The Walsh Sisters author Marian Keyes has said that she "never considered" the possibility that the BBC's new TV adaptation might not be to her liking.
Adapted from her books, the series follows a "dysfunctional, but deeply loveable" family comprised of five sisters, their devout mother and bemused father, all of whom are based in Dublin.
The synopsis teases: "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."
Keyes is attached to The Walsh Sisters as an executive producer, but told Radio Times that she certainly wasn't protective over her source material, which she happily handed over to screenwriter and co-star Stefanie Preissner.
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"I knew Stefanie already, and I knew her work, and I recommended her as a writer because I really, really hoped that she would adapt it," she revealed. "But you don't know [how the series will turn out].
"The books are going to be altered as they're adapted, and then actors are going to interpret the role in the way that feels appropriate to them," elaborated Keyes.
"They will be directed by a director who has their own vision, and then it has to be edited, [so] it's impossible to exert any control. My attitude was like, 'Go with God, fly free my pretties.'"
She compared authors voicing anger over adaptations to a homeowner selling up, but complaining when the next residents carry out renovations on the property.
"It belongs to somebody else," she explained. "And they're going to make their most beautiful interpretation of it."
Keyes added: "You cannot anticipate the outcome [but] I do feel incredibly happy. I genuinely love it and it just makes me fill up with joy... Even if I hadn't, I wouldn't have complained, because you get what you get."
The Walsh Sisters is available on BBC iPlayer right now, boasting an ensemble cast comprised of Preissner, Louisa Harland (Derry Girls), Caroline Menton (All Creatures Great and Small), Danille Galligan (House of Guinness) and Máiréad Tyers (Extraordinary).
The Walsh Sisters premieres on BBC One at 9:15pm on Saturday 21st February. Alternatively, stream on iPlayer.
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