Don't mention Mrs Brown's Boys. Don't mention Mrs Brown's Boys. Don't mention Mrs Brown's Boys. Don't mention Mrs Brown's Boys. Don't mention Mrs Brown's Boys. Don't mention Mrs Brown's Boys. 

Writer Lisa McGee (Indian Summers, London Irish, Being Human) has mined her own teenage experiences for this new comedy set in Derry during The 1980s. The Troubles loom large in the first episode, but with a generous garnish of humour. A bomb stops auntie getting to the tanning shop and the school bus gets held up at an army checkpoint. But the teenage girls on the bus have a conflict of their own to deal with – who gets the prestigious back seat...

16-year-old Erin Quinn, played by Saoirse Monica Jackson, lives with her uncompromising mother (Tara Lynne O’Neill) her long-suffering father (Tommy Tiernan) and ‘Granda Joe’ (Ian McElhinney). Erin and her mates dream of being rebels. Either that or helping Bob Geldof out with his African appeals.

School offers plenty of opportunity for rebellion, as the teenagers come up against the formidable Principal,  Sister Michael (Siobhan McSweeney). Oh and there's a token English bloke in the gang too, James (Dylan Llewellyn) - “The English Fella”- who’s just moved to Derry and is the ultimate outsider.

In fact forget I ever mentioned trying to avoid mentioning Mrs Brown's Boys. Apart from the domestic inter-generational family banter there is little similarity here. It isn't even set in the same place. And there's another difference. Derry Girls is funny.

The closest comparison is probably The Inbetweeners. This is another adolescent gang that thinks they are tougher than they really are. The historical backdrop is both incidental and essential here, mainly adding a further complication to off-the-peg youthful angst and hi-jinx. Great gusto-filled performances from the young cast (though not much from Tiernan in episode one). And the soundtrack is another plus. Any comedy that features The The's Uncertain Smile is OK by me.   

Thursdays from January 4, 10pm, C4.