Derry Girls Creator Lisa McGee Returns with Netflix Irish Dancing Mockumentary 'Jig'
Lisa McGee, the Derry writer whose Derry Girls became one of the most celebrated British and Irish television comedies of the past decade, has announced a new six-part mockumentary series for Netflix titled Jig, set in the competitive world of Irish dancing and following two best friends from a struggling Derry school as they prepare to take on a well-funded Florida rival at the World Championships.
Background
Lisa McGee's Derry Girls, which ran for three series on Channel 4 between 2018 and 2022, was a cultural phenomenon that transcended its Northern Irish setting to become one of the most watched and critically acclaimed British comedies of its era. Set in Derry in the 1990s against the backdrop of the Troubles, the show combined sharp comedy with genuine emotional depth, and its portrayal of teenage life in a divided city resonated with audiences far beyond Northern Ireland. The show's finale, which aired in May 2022, drew over 1.5 million viewers on Channel 4 — the channel's biggest audience in years — and was widely praised as a fitting conclusion to one of television's most distinctive comedies.
McGee's follow-up project, How to Get to Heaven From Belfast, demonstrated her ability to work across different formats and tones, and her announcement of Jig at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August 2026 has been met with considerable excitement from critics and audiences who have been waiting to see what she would do next. The mockumentary format — popularised by shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and What We Do in the Shadows — is a natural fit for McGee's observational comedy style and her ability to find humour in the specific rituals and hierarchies of Irish life.
Irish dancing is a rich subject for comedy. The competitive world of feiseanna and world championships is characterised by extraordinary dedication, intense rivalry, elaborate costumes, and a culture of perfectionism that provides ample material for satirical observation. The World Irish Dancing Championships, held annually in Dublin, attract thousands of competitors from across the globe, and the American Irish dancing community — particularly in cities like Boston, Chicago, and New York — has developed its own distinctive culture that is both deeply connected to and subtly different from the Irish original.
Key Developments
Jig was officially announced by Netflix at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August 2026. The six-part series follows two best friends, Cara and Fletcher, who belong to the struggling "Sweeney School of Dance" in Derry. The plot tracks their journey as they prepare to compete against their rivals — a well-funded, sponsored, and seemingly superior dance operation based in Florida — at the World Championships. The series is produced by Orchid Pictures, with executive producers including McGee, Liz Lewin, Caroline Leddy, and Suzanne Mackie.
Filming for Jig is scheduled to take place in Northern Ireland starting in 2027, with the precise locations to be confirmed. The series will be a Netflix original, giving it global distribution from the outset — a significant step up from the Channel 4 platform that hosted Derry Girls, and a reflection of the growing appetite among streaming platforms for Irish content. The casting process has not yet been announced, but McGee has indicated that she is looking for performers who can combine comedy with genuine dancing ability — a combination that is rarer than it might appear.
The announcement has been welcomed by the Northern Ireland Screen agency, which has been working to attract major productions to the region and which has highlighted the economic and cultural benefits of having high-profile series filmed in Northern Ireland. The success of Game of Thrones, which was largely filmed in Northern Ireland, demonstrated the transformative impact that a major production can have on the local screen industry and on tourism.
Why It Matters
Jig is significant for several reasons. It represents the return of one of Ireland's most talented television writers to the medium, and the Netflix platform gives the series a global reach that will introduce McGee's work to audiences who may not have seen Derry Girls. The subject matter — Irish dancing — is one that has a global resonance, particularly among the Irish diaspora in the United States, Australia, and Britain, where Irish dancing schools are a significant part of community life. The mockumentary format also allows McGee to explore the tensions between tradition and modernity, between the Irish and American versions of Irish dancing culture, and between the earnest dedication of the competitors and the absurdity of the world they inhabit — all themes that are central to her comedic sensibility. For Northern Ireland's screen industry, the announcement of a major Netflix production filming in the region in 2027 is a significant boost, adding to a pipeline of productions that includes several other high-profile projects.
Local Impact
In Derry, the announcement of Jig has been met with considerable excitement. The city has a strong tradition of Irish dancing, with several well-regarded schools producing competitors who have competed at national and world level. The prospect of a Netflix series set in the Derry Irish dancing world has already generated significant interest among local dancers and their families, and several schools have indicated that they would welcome the opportunity to be involved in the production in some capacity. Northern Ireland Screen has indicated that it will work with the production team to maximise the use of local talent and locations, in keeping with its policy of supporting productions that have a genuine connection to the region.
What's Next
Casting for Jig is expected to begin in early 2027, with filming to follow later in the year. Netflix has not yet announced a release date for the series, but industry sources suggest that a 2028 release is the most likely scenario given the production timeline. McGee has indicated that she is already deep in the writing process and is excited about the creative possibilities of the mockumentary format. The Edinburgh TV Festival announcement has generated significant media interest, and the series is already being discussed as one of the most anticipated Irish television productions of the coming years.
