EXCLUSIVE: Roku‘s new streamer Howdy has boosted its offering with the acquisition of exclusive rights to hit BBC-RTÉ adaptation The Walsh Sisters.
Starring Derry Girls actor Louisa Harland, the Marian Keyes adaptation follows five Irish sisters through secrets, family feuds and moments of grace.
Howdy has landed Season 1 rights from November 5 exclusively in the U.S., with episodes dropping weekly, and will take Season 2 next year around the time The Walsh Sisters launches in the UK and Ireland.
The Walsh Sisters, which is based on a hugely popular set of novels, has been a hit for the BBC and RTÉ. Caroline Menton (Oddity), Danielle Galligan (House of Guinness), Máiréad Tyers (Extraordinary), Stefanie Preissner (who also adapted the series), Aidan Quinn and Carrie Crowley also star.
The Walsh Sisters joins the likes of Weapons, Django Unchained and The Wicker Man on Howdy. Following its acquisition by Fox, Roku unveiled Howdy last year as a cheaper ad-free streamer for $2.99 per month.
“Howdy was built to make great entertainment affordable, and The Walsh Sisters is a perfect example,” said the streamer’s boss Robin Chacko. “It’s a premium drama with real heart and humor that has already resonated with audiences, critics, and fans of the best-selling book series by Marian Keyes.”
Cineflix Rights sells the show and struck the deal. Stephanie Coon, the distrib’s VP of Sales in the Americas, added: “After catching the eyes and hearts of audiences around the globe, we’re thrilled that US viewers will have the chance to fall in love with The Walsh Sisters. Their special blend of family drama, trauma, and humor in the face of it all is the kind of emotional honesty audiences crave.”
Kefi Chadwick (Rivals, Death in Paradise) wrote two episodes of The Walsh Sisters and the series is directed by Ian Fitzgibbon (Hullraisers, Moone Boy). The Walsh Sisters was RTÉ’s highest-rated drama in two years, according to the Irish broadcaster. The Howdy deal was brokered by Elias Patlakas on behalf of Roku.