The BBC Is Working On A New Jane Austen Drama

If you loved the BBC’s recent regency drama, Miss Austen, we come bearing good news: another Jane Austen drama is in the works. Here’s everything you need to know about The Other Bennet Sister.

The Other Bennet Sister: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More

What Is It About?

The Other Bennet Sister expands the universe of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to tell a story through the often-overlooked perspective of Mary Bennet (Ella Bruccoleri), the middle Bennet sister (younger than Jane and Elizabeth, and older than Kitty and Lydia).

In the series, Mary will be taken under the wing of the Gardiners, her aunt and uncle, as the governess to their three children: Marianne (Roisin Bhalla), George (Reggie Absolom) and Rebecca (Jasmine Sharp). This introduces Mary to a whole new social world that includes Mr Hayward (Dónal Finn), Mr Ryder (Laurie Davidson) and Ann Baxter (Varada Sethu).

Like Miss Austen, which is based on Gill Hornby’s 2020 novel of the same name, The Other Bennet Sister is not based on the work of Jane Austen, but instead draws on Janice Hadlow’s novel of the same name, also published in 2020, which is a spin off from Pride and Prejudice (1813). Sarah Quintrell has adapted Janice’s novel for the screen, having previously worked on The Power and Ella.

‘We have been working behind the scenes on The Other Bennet Sister for many years now,’ shares executive producer Jane Tranter. ‘Janice’s brilliantly observed characters have lived and grown in our imaginations throughout that time as Sarah has been working on the scripts. So, our actors had a lot to live up to – and I can honestly say that this is the ensemble cast of our dreams. Each one brings something new and exciting to the world of Austen. And all of us at Bad Wolf are delighted to be making a drama that brings such joy.’

(© BBC/Bad Wolf)

The Other Bennet Sister: Meet The Cast

Ella Bruccoleri, Richard E. Grant, Ruth Jones, Indira Varma and more are set to star in the BBC’s adaptation of The Other Bennet Sister. They’ll be joined by Richard Coyle, Laurie Davidson and Dónal Finn, with filming now underway in Wales.

The full cast we know so far is as follows:

• Ella Bruccoleri as Mary Bennet
• Richard E. Grant as Mr Bennet
• Ruth Jones as Mrs Bennet
• Indira Varma as Mrs Gardiner
• Richard Coyle as Mr Gardiner
• Laurie Davidson as Mr Ryder
• Dónal Finn as Mr Hayward
• (Roisin Bhalla as Marianne Gardiner
• Reggie Absolom as George Gardiner
• Jasmine Sharp as Rebecca Gardiner
• Varada Sethu as Ann Baxter
• Aaron Gill as John Sparrow
• Maddie Close as Jane Bennet
• Poppy Gilbert as Lizzie Bennet
• Molly Wright as Kitty Bennet
• Grace Hogg-Robinson as Lydia Bennet
• Tanya Reynolds as Caroline Bingley
• Anna Fenton-Garvey as Charlotte Lucas
• Ryan Sampson as Mr Collins

Release Date

Filming is officially underway in Wales. We expect The Other Bennet Sister to reach our screens in 2026. The series will be made up of 10 episodes.

‘It’s a joy to see cameras rolling on our vibrant, witty and clever new take on Jane Austen’s beloved world,’ says the BBC’s director of drama, Lindsay Salt. ‘With a pitch perfect cast led by Ella, Ruth and Richard, The Other Bennet Sister will be an irresistible treat for viewers when it launches on the BBC next year.’

The series will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and BritBox in the US and Canada.