The producer of ‘Derry Girls’ series three, Fermanagh man Brian J. Falconer, has called the show’s recent Bafta win “a fairytale ending” for the popular Northern Ireland-based Channel 4 comedy.

As Derry Girls was announced the winner of the Bafta for Best Scripted Comedy at the awards ceremony in London’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday night (May 14), Brian was among the cast and crew who took to the stage to accept the prestigious award with the show’s writer Lisa McGee.

“It’s kind of a dream fairytale ending for Lisa and our team. We couldn’t, couldn’t be happier,” said Brian, speaking to The Impartial Reporter this week.

Acknowledging the quality of the other shows nominated in the scripted comedy category, which included ‘Am I Being Unreasonable?’, ‘Big Boys’ and ‘Ghosts’, Brian added: “It was such a strong category.

“We obviously know how much season three has travelled; how many fans it has all over the place and around the world, but you just still don’t know [if you’re going to win], like, even up to the last second!

“Until our name was announced, you just don’t believe it’s going to go your way until it goes your way.

“We were ecstatic,” he said, noting that the cast and crew are still processing their Bafta success.

“As I said, it’s a fairytale ending for a show that was such a massive part of Lisa’s life, because it was inspired by her and her mates growing up in Derry at the tail end of The Troubles.

“I’m sure for Lisa it’s a crazy sort of experience, because that is the end of Derry Girls – there won’t be any more, so it was just such an amazing high to end on.”

Brian, who owns the production company Out Of Orbit Films, joined Derry Girls as producer for series three.

“Having been a fan of Derry Girls beforehand, I couldn’t believe that it kind of came to me, on my doorstep.

“And when I met Lisa, and the two executive producers, Liz and Caroline, who’ve kind of been Lisa’s righthand women for a long time, and through the whole Derry Girls process, when I first met them, we just got on so well,” said Brian.

He continued: “It’s been an incredible opportunity because there’s been such trust in our team, with Lisa, Liz and Caroline and Mike, the director, and also Hat Trick Productions.

“There’s just been such trust and such a strong bond between us, the core team, and that’s kind of how we got through it. It’s easy when you work with people you love.”

Brian was not the only Fermanagh native who worked on series three of Derry Girls.

Talking about what it means to him to be able to work in Northern Ireland, and alongside people in the industry who come from his home county, he said: “It’s amazing!

“I remember previously there was nobody from Fermanagh really working in the industry, and now there’s loads. It just shows that the industry is growing and expanding.

“I think the next stage is for the first thing [a new hit show] to be shot in Fermanagh. That’s the exciting thing; that’s what I want to do.”

There was more success for Derry Girls on the night as actress Siobhan McSweeney won Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme for her role as the eye-rolling principal, Sister Michael.

In her humorous speech, she said: “To the people in Derry, thank you taking me into your hearts and your living rooms.

“I am daily impressed with how you encompass the spirit of compromise and resilience despite the indignities, ignorance and stupidity of your so-called leaders [in] Dublin, Stormont and Westminster.

“In the words of my beloved Sister Michael, ‘It’s time they started to wise up’.”