THE WALSH SISTERS - sat 9.15pm bbc 1 - TV PACE. NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

New series 6 which is mean to be ace !!

was shown originally in Ireland last year and now bbc have it

Enter The Walsh Sisters, which has been adapted from several of Marian Keyes' beloved novels and introduces us to the dysfunctional but deeply loveable Walsh family.

Featuring five sisters, a devout mother and a bemused father, every family will find something to relate to in the chaos that surrounds them.

Billed as a "comedy about serious things — a pacy, brutally honest and uncompromisingly funny exposé of the realities of being an Irish sister", we meet the five sisters as they’re drifting through adulthood in Dublin and supporting each other as they cope with heartbreak, grief, addiction and parenthood.

And if it's as good as Marian's books, it's going to be a truly outstanding piece of TV.

The six-part series is part based on two of Marian Keyes’ novels, Rachel’s Holiday and Anybody Out There and introduces us to a group of five loveable but chaotic sisters living in Dublin - Anna (Louisa Harland), Rachel (Caroline Menton), Maggie (Stefanie Preissner), Claire (Danielle Galligan) and Helen (Máiréad Tyers) – as they navigate the peaks and troughs of their late 20s and 30s.

It's 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.

The cast of The Walsh Sisters includes:
• Louisa Harland (Derry Girls, Renegade Nell) as Anna
• Caroline Menton (Oddity) as Rachel
• Danielle Galligan (Kin, Shadow and Bone)

•	Máiréad Tyers (My Lady Jane, Belfast) as Helen
•	Stefanie Preissner (How to Adult) as Maggie
•	Aidan Quinn (Legends of the Fall) as Jack ‘Daddy’ Walsh
•	Carrie Crowley (Hope Street) as Mammy Walsh
•	Debi Mazar (Younger) as Chaquie
•	Gina Moxley (The Patient Gloria, Here Before) as Josephine 
•	Jay Duffy (Wheel of Time, Northern Lights) as Luke Costello
•	Samuel Anderson (Amandaland (<a class="break-all" href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/lifestyle/a69662742/jennifer-saunders-amandaland-christmas-special/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/lifestyle/a69662742/jennifer-saunders-amandaland-christmas-special/))</a> as Aidan

I dried out in an NHS treatment unit in the late 80s and remember women in AA in the 90s passing round copies of Rachel's Holiday (and Watermelon) with huge appreciation. I absolutely understand the criticisms on here and yes, many of the characters were not as I'd imagined them, but I still loved it.

Mammy Walsh is not Keyes' Mammy Walsh - but she is a pretty convincing variation on the exasperating, controlling, critical mum who loves her daughters but is terrified of them showing her up.

Rachel is not the loveable human we remember in the books because drinking alcoholics are not very loveable. Rachel was an unreliable narrator and it took time for the reader to realise that her own view of herself was so far from the truth.

I agree that a lot (though not all) of the humour is missing - but as a well acted and well drawn depiction of self destructive twenty something addiction, it pretty much nails it.

it feels like they have got the writers of 'enders on this...they are quite a mardy bunch, where's the craic

Drinking alcoholics are not very lovable

this is so true

"Rachel is not the loveable human we remember in the books because drinking alcoholics are not very loveable. Rachel was an unreliable narrator and it took time for the reader to realise that her own view of herself was so far from the truth."

Agree with this.

I'm disappointed overall. The writing is really flat. I really dislike the changes, particularly to Mammy Walsh but then she was funny and warm and this is a now a rather joyless drama. But mostly I just don't understand why they took the main plots from two of the books and mooshed them together, leaving zero space for the banter and characterisation that makes the books such a joy to read.

I think I'd understand that in a standalone drama, it's not Rachel in isolation, it's the chemistry (iyswim) between the sisters that's missing in the translation from the book to screen

Drinking alcoholics may not be lovable, but those of us on the sidelines loved them nevertheless

in these dark times in the world I just wanted to escape to a familiar place and laugh as much as the books make me laugh, and I don't think I did even once so far

I'm a massive Marian Keyes fan and have read all of the Walsh family books several times.

I was aware it's an adaptation of two of the books and not a faithful duplication, and also that necessarily large tranches of the original plotlines would need to be removed/radically adapted to fit into a six-parter, so I'm not disappointed as some have been.

I actually loved it ( have watched all six). I had to put aside my mental pictures of the characters, but I do agree that a few of the representations were a bit off (mainly as most have said Mammy Walsh, but also Helen and Luke). I thought it was well done and enjoyable overall.

