Netflix has announced a new eight-part drama, Grown Ups, which is based on the bestselling novel by Marian Keyes. It follows the tight-knit Casey clan in Dublin, who are rocked by the unexpected death of the 'good son' of the family and forced to confront their grief and the "relentless struggle of being an adult" over the course of a year. The series boasts an impressive cast list, including stars of Line of Duty, The Capture and Normal People.
Netflix has some exciting new projects in the works right now, and Grown Ups sounds like another binge-worthy series to add to my watchlist. Not only is the show penned by Samantha Strauss, who created the hit shows Apple Cider Vinegar and The Last Anniversary, but it's also based on the popular novel by prolific author Marian Keyes, who is known for her emotional and funny writing.
As filming gets underway in and around Dublin, keep reading to find out all we know about the series, including the plot, the cast and what author Marian has said about the project.
© Andrew H. Walker/ShutterstockNormal People star Sarah Greene plays Jessie
What is Grown Ups about?
The series, which is set in south county Dublin, follows the lives of the Caseys, a "noisy, tight-knit" Irish family, who are "bound together by a tangled web of loyalty, resentment, money, memory and love". The synopsis continues: "When the rock of the family, the 'good son', dies unexpectedly, it sets off a seismic emotional reckoning. Over the course of the next year, the Caseys will fall in and out of love, confront old wounds and make some new ones. They'll be forced to face not only their grief, but the exhausting, relentless, and often ridiculous struggle of being an adult. Despite their age and responsibilities, the Caseys are far from grown up."
© Dave J Hogan/Getty ImagesAdrian Dunbar has been cast as Canice
Who stars in Grown Ups?
The show boasts an impressive cast list, including Normal People star Sarah Greene as Jessie, Line of Duty's Adrian Dunbar as Canice and The Capture actor Barry Ward as Johnny.
Other cast members include Aisling Bea (This Way Up, Get Away) as Cara, Robert Sheehan (Umbrella Academy, Misfits) as Liam, Amy-Leigh Hickman (YOU, Our Girl) as Nell, Sinéad Cusack (Marcella, MotherFatherSon) as Rose and Karin Hanczewski (Call My Agent: Berlin, Tatort) as Ed.
Meanwhile, newcomer James Agnew will play Ferdia, alongside Katelyn Rose Downey (Clean Sweep, Blade Runner 2099) in the role of Saoirse.
© Dean ChalkleyWhat has author Marian Keyes said about the show?
Novelist Marian said the journey of bringing the book to the small screen feels like "a succession of dreams come true" and expressed her gratitude for "all the care that's been taken" with her characters.
"The filming of Grown Ups has begun in Dublin and it feels like a succession of dreams come true," she said in a statement. "On 15/10/2020 at the height of Covid, I had a Zoom call with Samantha Strauss from Picking Scabs (a See-Saw Films label). She was on Australia's Gold Coast adapting Liane Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers. I was closeted in my Dublin bedroom, once again in lockdown. Sam had optioned the book (Grown Ups) six months earlier, but this was our first time to speak; our emotional and creative connection was immediate."
She continued: "Her questions were relevant and intelligent, and she was adamant that the show needed to be shot in Ireland. Countless books are optioned and very few ever make it to the screen. (I've been there many times lol.) Funding is usually the biggest challenge. But from that first conversation, I believed Sam and I trusted her. Then Netflix came on board and again it was so easy to like and trust the people involved. (For a long time, the only people I met related to this production were women). Then casting began and it was above and beyond my wildest dreams: what an incredibly talented group of people. Likewise, the two directors and the hardworking crew."
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockAisling Bea will play Cara
When will Grown Ups be released?
Netflix has yet to reveal when exactly the show will arrive on our screens. With filming currently underway, we could be waiting a little while longer for a release date announcement.
