Derry Girls tops lists of upcoming programmes: BBC unveils future Speed Kings

The worldwide hit comedy has been a tremendous advertisement for Derry, with Dublin tourist guides reporting that many Americans ask them how they can get to Derry; but the the third series will be the last.

In an interview with Radio Times magazine, writer Lisa McGee spoke to Patrick Kielty about the future of the show ahead of its third and final run.

When asked whether there could be a Derry Girls movie, the writer said: “Who knows!”

She added: “You never know what will happen in 10 years’ time, but as a writer, you just know when it’s complete. I’ll miss them, but I feel like I got to take those characters exactly where I wanted to take them.”

The new season of Derry Girls is arriving on our screens on Tuesday 12th April, with the show’s final six episodes airing weekly on Channel 4.

Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell and Dylan Llewellyn are all set to return for season 3, with Coughlan revealing that she “cried and cried” after reading the show’s ending.

We’ll all feel a loss when the hilarious antics and dramas come to an end.

Meanwhile there are some other programmes of Irish interest to look forward to over the Easter period.

At 10.35pm on Monday, BBC One Northern Ireland, Crime NI sees journalists Wendy Austin and Dearbhail McDonald again appeal for the public’s help in tackling everyday crimes. The show features PSNI detectives and footage of offences captured on CCTV, as well as dramatic reconstructions of crimes, appealing to viewers with vital information to help police investigations. It will be broadcast on BBC One Northern Ireland on Monday, 11 April at 10.35pm and will be available on BBC iPlayer.

On the same day BBC Two will show Beidh Aonach Amárach. The TV series that brings viewers the best of the many country agricultural shows and fairs and meets the people who take part in them is back. The new three-part series, made for BBC Gaeilge and TG4 by Strident Media with support from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund, starts on Monday 11 April on BBC Two Northern Ireland at 10pm and will also be available on BBC iPlayer.

Travelling to some of the most beautiful parts of the island of Ireland, there’s plenty of breathtaking scenery while discovering what it takes to be the best as we enter the world of the rosette winners with their stories, traditions and trade secrets. Being involved in shows can be a family tradition and the series meets families who look at their long association with this world of shows – where they won their first rosette, where in the world they have travelled to in their pursuit of the red ribbon along with their own family archive and photographs of their achievements.

On Tuesday, True North: Speed Kids will be broadcast. Northern Ireland has produced some of the world’s most famous racers who have inspired a new generation of boys and girls that are revving at the grid and hoping to follow in their footsteps.

A new BBC documentary, True North: Speed Kids, narrated by Holly Hamilton, tackles the twists and turns of the race track with the children dreaming of becoming the next generation of motorcycle stars. We also meet their families who proudly support them through a tense season in the hope of winning that all-important place on the podium.

For eight-year-old Max Robinson from Co Antrim, this is his life’s goal. Max takes part in the ‘Bam Bam’ class for children aged between six and 10, and his determination on the track and fearless attitude has already drawn comparisons to the famous racers in his family. His father Paul is one of Ireland’s most decorated racers, and grand-uncle Joey Dunlop is considered one of the greatest motorcycling legends of all time.

Standing in Max’s way is nine-year-old Paige Mullen from Co Tyrone who is part of a new wave of girls getting involved in the sport. Paige is determined to beat her male rivals and follow in the footsteps of her 11-year-old brother Lewis, who has overcome disappointment to be picked for a top UK team and is tipped for future stardom.

The documentary follows another rising star, Peter Willis from Co Antrim, and his road to recovery and return to the track after his first major injury. Aged just 13, he races in the British Talent Cup and hopes one day to race at the highest level.

True North: Speed Kids is made by Ronin Films and will be broadcast on BBC One Northern Ireland on Tuesday 12 April, 10.35pm. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer.