Lisa McGee’s new Netflix series How to Get to Heaven From Belfast arrived on the streaming platform on February 12, 2026, and viewers who loved Derry Girls are already spotting a clever nod to the hit sitcom hidden in the episodes. The eight-part comedy thriller brings together many of the creative team behind Derry Girls, but one specific Easter egg connects the two shows in a way that fans will appreciate.
The series follows three childhood friends—Saoirse, Robyn, and Dara—who reunite in their late 30s after learning about the death of Greta, the estranged fourth member of their school group. What begins as a somber trip to a wake in County Donegal quickly turns into a chaotic adventure across Ireland as the women uncover dark secrets from the past.
The Derry Girls Connection That Fans Will Love
About halfway through the season, Derry Girls star Saoirse-Monica Jackson appears in a memorable cameo role . Jackson, who played anxious teenager Erin Quinn in all three seasons of Derry Girls, shows up in How to Get to Heaven From Belfast as a woman whose state of arrested development has her wearing an escalating series of hilarious costumes .
The Hollywood Reporter’s review notes that Jackson “steals every second she’s onscreen” in the role . Her appearance serves as a direct bridge between McGee’s beloved previous work and her new series, giving longtime viewers a moment of recognition and delight.
But Jackson isn’t the only Derry Girls cast member who appears in the new show. Art Campion, who had a role in Derry Girls, also features in the cast as a character named Jim . This casting choice further strengthens the connection between the two productions.
The Creative Team Reunites
McGee has brought together much of the creative team behind Derry Girls for this new project . Caroline Leddy, Michael Lennox, Liz Lewin, Jimmy Mulville, and Jessica Sharkey all serve as executive producers, with Lennox also directing . Lennox directed multiple episodes of Derry Girls, making him a natural fit for McGee’s latest work.
“We got the gang back together — the creative team behind Derry Girls has reunited to bring you How to Get to Heaven from Belfast,” McGee said in a statement . She described the new show as “the show I’ve always wanted to make” and called it “a mash‑up of my two favourite genres, mystery and comedy” .
The creator also expressed admiration for her cast, saying she’s “in awe of this cast, their talent, timing and chemistry” .
What the Show Is About
How to Get to Heaven From Belfast centers on three women who have been friends since their school days . Saoirse (Róisín Gallagher) is a TV writer living in London who has grown tired of the murder mystery show she created. Robyn (Sinéad Keenan) is a stressed mother of three living in Belfast. Dara (Caoilfhionn Dunne) is a carer who still lives with her mother and has never fully built a life of her own .
When the three receive an email about the death of Greta—a friend they lost touch with after a traumatic event 20 years earlier—they travel to the fictional village of Knockdara in County Donegal for her wake . Once there, they discover that things are not as they seem. Saoirse becomes convinced that the body in the coffin isn’t Greta’s, and the women find themselves pulled into a dangerous mystery that forces them to confront the past .
The supporting cast includes Emmett J. Scanlan as Greta’s husband Owen, Michelle Fairley as her mother Margo, and Bronagh Gallagher as a menacing figure named Booker . Ardal O’Hanlon, known for Father Ted and Death in Paradise, also appears .
The Tone and Style
Critics have described the show as a blend of comedy and thriller elements, with McGee’s distinctive dialogue style very much present . The Hollywood Reporter notes that “the cadences of McGee’s dialogue will be instantly familiar to anybody who loved Derry Girls. Characters talk fast, swear colorfully, fluster easily and verbally charge passionately into any circumstance” .
The soundtrack features British pop hits from the 1990s and early 2000s, particularly girl power anthems . This musical choice echoes the way Derry Girls used period-appropriate music to enhance its setting and mood.
Some reviewers have noted that the show tackles darker themes than Derry Girls. The BBC reports McGee saying, “Some of the themes are darker and it’s definitely a bit of a genre switch up” . However, the series maintains a “dark Northern Irish sense of humour” throughout .
Critical Reception So Far
Early reviews for How to Get to Heaven From Belfast have been largely positive, with critics praising the cast performances and McGee’s writing . The series holds a mix of ratings, with some outlets calling it “hilarious” and “haunting” while others find it somewhat uneven .
Variety’s review describes the show as “a level up in scale and ambition” from Derry Girls, adding dual timelines and more complex plotting to McGee’s established formula . The review praises the chemistry between the three lead actresses, noting that the show “never loses the infectious appeal of the platonic chemistry at its core” .
The Irish Independent called the series “hard to categorise” but settled on the word “caper” as a good starting point, noting that it “veers from dark comedy to kitsch adventure to action thriller” . The review praised how the show occupies “a world that is at once entirely recognisable… and totally surreal, crammed with odd side characters” .
Not all reviews have been glowing. NME gave the show 2 out of 5 stars, suggesting that shows like The White Lotus, Bad Sisters, and Derry Girls all “feel like templates reworked (or rehashed) here” . The Independent pointed out that the plot has “holes big enough to drive a furniture van through” .
Where and How to Watch
All eight episodes of How to Get to Heaven From Belfast are now streaming on Netflix . Each episode runs approximately 60 minutes . The show is available to subscribers worldwide, making it accessible to the global audience that discovered Derry Girls through the platform.
For viewers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and India, the series dropped on February 12 and is available to stream immediately in full . Netflix released all episodes at once, allowing viewers to binge the entire mystery if they choose.
Production Background
Filming took place primarily in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, with additional scenes shot in County Antrim, Dublin, and London . Some key moments, including wake scenes, were filmed at real locations like the Harbourview (formerly Londonderry Arms) Hotel in Carnlough .
The series was originally set up at Channel 4, the home of Derry Girls, but moved to Netflix in part due to rising production costs . This shift allowed McGee to expand the scope of the show beyond what might have been possible with a traditional broadcast budget.
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What Viewers Are Saying
Early audience reactions on social media show that Derry Girls fans are tuning in specifically because of McGee’s involvement . One person commented, “From the creators of Derry Girls… I’m sold,” while another added, “You had me at ‘from the creators of Derry Girls’” . A third viewer noted, “It’s giving Derry Girls meets Bad Sisters and I am here for it!” .
The Easter egg featuring Saoirse-Monica Jackson has generated particular excitement among fans who have already spotted the connection. Her appearance serves as a reward for longtime viewers while also showcasing the deep bench of talent that McGee has cultivated through her work.
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