Ruth Jones’ “lovely” and “radical” BBC period drama lands first reviews

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The BBC One series The Other Bennet Sister, based on Janice Hadlow’s 2020 novel and inspired by characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, premiered with its first two episodes last night.

Featuring Ruth Jones (known from Gavin & Stacey), Richard E. Grant (Saltburn), Ella Bruccoleri (Call the Midwife), and Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), the series centers on Mary Bennet as she attempts to establish her own identity and break free from the shadow of her more prominent sisters.

With the first two episodes released and three more available on iPlayer, reviews are starting to come in, and thankfully, the series seems to be a worthy continuation of Jane Austen’s work.

According to The Guardian, the show’s increasing appeal and emotional weight, combined with a wonderful performance by Bruccoleri, make it worth watching until the end.

Metro described the show as a fresh and bold reimagining of the classic story. They explained that it boldly breaks from tradition to expand on the limited information we have about the character Mary, giving her a more prominent role. However, they also noted that fans of the original Austen novels might initially find it a bit jarring.

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According to The Independent, the show stands out from other historical dramas like Bridgerton and the recent Wuthering Heights film by avoiding excessive sexuality and centering around a charmingly awkward main character.

It also stated that Jones “perfectly portrayed” the prickly Mrs Bennet.

Fans seem to like it too, going by a Reddit thread of viewers discussing the show so far.

One fan raved about how much they loved everything, from the actors to the set design and music, and especially praised the delicate and moving way the story was told.

Someone else praised the actors and said the show’s detailed sets and costumes were a breath of fresh air, especially compared to other shows that haven’t prioritized historical accuracy.

Fans in the UK are frustrated they have to wait two weeks for the last five episodes, while viewers in the US won’t get them until May.

The Other Bennet sister airs on BBC One and streams on iPlayer in the UK.

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2026-03-16 16:20