Who’s been rewatching Derry Girls for a bit of much-needed lockdown laughter over the last few months? Most people reading this probably just answered a cheery yes. The good news is: a third season is in the works. However, coronavirus has sadly put a halt to that for now. But while it might take a while for the show to hit our screens again, we’ve got some more exciting Derry Girls-related news to focus on.

The show’s creator, Lisa McGee, has been working on a new project. Filming on The Deceived, a contemporary psychological thriller by McGee and her writing partner Tobias Beer, has begun in Belfast. 

What is The Deceived about?

A compelling, sinister narrative of lust, manipulation and betrayal, the central character in The Deceived is English student Ophelia, who falls in love with her married lecturer, seeing in him all the answers to her needs. When their affair results in a shocking and tragic death, Ophelia finds herself trapped in a world where she can no longer trust her own mind. 

Who stars in The Deceived?

Emmett J Scanlan (Krypton, Peaky Blinders, The Fall) plays the charismatic English lecturer Dr Michael Callaghan, while Catherine Walker (Shetland, Versailles) plays his wife Roisin, a successful, award-winning fiction writer. Eleanor Methven (Little Women) stars as Roisin’s devoted and sometimes overbearing mother Mary Mulvery. Ian McElhinney (Game of Thrones, Derry Girls) is Michael’s father, Hugh, fighting the oncoming tide of dementia. Shelley Conn (Liar) plays Roisin’s best friend Ruth, intelligent and loyal. And Dempsey Bovell (Patrick Melrose) is Michael’s confidante and biggest admirer, Matthew.

In a statement, McGee and Beer said: “We always had a ‘dream cast’ in mind when we began working on the show, but never imagined we would end up with them actually on board. With the brilliant Chloe Thomas directing, we are thrilled to have the story in such gifted hands.”

Phew, that’s quite a cast.

When can we watch The Deceived? 

The four part drama is aiming to air on Channel 5 and Virgin Ireland later in 2020, but we’ll need to wait for more specific dates.

Back to Derry Girls reruns for now.

Images: Getty, Channel 4