Period dramas are more popular than ever thanks to the likes of Bridgerton and Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights.
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice universe is far from just Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy as a new BBC adaptation is ready to air.
Netflix fans are curious to see how the iconic novel written by author Dolly Alderton will take shape this year but there’s an alternative with a twist on BBC One in the meantime.
Based on the best-selling 2020 novel of the same name, The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow is finally being brought to life in the shape of a 10-episode period drama.
But rather than telling the love story of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, the BBC series will be told from the perspective of Mary Bennet, the “seemingly unremarkable” middle sister of the Bennet family.
She may be considered the “overlooked middle sister” of Pride and Prejudice but, in this series, Mary Bennet will stand in the spotlight for the first time.
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Debuting with a double bill tonight, Sunday, March 15, at 8pm on BBC One, The Other Bennet Sister “follows Mary as she steps out of her sisters’ shadows in search of her own identity and purpose, finding herself in the middle of an epic love story along the way.
“Her journey will see her leave her family home in Meryton for the soirées of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love, and reinvention.”
Bringing the 19th Century Regency drama to life are an abundance of familiar faces, led by none other than Call the Midwife actress Ella Bruccoleri as Mary Bennet.
She is joined by stars including Gavin and Stacey’s Ruth Jones as Mrs Bennet, The Capture actress Indira Varma as Mrs Gardiner and Saltburn actor Richard E Grant as Mr Bennet, just to name a few.
Despite not yet airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, The Other Bennet has already won itself a legion of fans thanks to Hadlow’s hit book.
Taking to Goodreads, a fan described it as “Beautifully written, moving and plausible, and very much in the spirit of Austen.”
Another echoed: “I would think that Austen herself wrote this book if I didn’t know better.
“Hadlow completely nails Austen’s witty, sharp sense of humor and elegant turns of phrase.”
“I absolutely love this – it’s a lovely, powerful and sweet book and I just adored it”, a third said.
While fourth added: “This is a fantastic re-telling of a classic novel and its characters, reforming our view of Mary Bennet, and elevating her into a heroine in her own right.”
The Other Bennet Sister premieres tonight, Sunday, March 15, at 8pm on BBC One.