Image: Netflix
Sad news for fans of Lisa McGee’s comedy thriller. How to get to Paradise from Belfast It will not be returning for a second season on Netflix.
The news was first I mentioned before Broadcast nowwhich confirmed with Netflix that the eight-part comedy-thriller has been officially axed after one outing, though the writing has been on the wall for some time.
Produced by Hat Trick Productions, the series follows three close-knit friends who embark on a mysterious but hilarious journey to unravel the mystery surrounding their old friend’s suspicious death. The show had a bit of a bumpy ride getting to our screens in the first place. As we covered in our own Preview actors and serieswas initially greenlit by Britain’s Channel 4 in 2023. However, it moved to Netflix in 2024 following “changes in editorial direction”, rising costs, and a declining US-UK co-production market.
When the show was finally released in February, it was met with widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. We praised the series on our website Review the offerpointing out that Derry girls The creator has struck gold once again with a great mix of tension and comedy.
So why cancel? In the end, it comes down to the number of viewers.
As we noted on our website Season 2 renewal prediction guidethe show achieved modest domestic success at best, but had difficulties making waves internationally. According to the broadcast, BARB (the UK equivalent of Nielsen) data from Nights.tv also revealed a very strong domestic premiere, with the opening episode garnering 1.8 million viewers in its first seven days.
Digging into the daily top 10 data makes it quite clear why the show has been unable to secure that coveted global reach. Unsurprisingly, the comedy thriller performed best in its own backyard, sitting at number one and racking up an impressive 156 points over its 26-day run in Ireland, closely followed by a strong 20-day run in the UK, where it also peaked at number one. Outside the British Isles, the series managed to find a modest audience in a few other English-speaking and Nordic territories – peaking at number three in Norway and New Zealand, and number four in Australia, and remaining in the top ten for 12 days in each. However, its international influence has been incredibly limited outside these sixteen regions; It barely made a dent in markets like Canada and the Netherlands, occupying the bottom of the charts for only two or three days, and noticeably failing to chart at all in the all-important US market.
However, it could be argued that the writing was already on the wall when the show ended. last month, Netflix has unveiled a massive UK slate at the Edinburgh TV Festivaland among the huge announcements was a brand new assignment for Lisa McGee.
The new project is titled jigpromises to bring her sharp, laugh-out-loud comedic voice to the highly competitive and eccentric world of Irish dance. The new series is described as a mockumentary, which sees McGee team up with Orchid Pictures and see her reuniting with her longtime partner. Derry girls Creative collaborators, Liz Lewin and Carolyn Leddy. Orchid CEO, Susan Mackey, is also involved in producing. While the premise alone sounds like a recipe for absolute comedy gold, we’ll have to be a little patient — the cameras aren’t scheduled to start rolling jig Until sometime in 2027.
Are you so disappointed? How to get to Paradise from Belfast Won’t it be back for season 2 on Netflix? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.