Derry Girls writer divulges two ‘very funny’ storylines involving James that were cut – and why

Third and final series of the hit comedy is coming to an end this week

As Derry Girls approaches its end, writer Lisa McGee has divulged the details of a few storylines that didn’t make it to the final season.

The final episode of the hit show – about a group of teenagers in Northern Ireland in the Nineties – will air on Wednesday night (18 May).

McGee – who penned all three seasons – opened up about some storylines that were cut from the third series, including two involving Dylan Llewellyn’s character James Maguire.

Speaking to Digital Spy, McGee said she “could write a book” given the vast number of storylines that were axed.

“I think I will get them gathered up and put them online at some point when I have time, but because there’s scripted things that I really loved,” she said.

McGee gave a few examples, saying: “In a whole different episode that never made it, they discover at the school that James was never baptised, never christened, so he has to get baptised as an adult.”

McGee continued: “And they do the whole Catholic baptism, like wear whites and get dunked in water and all that kind of stuff.

“So the gang have this huge fallout because they want to be his godparents, because you know you kind of choose two in the Catholic Church, so he’s auditioning the gang for which two are gonna be the godparents.”

The season finale of Derry Girls premiered 17 May (Channel 4)

McGee said the whole episode was “very stupid” but “really funny”. Ultimately, however, she “couldn’t find the political heart of it” and so it was cut.

A second storyline involving James, which was axed, saw the character pretending to be a keen football fan, which leads to him having to coach a team.

Another storyline – described by McGee as “one of the funniest things” that she has written – involved first-aid lessons for the teens.

“They’re so, so terrible at it, but Orla (played by Louisa Harland) kind of ends up accidentally saving someone’s life later in the episode, using the first-aid technique,” she explained.

While McGee did not rule out the possibility of a Derry Girls movie, she has previously said that she had taken the characters “exactly where [she] wanted to take them”.

“Who knows?” she said. "You never know what will happen in 10 years’ time, but as a writer, you just know when it’s complete.”

The series three finale was broadcast on Tuesday 17 May. An hour-long special – titled “The Agreement” – will air the following day on Channel 4 at 9pm.