BritBox and the BBC have released the first look at The Other Bennet Sister, a new 2026 series that finally brings Mary Bennet out of the margins of Pride and Prejudice. Timed to Jane Austen’s 250th birthday on December 16, the adaptation is based on Janice Hadlow’s acclaimed novel and produced by Bad Wolf, the studio behind His Dark Materials and Doctor Who. Ella Bruccoleri leads the series as Mary, joined by Richard E. Grant and Ruth Jones as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.
The ten-episode half-hour series reframes Austen’s classic from the vantage point of its most overlooked sister. Set initially at Longbourn, with all five Bennet daughters under the pressures of Regency-era society, the story follows Mary as she leaves behind the familiar dramas of Jane, Elizabeth, Kitty, and Lydia. In London, where she stays with her aunt and uncle, played by Indira Varma and Richard Coyle, Mary begins a quieter journey of self-discovery in a world that has never known what to make of her.
A New ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Story From Mary’s Perspective
The adaptation will still revisit iconic Pride and Prejudice settings, including the Meryton Assembly and Netherfield Ball, but through Mary’s introspective lens, allowing the series to explore what it means to come of age when you’re not the charming heroine or the sparkling beauty. Laurie Davidson and Dónal Finn co-star as potential suitors whose paths intertwine with Mary’s evolution. The writing team is led by Sarah Quintrell, who penned nine episodes, with Maddie Dai writing one. Jennifer Sheridan and Asim Abbasi direct the series.
Quintrell said the creative team approached Austen’s world with a fresh emotional perspective: “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.” She continued:
“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 series is produced for BritBox and the BBC by an executive team that includes Kate Crowther, Becca Kinder, Jane Tranter, Rebecca Ferguson, Quintrell, and Hadlow. Sony Pictures Television will handle global distribution. In celebration of Austen’s 250th birthday, BritBox will also launch Austen Forever, a six-month programming slate featuring adaptations and documentaries inspired by the author’s novels.
The Other Bennet Sister will stream on BritBox in North America and on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK in 2026.
via Collider