Twenty-seven years in the making, a Marian Keyes novel adaptation has finally landed on screens - and goodness gracious, it's a great one. Starring an entirely Irish female primary cast, the six-part series translates the author's beloved books and expertly handles meaty topics, including addiction, IVF, and gut-wrenching grief.
Nestled into the plush chairs of the Ham Yard Hotel's 190-seat theatre in London's Soho, I braced myself and crossed my fingers for the legendary author who has published over 20 books since she first debuted her writing in 1995. Settling in for a retelling of Rachel's Holiday and Anybody Out There?, from the opening credits that featured Derry Girls' Louisa Harland and House of Guinness' Danielle Galligan, I was intrigued.
Immediately, emulating ferocious familial vibes that particularly tugged at my Dublin-native heartstrings, the first few chaotic scenes set the tone for a series that can only be described as red raw, unapologetically authentic, and one of the most relatable shows I've seen on television in a long time.
Slotting into the Walsh family, the star-studded audience laughed along with the characters on screen as they navigated their sisterly bonds with a charming messiness that transported me back to my own childhood home, not far from the postcode of the loveable fictional clan on the cinema screen.
As Rachel (Caroline Menton) stumbled through her life, I was enamoured by both her performance and creator and showrunner, Stefanie Preissner's rollercoaster writing that had me laughing through tears and pondering my own life choices while I watched the scarily realistic storyline unfold.
Wiping my eyes, I felt disappointment wash over me as the heartbreaking final scene of episode two smashed through the screen and the theatre's lights flashed on. While I wait to finish my journey with the Walsh women, here's what I thought about the first two episodes of the sure-fire BBC smash hit…
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Films/Enda BoweWhat is The Walsh Sisters about?
According to the BBC's official synopsis, the series' storyline goes as follows: "The Walsh Sisters features the chaotic, dysfunctional but deeply loveable Walsh family of five sisters, a devout mother and a bemused father.
"Set in their Dublin hometown, The Walsh Sisters follows the lives of Anna (Louisa Harland), Rachel (Caroline Menton), Maggie (Stefanie Preissner), Claire (Danille Galligan) and Helen (Máiréad Tyers) as they navigate the peaks and troughs of their 20s and 30s."
The first two episodes quickly set the scene and dive straight into Rachel's tumultuous life as she struggles to embrace adulthood and the mundane of an ordinary Dublin existence. From her arc, we meet the other members of the family and watch their own individual gripes come to light against the context of their sister's self-sabotaging tendencies.
Exploring themes of addiction and sisterly love, we watch Rachel's inner demons poison the entire family and feel heartbreak as we see IVF and death start to rear their ugly heads in the background or as a result of the middle sister's misfortunes.
I won't ruin what is sure to be a great watch with an outpouring of spoilers, but prepare to gasp in disbelief and horror at the end of both episodes and have a box of Kleenex handy - you're going to need them!
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Films/James PierceA heart-stopping tale full of light and shade
What makes this series so utterly relatable and loveable is its juxtaposition of light and shade, and its thematic writing and touching performances. Alongside every gut-wrenchingly sad moment is a genius line of comic relief that captures the Irish dark humour perfectly.
If there is a way to make light of a horrific situation, the characters driven by Stefanie will find it, resulting in a messy ride of tears, laughter and shielding your eyes as the twist comes around the bend.
The performances from the entire cast were effortless and the on-screen chemistry was evident from the moment the sisters filled the big screen. Watching the women take the stage afterwards for an audience Q and A hosted by Vogue Williams, that HELLO! attended, it was clear the bonds formed on set extended to their lives off camera - but it truly made all the difference.
Beautifully Irish, the show isn't overly fussy. It shows the entire experience of what it is exploring, warts and all, making it undeniably lovable and equally as comforting as it is distressing.
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Films/James PierceA writer's dream come true
For both author Marian and the TV adaptation's writer and executive producer, Stefanie, seeing the project on the big screen was a long-awaited relief. Starring in the series herself, Stefanie revealed at the London premiere that she never intended to play one of the sisters and didn't have her own role in mind while penning some of the more explicit scenes.
Nevertheless, she rallied and performed and what ensued was, in my opinion, a serendipitous triumph. Speaking exclusively with HELLO!, she shared her initial feelings following the show's first screening in the UK and said: "I felt so proud and relieved when I heard the first laughs rippling through the audience. That knowing chuckle of someone recognising themselves!
"The reason the books have been so successful and hopefully the show will be too is that the things the sisters are dealing with, individually; addiction, heartbreak, infertility and the maternal load, are things millions of women are living through silently. And these stories turn private struggle into shared meaning. And I’m so proud to be part of that alchemy."
A welcome to the Walsh universe that's well worth a watch
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my evening with the Walsh family and am waiting on tenterhooks to gorge on the next few episodes once they air on BBC on Saturday 21 February 2026.
If you are looking for a show that feels like a "warm cup of tea" as Danielle put it during the screening, or a dose of realistic family drama that's packed full of unconditional love and humanity, then this should be your next watch.
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