Ahead of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, next Tuesday, 16 December 2025, the BBC has revealed first look photos from The Other Bennet Sister. Based on Janice Hadlow’s acclaimed novel, the new drama brings Mary Bennet – the oft-overlooked middle sister in Pride and Prejudice – into the spotlight.
Produced by Bad Wolf, the series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in 2026, in a co-production with BritBox, which will also premiere the series in 2026.
Sarah Quintrell (The Power, Ellen) wrote nine of the ten half-hour episodes, with Maddie Dai (We Were Dangerous) writing one episode. The series, which was filmed in Wales, is directed by Jennifer Sheridan (Extraordinary) and Asim Abbasi (Cake).
As previously announced, Ella Bruccoleri (Call the Midwife, Bridgerton) leads the cast as Mary Bennet, whilst Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and Ruth Jones (Gavin & Stacey, Stella) will co-star as Mr and Mrs Bennet.
The story begins at Longbourn, the Bennet family home, where Mr and Mrs Bennet preside over a lively household of five unmarried daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. As society’s pressures mount, the Bennet sisters navigate the glittering yet precarious world of Regency England, where marriage is both aspiration and necessity.
While her sisters pursue romance and social triumph, Mary embarks on a very different path. Leaving Longbourn behind, she travels to London to live with her aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Gardiner, in their elegant home on Gracechurch Street. There, Mary begins a journey of self-discovery, stepping out of the shadows and into her own story.
Screenwriter Sarah Quintrell says: “Exploring Jane Austen’s world through the eyes of Mary Bennet for the first time has been a joyful experience – and our incredible cast have added a whole new layer of life to these characters. Our story is set in a familiar and much-loved world, but we’re coming at it from a completely new angle. Mary’s story is about coming of age when you’re the odd one out – how do you find your place in the world? As a young girl growing up in Croydon my world could not have been more different to Jane Austen’s – but there is a universality in her work that reaches across generations and class boundaries, and we cannot wait to bring the Bennet family to a new audience. The Other Bennet Sister is true to the spirit of Pride and Prejudice but I hope it will also surprise and delight fans both old and new.”
The Other Bennet Sister (10×30′) was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The executive producers are Kate Crowther, Becca Kinder and Jane Tranter for Bad Wolf, Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC, Jess O’Riordan, Robert Schildhouse and Stephen Nye for BritBox, Sarah Quintrell, and Janice Hadlow. The series has been developed and overseen by Bad Wolf’s Managing Director, Dan McCulloch and Chief Creative Officer, Ryan Rasmussen.
Indira Varma (Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Night Manager) and Richard Coyle (Heads of State, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) will play Mr and Mrs Gardiner, whilst Laurie Davidson (A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, The Girlfriend) and Dónal Finn (The Wheel of Time, SAS Rogue Heroes) play potential suitors Mr. Ryder and Mr. Hayward, respectively.
The series will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, and in the US and Canada it will be available on BritBox. Bad Wolf is supported by the Welsh Government via Creative Wales. Sony Pictures Television will distribute The Other Bennet Sister internationally.
Pippa Considine
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