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 enjoyed it. There was never a hope in hell that a tv series could capture the deftness of touch in the books, or the characters inner monologues which are so much part of the books. The tv series has to stand separately and I think knit did a pretty good job.

Agree that mammy didn’t have the humour and helplessness as the books, but I did grow to like this one. Thought the father as well wasn’t as bumbling as the books - he’d obviously done well for himself to have such a big house!

overall a solid series and would watch a second one if it gets made.

Snap

we live simple lives

Only made it through ep 1. I didn’t find any of the characters warm or likeable. It was all a bit disjointed and staccato. Couldn’t get on with it at all. Luke was just a ferrety looking man, nothing remarkable at all. Sure he’s a nice guy but come on.

I’ve never read any of the books, so had no preconceived notions of any of the characters or stories. I have watched it but I didn’t care for any of the characters, apart from Maggie and the dad. Perhaps they will grow on me.

Have watched about 3 episodes now and think it is ok - not great .
Agree with others that the humour and warmth is missing . I read quite a few of the books years ago . There was a lot of warmth / humour in them . If you have ever seen / heard Marian Keyes being interviewed she oozes warmth out of her every pore .

I didn’t particularly connect with any of the characters . Yes there are big serious storylines, but in the books such storylines always had At least a thread of dark humour .
I think I will keep on watching though .

I agree re MK oozing warmth out of every pore @2026onwardsandup

I’m surprised she “allowed” Mammy Walsh to be so different in the tv series.

he should have been a Colin Farrell type for the 2020s imho. Dark and smouldery. Any and all suggestions welcome.

I always pictured him as a young Jon Bon Jovi
He was supposed to have long hair and the " real men " always wore leather
And he always wore his trousers just a little bit to tight 🤣

Oo yes! @x2boys 😁

I don’t know if I read Rachel’s Holiday ( I have read some of MK’s books ) but I think you are being rather harsh on Luke.
I think he is very handsome.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
In the books though he was described as someone who oozed sex appeal and everybody got a bit flustered around him becsuse if it even Mammy Walsh
The actor is perfectly pleasant looking but not how I imagined.

Doesn’t do it for me but sure someone fancies him

I couldn't get past E 1. What have they done to them all? Mammy Walsh in particular. I don't like Rachel either.
The gentle humour is completely absent.

its light hearted, but MK described him as "dark, sexy, testosteroney" and that all but Helen were affected by the chaos he caused just by being unreasonably gorgeous.

This Luke seems nice. Which is fine, but not very Lukey, like Mammy Walsh is not giving Mammy vibes, Helen is not very Heleny

Haven't started watching but think I might not be able to get past the Mammy Walsh character change.

Is it possible to just forget about the books?

On a sidenote, watched Legends of the Fall a while ago and it took me a couple of episodes to realise that Aiden Quinn was the dad!

Luke should be Matt Dillon -ish

That's what I decided to do - forget about the books and take it for what it is.
I started again and watched the whole series during a night of insomnia. This time I enjoyed it and will watch any subsequent series.

I still don't like the way that Mammy Walsh is portrayed.

Aiden Turner? Definitely dark and smouldery.
The production probably couldn't afford him though!

And that on the back of it, she will see sales of her books soar.

it would have been an investment! surely they could have made a few cut backs and found the budget from somewhere else, no one really needs the 6 o'clock news do they 😂

I had a vague recollection that another Marian Keyes book had already been on TV . Just googled and Watermelon was adapted by ITV in 2003 . It starred Anna Friel . Probably watched it at the time , but can’t remember . Find Anna Friel a bit simperary ( is that a word ?
not unlike Keira Knightley .
Whilst watching also googled re Aidan Quinn , as couldn’t remember who he was and hadn’t seen him in anything for ages . He seems to have aged like us mere mortals and doesn’t seem to have succumbed to the Hollywood plastic surgery route .

Have now finished watching and I did think it got better - although still lacking in warmth / humour . I think it was more of a drama .
I don’t really remember all the details re the characters as so long since I read the books .

Liked the character of Rachael’s room mate and couldn’t place the actress . Apparently it is Debi Mazar who was in Younger on netflix . She played Maggie in that , one of the best characters . She is 61 and looks fabulous !

To be fair I read the books ages ago and in the wrong order, so don't go by my approval 🤣

E2 is tonight

I read the books and didn't realise they were all about the same family! I just thought they were all standalone books😆