{"id":439369,"date":"2026-02-22T09:09:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T09:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/439369\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T09:09:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T09:09:12","slug":"bbcs-binge-worthy-new-drama-based-on-hit-marian-keyes-novels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/439369\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC&#8217;s binge-worthy new drama based on hit Marian Keyes novels"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The new six-part series is based on Marian Keyes&#8217; novels and airs tonight on BBC One<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Walsh Sisters\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_551224-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"The Walsh Sisters airs on BBC One and iPlayer\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">The Walsh Sisters airs on BBC One and iPlayer(Image: BBC\/Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Films\/Enda Bowe)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">BBC&#8217;s latest drama The Walsh Sisters airs for the first time tonight Here&#8217;s everything you need to know about the series. Set in Dublin, The Walsh Sisters is based on five of the novels from award-winning author Marian Keyes. The 62-year-old author is best known for her fiction books, including Rachel&#8217;s Holiday (1997), Watermelon (1995) and Again, Rachel (2022).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Since her first novel was published in 1995, more than 39 million copies of Keyes\u2019 books have been sold around the world, translated into 36 languages. The Walsh sisters is inspired by <a aria-label=\"five of Keyes&#039; novelsLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/books\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">five of Keyes&#8217; novels<\/a>, including Watermelon, Rachel&#8217;s Holiday, Angels, Anybody Out There?, and The Mystery of Mercy Close, as the series intertwines the characters into one storyline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/bbc\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">BBC<\/a> series features &#8220;the chaotic, dysfunctional but deeply loveable Walsh family of five sisters, a devout mother and a bemused father&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Marian Keyes \" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_JS205545265-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Marian Keyes found the process quite emotional as she saw her characters come to life on-screen\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Marian Keyes found the process quite emotional as she saw her characters come to life on-screen(Image: Pablo Cuadra\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"Marian Keyes,Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/news\/showbiz-news\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Marian Keyes,<\/a> who also serves as an executive producer on the series, shared she found the merging of some of her most well-known characters quite a challenge. Creator Stefanie Preissner, who plays Maggie, adapted five books into one singular entity for the series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Marian said: &#8220;Reading Stefanie&#8217;s scripts was initially a bit of a challenge for me, because I&#8217;m used to thinking of the books as five separate entities. I am so in awe of what she&#8217;s done in that she has deconstructed the five books, and has incorporated the various timelines, and brought them into one complete individual narrative.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I loved the way she took each sister and their story and managed to have all five of them running simultaneously. It was incredible. She&#8217;s an absolute genius.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>What is The Walsh Sisters about?<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Set in their Dublin hometown, <a aria-label=\"the drama follows Anna Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/bbc\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">the drama follows Anna <\/a>(Louisa Harland), Rachel (Caroline Menton), Maggie (Stefanie Preissner), Claire (Danille Galligan) and Helen (M\u00e1ir\u00e9ad Tyers) as they navigate the peaks and troughs of their 20s and 30s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The BBC said: &#8220;This is a sisterhood full of in-jokes, hand-me-down resentments and more than a few old wounds. But their DNA, history and shared love of power ballads keep the Walsh sisters together in the face of heartbreak, grief, addiction and parenthood.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Marian has since opened up on the filming process, as she said she found it quite emotional to see her characters brought to life. She <a aria-label=\"told the BBC:Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/m002qk54\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">told the BBC:<\/a> &#8220;I cannot put words on it. It&#8217;s so weird to think that these people that came from my head are now embodied by actual humans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Seeing the filming, I felt so emotional, and so has my husband, because the actors that are playing the sisters are so fully realised.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Everything from their accents to the clothes they wear to their body language is unique. It&#8217;s a strange and overwhelmingly wonderful feeling. It&#8217;s just lovely. It is like magic. The words were in my head, and now they are actual people. It&#8217;s mad and gorgeous.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Walsh Sisters castAnna (Louisa Harland)Rachel (Caroline Menton)Maggie (Stefanie Preissner)Claire (Danille Galligan)Helen (M\u00e1ir\u00e9ad Tyers )How to watch The Walsh Sisters<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The first of six episodes airs tonight (Saturday, February 21st)<a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk\/all-about\/tv\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\"> on BBC One and iPlayer<\/a>. It&#8217;s titled &#8220;We&#8217;re All Grand&#8221; and is set to air from 9.15pm until 10.05pm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The description for tonight&#8217;s episode said: &#8220;Five sisters navigate addiction, grief, motherhood, relationships, and the chaos of a family that can&#8217;t live with &#8211; or without &#8211; each other.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;A wild night out causes tensions to rise, and one of the sisters makes a life-changing decision. Drama based on Marian Keyes&#8217; novels, starring Louisa Harland, Caroline Menton, Danielle Galligan, M\u00e1ir\u00e9ad Tyers, and Stefanie Preissner.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Walsh Sisters airs tonight on BBC One and iPlayer<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Ensure our latest news and what&#8217;s on headlines always appear at the top of your Google search by making us a preferred source. <a aria-label=\"Click here to activate Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=liverpoolecho.co.uk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to activate <\/a>or add us as a preferred source in your Google search settings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The new six-part series is based on Marian Keyes&#8217; novels and airs tonight on BBC One The Walsh&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":439370,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[243,457,96,391,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-439369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-bbc","tag-books","tag-entertainment","tag-tv","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=439369"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439369\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/439370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=439369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=439369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=439369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}