‘The Other Bennet Sister’ to Return for 3-Part Christmas Special on BBC, BritBox

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It’s official: There’s more Mary Bennet to come.

The BBC and BritBox have confirmed their breakout period drama The Other Bennet Sister is set to return for a three-part Christmas special this year. Screenwriter Sarah Quintrell will pen the upcoming episodes, produced again by Bad Wolf.

The wildly popular show is based on Janice Hadlow’s bestselling novel and focuses on the forgotten Bennet sister, Mary (played by Ella Bruccoleri), from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The ten-parter’s ensemble cast includes Ruth Jones, Richard E. Grant, Indira Varma, Dónal Finn and Laurie Davidson, as it traced Mary’s journey from neglected wallflower to marriage material.

The final episode saw Mary agreeing to wed Tom Hayward (Finn), but what challenges does the future hold for the happy couple?

Last month, in an exclusive interview with BritBox CEO Robert Schildhouse and Bad Wolf’s Jane Tranter, The Hollywood Reporter dove into the unprecedented success of The Other Bennet Sister and how it fueled a breakout moment for BritBox. The series has been a triumph for every involved party: Its March release on the BBC became the biggest launch of a new drama in the U.K. across all platforms and streamers in a year, with a consolidated audience of 7.3 million (over half of them watching on iPlayer).

Then came its BritBox debut on May 6, which drove five times the amount of new subscribers as any prior launch on the platform. More than 40 percent of BritBox’s active subscribers have now watched the show.

So, it’s safe to say the news of a three-part Christmas special will delight the project’s fervent fanbase on social media. It’ll shoot in Wales this summer with Bruccoleri and other familiar faces reprising their roles. Asim Abbasi, who directed five episodes of the series, will return to direct.

Bruccoleri, at the top of the call sheet for the first time in her career, caught up with THR after the show’s release on BBC iPlayer: “It’s disguised as a love story. I personally just don’t see it that way — I think it’s a love story between Mary and herself.”

“We always hoped audiences would fall in love with Mary Bennet’s story, but the response to The Other Bennet Sister has exceeded even our most optimistic expectations,” said Tranter. “These Christmas specials give us the chance to spend a little more time with characters audiences have taken to their hearts, and to explore what happens after the wedding bells fade and real life begins. Returning to the world of Mary Bennet with our brilliant partners at the BBC and BritBox feels like the perfect way to celebrate the success of the series and give viewers a treat this Christmas.”

Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added that the Beeb “could not be happier” to impart the three-part Christmas gift to Mary’s millions of fans. “Marriage was just the beginning for the no-longer-so-overlooked Bennet sister, and it’s a joy to be working with Sarah, Janice and the Bad Wolf team to let viewers discover what comes next.”

Jess O’Riordan, commissioning executive of BritBox North America, said: “We know how much audiences have fallen in love with Mary Bennet, and we’re thrilled that her story isn’t over yet.”

The Other Bennet Sister‘s Christmas special is commissioned by Lindsay Salt for BBC iPlayer and BBC One and Jon Farrar, chief content officer, direct to consumer, BBC Studios, for BritBox North America. The executive producers are Kate Crowther, Becca Kinder and Jane Tranter for Bad Wolf, Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC, Robert Schildhouse, Jon Farrar and Jess O’Riordan for BritBox, Sarah Quintrell and Janice Hadlow. The series has been developed and overseen by Bad Wolf’s managing director, Dan McCulloch and chief creative officer, Ryan Rasmussen.

Produced by Bad Wolf (His Dark Materials, Industry), the specials will air exclusively in the U.K. on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. In the U.S. and Canada, it will be available exclusively on BritBox.

Bad Wolf is supported by the Welsh Government via Creative Wales. Sony Pictures Television distributes The Other Bennet Sister internationally.