“Brilliant” BBC period drama is ‘biggest new UK drama in a year’ after ‘capturing audience hearts’

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The BBC’s period drama, The Other Bennet Sister, has quickly become popular since it first aired last month. The show offers a fresh take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by focusing on Mary Bennet and telling the story from her point of view, before she embarks on a personal journey of self-discovery.

The BBC has announced that the first episode of the show, which aired on March 15th, reached 7.3 million viewers within 28 days, and was a hit with audiences.

The series had the biggest launch of any new UK drama in over a year, across all channels and streaming services. A significant portion of the audience – 4.1 million viewers, or 56% – watched it on BBC iPlayer.

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, expressed her joy that viewers have embraced The Other Bennet Sister.

Ella Brucolleri’s portrayal of Mary is captivating, and while her character may have felt unseen by her family, the audience has clearly fallen in love with her. It’s a truly wonderful thing to see!

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Jane Tranter, CEO of Bad Wolf Productions, said it was a pleasure to introduce a new audience to Jane Austen’s work on the BBC.

Janice Haddow created the wonderful original story, which was brought to life thanks to the work of Sarah Quintrell, Jennifer Sheridan, and Asim Abbasi. We also owe a huge thanks to our amazing cast, especially the incredibly talented Ella Bruccoleri.

Mary Bennet started out as a shy, overlooked character, but she’s now rightfully become the center of attention. We’re incredibly grateful to the BBC for allowing us to create this, and to the dedicated and talented Bad Wolf team in Cardiff for all their help and support.

Starring alongside Fabrizio Brucolleri, The Other Bennet Sister also features a talented cast including Ruth Jones (known from Gavin & Stacey), Richard E Grant (Saltburn), Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education), and Indira Varma (Game of Thrones).

The Other Bennet Sister is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

The latest issue of Living Legends is now available! This special 100-page, full-colour magazine celebrates the incredible Sir David Attenborough. You can find it at newsstands or order it online.

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2026-04-23 13:50