BritBox have given fans of their hit Jane Austen-inspired series “The Other Bennet Sister” an early Christmas present with a first look at a new three-part special set to drop this holiday season.
Ella Bruccoleri returns as the awkward Mary Bennet opposite Dónal Finn as Tom Hayward, who proposed in the Season 1 finale – with Mary accepting.
“But with marriage comes a new identity and the question remains: who will Mary become as Mrs. Hayward?” reads the logline for the Christmas special.
Returning alongside Bruccoleri and Finn are Ruth Jones as Mrs. Bennet, Tanya Reynolds as Caroline Bingley, Laurie Davidson as Mr. Ryder, Varada Sethu as Ann Baxter, Poppy Gilbert as Lizzie Darcy, Maddie Close as Jane Bingley, Grace Hogg-Robinson as Lydia Wickham, Molly Wright as Kitty Buncock and Anna Fenton-Garvey as Charlotte Collins.
Joining the cast for the first time is Nerys Amber-Stocks as Mary’s housemaid Lucy.
“The Other Bennet Sister” is based on Janice Hadlow’s novel of the same name. Season 1 was adapted by Sarah Quintrell, who has also written the three-part special based on new storylines by Hadlow.
Earlier this year, producer Jane Tranter told Variety that while “The Other Bennet Sister” was conceived as a limited series, “the characters just live on.” She said any further seasons “really depends on Janice and her thinking.”
“At the moment we’re concentrating on looking at the novels of Jane Austen, because that’s what we always set out to do,” Tranter added. “But having set up ‘The Other Bennet Sister,’ you can’t help but think ‘What would happen if – ?’ so we’ll see. We’ll see what Janice says, and Sarah, obviously.”
The first season garnered plenty of fans, with Variety‘s reviewer Aramide Tinubu describing the show as “immensely charming and thoughtful.”
“The Other Bennet Sister” is produced by Bad Wolf for the BBC and BritBox North America. Asim Abbasi returns to direct.