Everything We Know So Far About The BBC’s New Period Drama, Miss Austen

Jane Austen’s legendary novels have inspired many cult films and TV shows, from Clueless to Bridgerton – but it’s the Austen family themselves who will be at the centre of BBC’s new period drama, Miss Austen. Here’s everything we know so far.

Miss Austen: Everything We Know So Far

Image: BBC/Robert Viglasky

What Is Miss Austen About?

Based on Gill Hornby’s best-selling novel of the same name, Miss Austen is a four-part drama that begins in 1830, 13 years after Jane Austen’s death. It follows Jane’s sister Cassandra as she races to help her friend Isabella, who is about to be cast out of her home. Cassandra’s true motive for rushing to her friend’s aid, however, is to find a collection of private letters with the potential to ruin Jane’s reputation. The discovery of the letters prompts a series of flashbacks to Cassandra’s youth as she reflects on the time she spent with Jane, and eventually allows Cassandra to re-evaluate her treatment of Isabella in the present.

‘Miss Austen takes a literary mystery – Cassandra Austen notoriously burning her famous sister Jane’s letters – and reimagines it as a fascinating, witty and heart-breaking story of sisterly love, while creating in Cassandra a character as captivating as any Austen heroine,’ the BBC synopsis states.

Who Will Star?

• Keely Hawes (It’s A Sin, Bodyguard, Line of Duty) as Cassandra Austen
• Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones, Vigil) as Isabella
• Patsy Ferran (Living, Hot Milk) as Jane
• Jessica Hynes (Life After Life, Years and Years)
• Mirren Mack (The Witcher: Blood Origin, The Nest)
• Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey, Shetland)
• Kevin McNally (The Crown, Ten Percent)
• Max Irons (Condor, The Wife)
• Alfred Enoch (How to Get Away with Murder, Foundation, The Couple Next Door)
• Calam Lynch (Bridgerton, Archie)
• Liv Hill (The Serpent Queen, Elizabeth Is Missing)

Is There A Trailer?

There’s no trailer yet, but we’ll update this page when it’s available.

Release Date

Since filming for Miss Austen only began last month, there’s no release date just yet, and we might have to wait a while for it to be released. Watch this space.