The Walsh Sisters review: Marian Keyes iconic sisters finally have the TV series they deserve

BBC's "The Walsh Sisters" feels truly connected to Marian Keyes' characters while standing on its own two feet. TV review. Home > Entertainment > TV Shows 'The Walsh Sisters' review: Marian Keyes' iconic sisters finally have the TV series they deserve Rachel, Anna, Claire, Maggie, and Helen Walsh are here. By Shannon Connellan Shannon Connellan UK Editor Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror. Read Full Bio on February 21, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Maggie (Stefanie Preissner), Helen (Máiréad Tyers), Rachel (Caroline Menton), Claire (Danielle Galligan), and Anna (Louisa Harland) in "The Walsh Sisters." Credit: BBC / Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Films / Enda Bowe It's been three decades since Marian Keyes' first Walsh sisters book was published, and we haven't had a TV series about them. It's bonkers, I know.Ireland's monarch of contemporary fiction has beloved titles sitting on bookshelves worldwide, with the lives of Rachel, Anna, Claire, Maggie, and Helen Walsh meaning the world to dedicated readers since the '90s. Now, BBC series The Walsh Sisters finally intertwines their stories. SEE ALSO: The 10 best TV shows of 2025, and where to stream them now An exquisitely human and heartbreaking adaptation by showrunner Stefanie Preissner (Can't Cope, Won't Cope) and Kefi Chadwick (Rivals), The Walsh Sisters feels truly connected to Keyes' characters while standing on its own two feet. At its heart, Preissner and director Ian FitzGibbon have assembled some of Ireland's best to play Keyes' iconic Walsh sisters: Louisa Harland (Derry Girls) as Anna, Caroline Menton (Oddity) as Rachel, Danielle Galligan (House of Guinness, Shadow and Bone) as Claire, and Máiréad Tyers (Extraordinary, My Lady Jane) as Helen. Preissner herself plays Maggie.A raw, authentic portrayal of sisterhood, addiction, grief, and mental health, The Walsh Sisters feels well overdue on our screens.The Walsh Sisters expertly entwines multiple Marian Keyes books. Credit: BBC / Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Films / James Pierce At just six episodes, it's impossible for The Walsh Sisters to cover all seven books in Keyes' series, no matter how expertly Preissner weaves several storylines together. At this series' core are Rachel's Holiday and Anybody Out There, books which centre Rachel's road through addiction and Anna's experience with grief, respectively. However, Preissner also pulls events from the books tracing Claire, Maggie, and Helen's lives with finesse, crafting one linear Walsh story. Set in Dublin, The Walsh Sisters is a deeply human drama that treats life's happenings as monumental, however quiet, sudden, joyous, or mundane they may be. During a London preview screening of The Walsh Sisters, Keyes described how she approached writing the books involving the Walsh sisters: "I feel, ultimately, we all go through life and terrible things happen to us — the sort of things that are meant to happen to other people. And in a way, that's what all the stories here are about," she said. "There are still people that we love and who love us, and there are still running jokes that will always give us some comfort. That kind of feeling of like, life will hurt us but we will survive it, and there are still things to be grateful and happy for and to love. That's kind of that's all I've ever tried to write."And it's this all-too-recognisable feeling that The Walsh Sisters really captures. Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter Loading... Sign Me Up Use this instead By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! The Walsh Sisters is a raw, authentic portrayal of sisterhood. Credit: BBC / Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Films / Enda Bowe TV shows rarely harness the complicated tempest that is sisterhood with accuracy. Bad Sisters, Freeridge, Fleabag, and Grace and Frankie — when it comes to representations of sisterhood, these shows brilliantly present the messy confluence of misunderstanding, love, protectiveness, rage, and eye-rolling that make up this particular relationship. As Meera Navlakha wrote of sisterhood in Bridgerton for Mashable: "Sisters are partners in life and all that comes with it, against the rest and despite the noise."Now, Keyes — she can write sisters. And thankfully, so can Preissner, who channels Keyes' characteristic empathy and charm into the ebbs and flows of the show's sisterly dialogue. Hard truths drop like an anvil, the lowest point of a conversation can be pulled up in an instant wit