I

Binged all 6 episodes. Was hooked. I’ve only read Rachel’s Holiday which I quite liked but remember thinking it was about 200 pages too long. The rehab section just went on and on.

As with most adaptations, they never please the super fans. I had the impression the books were funny. The tv series didn’t make me laugh once. It’s quite relentlessly dramatic and dark but then that’s much of Irish literature and drama really.

I’ll watch a second series for sure.

My two gripes were: was the young woman with Aiden’s baby supposed to be American? She seemed to give up on the accent during the memorial scene. And Mammy Walsh seemed very different from the books but still a scene-stealing actress.

I read the books years ago so my memory of them prob isn’t great. Watched 3 of the Walsh sisters and enjoyed it but agree the mum is very different to how I’d imagined.

She should be a warm kind cuddly mammy who they all adored … much like Marian Keyes describes her own mum. This one is cold and hard.

I am so glad it wasn't just me who was a bit hmm with Mammy Walsh. All wrong to the one I pictured in my head when I read the books way back when. I notice in MKs views on it, she didn't mention that Mammy Walsh was just as she pictured when she wrote the books.
I will say I did really like Lousia Harland as Anna, though not sure how faithful she is to the book version. I thought Helen was played quite similar how I pictured her.
That said, I did enjoy it. I suspect as it was such a long time ago that I read them, a lot of the detail has gone, such as Luke being a ride, but reading that on this thread made me remember. I will watch the rest just to see how it plays out.

Soooo disappointed. Watched one and a half episodes and don't think any of the characters are likeable. I also don't think merging those 2 books works at all and it has been massively messed around with. I loved the books and have read them more than once. Ah well.

In the end I just pretended that I hadn’t read the books. On that basis it was ok and I quite enjoyed it. But as an adaptation then they need to go back to the drawing board.

I presume they’ll film a series 2 soon as there were a lot of loose ends. I think the only way to enjoy it is to forget the books and see it as a stand alone drama.

I agree with PP.

WTF have they done to Mammy Walsh? She’s not a miserable bitch in the books, she’s an overwhelmed and bewildered matriarch dishing out Twirls and watching TV.

Luke is nowhere near sexy enough.

Why are we not in NY?

I am just throwing it out there- what would it have been like if it had been set in the 90s, as the books mostly are (I think?) ...do you reckon the series would have been better/worse/more interesting/less relatable/about the same to the audience?

...I am re-reading Watermelon, and there's a scene in the book where Claire shuffles away from the payphone past a long line of other new mums waiting to use the phone. Whereas we all just sent a whatsapp of the newborns obviously

I personally would have enjoyed it I think, but I equally get that it might be a hard sell for the beeb

I dint i dont know but in the two most recent Walsh sister books ,the sisters are in their 50,s and Claire is about to celebrate her 60th! Birthday! Which is about right becsuse i first read the book ,([ or at least the first couple of books) in my late 20,s and im 52!

if they adapt those I hope they retain the Keyesness

Well, I'm really enjoying it. Especially the sisters' relationships with each other and their parents. I thought they'd probably try and sweeten it up a bit, but they haven't. Fair play 👏.

I agree.
I was really looking forward to this, but found it unwatchable. Couldn’t care less about any of the characters.
Aidan Quinn was unrecognisable; not that he has aged badly, but just zero resemblance to his younger self.
Gave up after two and a half episodes.

I read the books ages ago and only remember bits and pieces of them.
Im watching it on player and am further ahead than council telly.
Im finding it hard going to be honest. The mum is awful, was she that bad in the books?

Id like the episodes to be shorter, they are so draining they are a bit overwhelming the length they are.

And Marion keyes brilliant humour isn't coming through enough. Its too subtle here to really hit.

I am so surprised so may dislike

I also think even it wasn't linked with Marian Keyes books I wouldn't watch anymore! It is interesting how varied our opinions are though.

Absolutely. All are different 😀

I didnt dislike as such ,if I hadent read the books ot would be an ok drama
But I have and the mashed up storyline, s dont work for me
A lot of the characters are also wrong but thats subjective
I have a very definite picture in my head of how the characters should look .

Well I quite enjoyed it. I was not expecting the car accident at the end of the episode.

I may have read one of her books years ago tho I may not have, but I expect I have.
So I have / had no expectations. and as such enjoyed an hours drama on a Sat evening.

Indeed this Sat looks really good for me :) BGT, Casualty then this.

What more could I ask for...