Series from McMafia and Kin indies has already been picked up by BBC
McMafia indie Cuba Pictures and Kin outfit Metropolitan Films are adapting Marian Keyes’ bestselling novels about the Walsh family in a multipart series for RTÉ.
The Walsh Sisters is a 6 x 60-minute series bringing to life the first five books following chaotic and dysfunctional sisters Claire, Maggie, Rachel, Anna and Helen as they navigate their late 20s and 30s, with the help of their devout mother and bemused father.
The sisters’ sibling bonds are full of in-jokes, hand-me-down resentments and a few old wounds, but their shared history and love of power ballads keep them together in the face of heartbreak, grief, addiction and parenthood.
The series is being made in association with Screen Ireland and the BBC, the latter of which has already acquired it. Cineflix Rights handles worldwide distribution for the returnable series, which begins filming early next year for an autumn launch on RTÉ, followed by TX on BBC1 and iPlayer.
David Crean, head of drama at RTÉ, and Dermot Horan, director of co-productions and acquisitions will exec produce alongside Cuba Pictures’ Dixie Linder and Nick Marston and Metropolitan’s David McLoughlin, with James Durie and Tom Misselbrook serving in the same capacity for Cineflix Rights. Lead writer Stefanie Preissner, Marian Keyes and Tony Baines will also exec produce.
Preissner, who created RTÉ comedy drama Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope, led the writing team for four episodes, while Kefi Chawick (Rivals, Death in Paradise) led on two parts. Ian Fitzgibbon (Hullraisers, Moone Boy) will helm the series.
Keyes’ debut novel Watermelon is told from the perspective of eldest Walsh sister Claire, while subsequent novels Rachel’s Holiday, Angels, Anybody Out There and The Mystery of Mercy Close delve into her sisters’ stories. Since Watermelon’s publication in 1995, more than 39 million copies of Keyes’ books have been sold and translated into 36 languages.
Watermelon was previously adapted in 2003 by novelist Colin Bateman for ITV and starred Anna Friel as Claire.
Crean said: “Marian Keyes is a much-loved author and Stefanie Preissner and Kefi Chadwick have brilliantly captured and re-imagined her world. It’s going to be a huge treat for audiences everywhere. I’m delighted to add this brilliant drama series to our slate for 2025 and beyond.”
Sue Deeks, head of BBC programme acquisition, said: “The Walsh Sisters novels have given so much pleasure to so many readers over the years, and we are truly delighted that such a wonderful team will be bringing these witty, warm, and oh-so-relatable characters to life.”
Linder praised Preissner and Chadwick’s scripts as having “crafted a rich and heartfelt adaptation that captures the humour, resilience, and emotion at the heart of these beloved characters”.
Durie said the success of Keyes’ novels worldwide provides a “ready-made audience for a series that will be hugely appealing to our global buyers”
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