asked, I have been talking about it and I don’t know if I’m allowed to but I’d love to do it again because I love writing for those three women, I love those actors, they’re just so talented and so funny. I would do it again in a heartbeat, it just depends on who watches it I guess and how many people watch it.”
How To Get To Heaven From Belfast is, at its core, a story about memory, loyalty, and the sometimes-messy business of growing up. It’s about the stories we tell ourselves—and each other—about who we were, who we are, and who we might still become. With its blend of sharp humor, genuine emotion, and a twisty mystery, Lisa McGee’s latest offering proves she’s far from a one-hit wonder. For fans of Derry Girls and newcomers alike, this is one reunion that’s well worth attending.