The Other Bennet Sister: Where to watch, release time, episode count, cast updates and plot details

A new period drama is being created by Bad Wolf for BBC One and iPlayer. It will be called “The Other Bennet Sister” and will be a reinterpretation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” through the experience of Mary Bennet, the often-overlooked middle sister in the novel. Ella Bruccoleri will play Mary and has previously appeared in “Call the Midwife” and “Bridgerton”. The new adaptation will not only have humorous Regency period-style dialogue, but will also be based on the self-discovery of the main character and how she finds romance while living with her family. The 10 episodes of this new series will include many heartfelt emotional experiences, examples of family dynamics and generational differences, and a lot of everyday humour. The series will also show how Mary’s life changes as she moves from her small town, where she was living in her family’s shadows, to having the opportunity to be more independent while living in London and the Lake District.

The Other Bennet Sister: Where to Watch

For the UK: The show will air first on BBC One and then be available via streaming to all of the first 5 episodes on BBC iPlayer from 6:00 AM on March 15, 2026. A new episode will air each week on Sundays at 8 PM on BBC One starting on that date. Episodes 6-10 will be posted to BBC iPlayer starting on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The new episodes will be available via streaming to all customers from 6:00 AM (GMT) in the UK on this date.

NORTH AMERICA (US and CANADA): The show will only be available via streaming, exclusively via BritBox, starting from May 6, 2026.

NOT AVAILABLE ON Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video: As of now, BritBox has not announced any plans to make this content (streaming and/or physical copies) available outside of the BritBox platform in the US and Canada.

The Other Bennet Sister: Release Time

The show will start being broadcast in the UK via iPlayer (new episodes will drop at 5 am) and later airtime on BBC ONE starting 15 March 2026.

N. American premiere TBD, but it is likely to air full load via BritBox, TBD Weekly or with the first episode of the series airing on 6 May 2026. Each episode is estimated to be appx. 30 mins long.

The Other Bennet Sister: Episode Count

The series consists of 10 half-hour episodes.

The Other Bennet Sister: Cast Updates

Key cast members include:

• Ella Bruccoleri (known from Call the Midwife and Bridgerton) as Mary Bennet (lead).
• Richard E. Grant as Mr Bennet.
• Ruth Jones as Mrs Bennet.
• Indira Varma (from Game of Thrones) as Mrs Gardiner.
• Richard Coyle as Mr Gardiner.
• Other notable roles: Laurie Davidson as Mr Ryder, Dónal Finn as Mr Hayward, and supporting Bennet sisters played by Poppy Gilbert (Elizabeth/Lizzy), Maddie Close (Jane), Molly Wright (Kitty), and Grace Hogg-Robinson (Lydia).

The cast was announced around mid-2025 when filming began in Bristol and Wales.

The Other Bennet Sister: Plot Details

The main character of this story is Mary Bennet, the fifth of five daughters in this family, who has always been the bookish and plain sister who always seemed to be in the shadows of her more glamorous sisters (Jane, Elizabeth, Kitty and Lydia). The overarching theme for this series is Mary’s journey to grow as a person and be independent from her sister’s shadow by leaving her home at Meryton and travelling to London and the Lake District. This three-part series will follow her journey as Mary meets love, while navigating the strict expectations of society during the Regency era, and how she will deal with all of the pressure that the society she lives in will impose upon her.

This series is produced by Bad Wolf for BBC One, and a teaser trailer has been released by the BBC, which shows some of the family dynamics and how Mary will develop throughout the series. For anyone who enjoys Pride and Prejudicethis series seems to be a great way to view Mary as an independent character with depth!