Mary Bennet is coming back for Christmas. BritBox has ordered a three-part holiday special of The Other Bennet Sister, made by Bad Wolf for BritBox North America and the BBC, and the people who made the first series are returning for it.
Sarah Quintrell, who wrote nine of the ten episodes in season one, will write all three new ones, working from storylines by Janice Hadlow, the author of the novel the show is based on. Asim Abbasi, who directed five episodes of the series, will direct the special. Ella Bruccoleri, the Bridgerton alum who plays Mary, is back in the lead. The press release promises “a host of other familiar faces” without naming them, and no synopsis has been released. Filming is due to take place mainly in Wales this summer, with the special expected in December 2026. A premiere date has not been set.
The show follows the middle Bennet sister from Pride and Prejudice as she deals with the pressures of Regency England, where marriage is both an aspiration and a necessity. The ten-episode first season retold Austen’s story from Mary’s point of view, then followed her from London to the Lake District. The cast included Ruth Jones as Mrs. Bennet, Richard E. Grant as Mr. Bennet and Indira Varma as Mrs. Gardiner.
What the producers said
Jane Tranter, executive producer and CEO of Bad Wolf, said the response “has exceeded even our most optimistic expectations.” The new episodes, she said, will “explore what happens after the wedding bells fade and real life begins.”
Jess O’Riordan, an executive producer and commissioning executive at BritBox, said: “We are so pleased Mary’s story will continue for three more chapters.”
Where to watch
In the US and Canada the special will be exclusive to BritBox. In the UK it will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. All episodes of the first season are streaming on BritBox now.
Sources
- Mary Bennet Gets Her Christmas: "The Other Bennet Sister" Returns for a Three-Part Holiday Special – AndersonVision
- ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ Gifts BritBox a Holiday Special
