'I am beyond myself': Marian Keyes novels on Walsh sisters to be made into TV show
Marian Keyes pictured recently at the Kinsale Literary Festival, Words by Water. Her books on the Walsh Sisters are being adapted for television. Picture: David Creedon
A new drama series inspired by Irish author Marian Keyes’ novels about the Walsh Sisters is coming to TV screens.
Commissioned by RTÉ, the six-part series has also been acquired by the BBC for the UK.
Set in Dublin, the books include Rachel’s Holiday and Anybody Out There and follow the lives of Anna, Rachel, Maggie, Claire and Helen, who are part of the “chaotic, dysfunctional but deeply loveable Walsh family”.
Speaking about the announcement, Keyes said: “This is so exciting! I'm beside myself. I love the scripts; they've really kept the spirit of the books. It's been almost impossible to keep this a secret and it's a great feeling that the news is now out in the world.”
The new series will be directed by Moone Boy’s Ian FitzGibbon and produced by award-winning companies Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Films International, in association with the BBC and Screen Ireland.
Dublin-based screenwriter, author and actor, Stefanie Preissner – who has worked on the likes of Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope – leads the writing team, with Kefi Chadwick working on 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 series has been billed as a “comedy about serious things – a pacey, brutally honest and uncompromisingly funny exposé of the realities of being an Irish sister”.
Filming will begin in early 2025 and the series will be launched on RTÉ before its launch on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
