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'Bad' bonds and beyond: Horgan, Apple TV join forces for new series and more

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Author: 
Dana Simpson / TV Media
Anne-Marie Duff, Saise Quinn, Sharon Horgan, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene and Eve Hewson in "Bad Sisters"

Anne-Marie Duff, Saise Quinn, Sharon Horgan, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene and Eve Hewson in "Bad Sisters"

Regardless of whether one is an only child or belongs to a family rife with siblings, chances are everyone has a pretty good idea of what it's like to have brothers and/or sisters, thanks to popular culture and the experiences of those they encounter in their everyday life. Books, theater, film and television have also been committed to illustrating the intricacies of interpersonal human relationships since their inception as art forms, and a new series on Apple TV now carries on this tradition.

"Bad Sisters," premiering on the streamer Friday, Aug. 19, follows the Garvey sisters, a delightfully imperfect sibling quintet brought together once again in the aftermath of a family tragedy.

Launching its first two episodes on the premiere date, "Bad Sisters" has been described by Apple TV as "a delicious blend of both dark comedy and thriller," but has otherwise kept the plot details of the 10-episode series largely under wraps.

It has to be noted, however, that this new production is based on a Belgian crime series called "Clan," aka "The Out-Laws," about a group of sisters — called the Goethals in this version — who grew up with a close bond but who have gradually been drifting apart from one other in adulthood. When their parents die, the Goethal sisters are brought back together to take care of the estate, but some things just aren't sitting right with most of them.

Realizing that their fifth sister's husband is problematic and posing a threat to the family, the remaining four sisters decide to take matters into their own hands and eliminate their brother-in-law from the equation entirely. But while planning a murder is simple enough — and even fun, at times, it seems — putting their plan into action and following through with committing the crime is an entirely different story.

While Apple has not (as of writing) stated how similar its version of events will be to those of its Belgian counterpart, it seems unlikely that interested TV viewers should expect anything less than suspense, scheming and a dash of laugh-out-loud dark comedy.

The series — not to be confused with the 2015 thriller film "Bad Sister" (notice the lack of 's' here) about a nun with a dirty, little secret — is executive produced and written by Sharon Horgan ("This Way Up"), who has also officially joined the cast of "Best Interests," the upcoming BBC drama about disability rights in the U.K. She teams up on "Bad Sisters" with Brett Baer and Dave Finkel (both of "New Girl"), who have taken on the tedious task of adapting the Belgian series for a wider audience.

"Bad Sisters," while created for Apple (an American company), splits its plot between settings in Dublin and London. In fact, the series was originally titled "Emerald" — presumably as a nod to its Irish setting and cast — and it joins shows such as Sally Rooney's "Normal People" and "Conversations With Friends" for its aesthetic provided by the newly popular filming location of Sandy Cove in the South Dublin area.

Daryl McCormack and Brian Gleeson in "Bad Sisters"

Daryl McCormack and Brian Gleeson in "Bad Sisters"

Horgan does double duty on this project, starring as one of the five Garvey sisters brought together by a funeral following the premature deaths of their parents. Upon their reunion back home, the Garvey siblings make a vow to always protect one another from there on out — a promise that is perhaps the catalyst for their upcoming murder plans.

Joining her among the cast as the titular sisters are Anne-Marie Duff, star of "Suffragette" and the U.K.'s "Shameless"; Eve Hewson, famous for her unsettling role in the six-part Netflix thriller "Behind Her Eyes" (and for being Bono's daughter); Eva Birthistle, best known for her roles in "Brooklyn" (2015) and "The Last Kindom"; and Sarah Greene, who has appeared in several Irish productions that range from the films "Rosie" (2018) and "The Guard" (2011) to the series "Dublin Murders," "Penny Dreadful" and the aforementioned "Normal People."

(For those curious, each of the actresses playing the sisters is Irish-born, with the exception of Duff, who hails from the U.K. but whose parents are both originally from Donegal.)

Supporting cast members in "Bad Sisters" include Daryl McCormack ("Peaky Blinders"), Claes Bang ("The Northman," 2022), Brian Gleeson ("Frank of Ireland"), Assaad Bouab ("Call My Agent!") and relative newcomer Saise Ní Chuinn, aka Saise Quinn ("Monster," 2019).

"Bad Sisters" joins Apple TV as the first project in an exclusive first-look deal between Horgan and the streamer. Up until recently, the actress, writer and producer had a similar deal with Amazon's Prime Video service, which had the U.S. rights to her popular series "Catastrophe." When that contract lapsed, however, it left Horgan open to new opportunities (and new streaming platforms).

Horgan also has a BAFTA-winning production company called Merman, which she runs with producer Clelia Mountford ("Shining Vale") and which is also behind "Bad Sisters" alongside Los Angeles-based independent film studio Caviar.

Don't miss the love, laughs and intense sisterly bonds at play in Apple TV 's newest series, "Bad Sisters." The first two episodes premiere Friday, Aug. 19, with the remaining eight installments to follow weekly on the platform.