BBC’s Hit Austen Spin Off To Return For Three-Part Christmas Special

Austen fever took the UK by storm last year, in line with the 200th anniversary of the beloved Regency author’s birth. And in March 2026, the BBC kept the love going, launching a new 10-part television adaptation of Janice Hadlow’s 2020 Pride and Prejudice spin-off, The Other Bennet Sister. And reader, we loved it.

Turning away from beloved Lizzy Bennet and towards her too-oft overlooked younger sister Mary, we weren’t alone: The Other Bennet Sister was the biggest launch of a new drama across all platforms and streamers in the UK since May 2025, with 7.3 million viewers tuning in across the first 28 days following release. The Other Bennet Sister has an even larger audience on social media, where the BBC’s TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook content has generated a whopping 250 million views.

The news that The Other Bennet Sister will return to our screens is thus no surprise. But we didn’t anticipate this: a three-part Christmas special, returning us to Mary Bennet’s life post-marriage. Keep reading for everything we know so far.

Everything We Know About The Other Bennet Sister Christmas Special

While Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) and Tom’s (Donal Finn) engagement at the end of The Other Bennet Sister wrapped up the 10-part series in true Austen fashion, there is no denying we want more. Luckily, the BBC is answering our prayers with a brand new three-part Christmas special, delving into the future of the happy couple.

Dónal Finn as Mr Hayward and Ella Bruccoleri as Mary Bennet. (BBC/Bad Wolf)

What Will Happen?

In The Other Bennett Sister, we centred on Mary Bennet, the middle Bennet sister. As lead star Burccoleri put it in conversation with C&TH earlier this year: ‘I think we can all agree is a fairly overlooked character within the world of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.’

‘It’s kind of like an origin story, because we come to understand why Mary became the way that she is,’ the star went on. ‘But then we take her beyond that. She moves to London, and then she goes to the Lake District, and it’s essentially her journey trying to find love, but also the human connection she doesn’t have within her own family.’

By the end, Mary has accepted a proposal from a Mr Tom Hayward (Dónal Finn). In the three-part festive special, we are told we will get a glimpse into Mary and Tom’s married life – and we have to assume it will be Christmastime. As executive producer Jane Tranter teases: ‘These Christmas specials give us the chance to spend a little more time with characters audiences have taken to their hearts, and to explore what happens after the wedding bells fade and real life begins.’

Mr Hayward (Dónal Finn) in The Other Bennet Sister. (BBC/Bad Wolf)

Is It Based On A Book?

Unlike the 10-part original series of The Other Bennet Sister, which was based on Janice Hadlow’s 2020 novel of the same name, the three-part Christmas special is entirely original. Hadlow has played a part in crafting the storylines, while the screenwriter that brought us nine out of the original 10 episodes, Sarah Quintrell, has penned all three festive episodes.

If you can’t get enough of Hadlow’s storytelling, the author published a new novel in January, Rules of the Heart, which spins a tale of adultery in 1794 England.

Mary Bennet (ELLA BRUCCOLERI) in The Other Bennet Sister (BBC/Bad Wolf/James Pardon)

Who Will Star?

The only star confirmed thus far is Mary, played by Ella Bruccoleri, though the BBC assures us ‘a host of other familiar faces from the series [are] set to return’.

Naturally, we have to hope Mary’s new husband Tom will appear, too – and the BBC’s teaser image seems to confirm this. It gives us the impression Mary will be celebrating Christmas with the Gardiner family, with Mr (Richard Coyle) and Mrs Gardiner (Indira Varma) appearing in the image, along with their children Marianne (Roisin Bhalla) and George (Reggie Absolom) wrapping ribbons around newlyweds Mary and Tom.

Our first glimpse at The Other Bennet Sister Christmas special.

Elsewhere, the 10-part first series starred Richard E. Grant and Ruth Jones as Mary’s parents, Mr and Mrs Bennet, and we of course hope to see the stars return to their roles, too. Jones, for one, is no stranger to a Christmas special, having broken records in 2024 with her Gavin & Stacey Christmas special.

Elsewhere, Mary’s fellow Bennet sisters could star; they are played by Maddie Close (Jane), Poppy Gilbert (Lizzie), Molly Wright (Kitty) and Grace Hogg-Robinson (Lydia). Meanwhile, we may also see the return of Caroline Bingley (Tanya Reynolds) or Charlotte Lucas (Anna Fenton-Garvey), though we assume Mr Ryder (Laurie Davidson) and Mr Collins’ (Ryan Sampson) stories are up.

Richard E Grant and Ruth Jones as Mr and Mrs Bennet. (BBC/Bad Wolf)

Will There Be Another Series?

While this three-part Christmas special will certainly scratch that Other Bennet itch for a while, it’s safe to say we’re keen for even more content. There’s no official news from the BBC just yet, and we’re 50/50 on what could happen: this three-part festive special will either open the door for future series of The Other Bennet Sister or close it firmly shut. Naturally, our fingers are crossed for the former, but we will have to wait and see.

Lizzie Bennet (POPPY GILBERT). Charlotte Lucas (ANNA FENTON – GARVEY), Mary Bennet (ELLA BRUCCOLERI). Jane Bennet (MADDIE CLOSE). Kitty Bennet (MOLLY WRIGHT) & Lydia Bennet (GRACE HOGG-ROBINSON) in The Other Bennet Sister. (BBC/Bad Wolf/James Pardon)

Release Date

No official release date just yet, but it’s safe to assume that The Other Bennet Sister Christmas specials will air in December 2026 – a quick turnaround from the summer 2026 filming schedule in Wales.

There will be three 30-minute episodes, airing on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK, and on BritBox in the US.

All 10 episodes of The Other Bennet Sister are streaming now on BBC iPlayer.