Gavin & Stacey icon stars in first look at new Jane Austen-inspired drama The Other Bennet Sister

It's nearing the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth and in the run up to the event on the 16th December, the BBC have graced us with a fitting treat – some first-look images of its upcoming period drama, The Other Bennet Sister.

The new drama is set to premiere in 2026 and will focus on the "oft-overlooked middle sister in Pride and Prejudice", Mary Bennet. The leading character in question will be played by Call the Midwife's Ella Bruccoleri, who we see in an image flanked by her beaming sisters and does certainly seem to be the ignored middle child.

The other first-look images also give us our first glimpse at Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones who is joined by Richard E Grant as Mrs and Mr Bennet. While Jones is next set to be on our screens in Harlan Coben's Run Away, it marks just another exciting project for the actress, comedian and writer.

We also see Indira Varma (The Night Manager) and Richard Coyle (Heads of State) as Mr and Mrs Gardiner, who appear to be having a grand old time smiling at something whilst sat in a beautiful floral garden. We also know that they're Mary’s aunt and uncle who end up employing Mary as a governess to their three children, introducing her to a whole new social world in the process.

The other Bennet sisters will be played by Maddie Close (Sunflower Child) as Jane, Poppy Gilbert (Chloe) as Lizzie, Molly Wright (The A Word) as Kitty and Grace Hogg-Robinson (The Coroner) as Lydia, while potential suitors Mr. Ryder and Mr. Hayward will be played by Laurie Davidson (The Girlfriend) and Dónal Finn (The Wheel of Time).

The synopsis for The Other Bennet Sister reads: "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."

Pride and Prejudice fans will also be in for a treat as iconic events such as Meryton Assembly Ball and the Netherfield Ball will also feature in the series.

The series itself is based on Janice Hadlow’s acclaimed novel, with the author saying of the series: "It's very exciting to think that Mary Bennet will soon be coming to our screens, taking centre stage at last in the story Jane Austen never gave her, played with such feeling by the wonderful Ella Bruccoleri, in the company of a brilliantly empathic cast who bring the whole drama gloriously and poignantly to life."

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Screenwriter Sarah Quintrell also said: "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."

Other characters in the series include Caroline Bingley, who is set to be played by Tanya Reynolds (The Decameron), whilst Charlotte Lucas is played by Anna Fenton-Garvey (The Nevers) and Mr Collins will be portrayed by Ryan Sampson (Mr Bigstuff). Ann Baxter will also be played by Doctor Who's Varada Sethu while John Sparrow will be played by Aaron Gill (Smothered).

Read our guide to the best Christmas TV for 2025.

The Other Bennet Sister is coming soon to BBC One and iPlayer.

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