A new series inspired by the novels of celebrated Irish author Marian Keyes has been commissioned by RTÉ.
The Walsh Sisters, which is set to begin filming in early 2025, has been billed as a “comedy about serious things – a pacy, brutally honest and uncompromisingly funny exposé of the realities of being an Irish sister”.
Speaking about the announcement, Keyes said: “I’m really excited. The scripts are amazing. They’ve really kept the spirit of the books.
“The dynamic between the sisters is fantastic – so complex and moving. It’s exactly the way I visualised them,” she added.
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The six-part series, which will adapt five of Keyes’ novels, follows the lives of Anna, Rachel, Maggie, Claire and Helen as they navigate the ups and downs of their late 20s and 30s in their Dublin hometown. A shared history and love of power ballads binds the Walsh sisters together in the face of heartbreak, grief, addiction and parenthood.
The author says viewers can expect the series to focus more on the characters of Anna and Rachel, with her novels almost “woven together into one gigantic book”.
Keyes has won five Irish Book Awards and was named Author of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2022. Since her first novel was published in 1995, more than 39 million copies of Keyes’ books have been sold around the world, translated into 36 languages. The new adaptation will include international best-sellers Rachel’s Holiday and Anybody Out There.
The Walsh Sisters is set to be directed by Ian Fitzgibbon and produced by award-winning independent production companies Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Films International, in association with the BBC and Screen Ireland.
Dublin-based screenwriter, author, and actor Stefanie Preissner (Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope) led the writing team on four of the six episodes and is also an executive producer. Rivals’ Kefi Chadwick completed the team with two episodes.
Preissner said: “It was such an honour to be asked to adapt Marian’s amazing books. Rachel’s Holiday was the first book I ever bought with my own money, and she has lived in my heart since that day. The team at Cuba are a joy and the whole process has been gorgeous. I cannot wait for everyone to see the magic we are making.”
The Walsh Sisters will launch on RTÉ followed by BBC iPlayer and BBC One, having been acquired by the BBC.
