'The Other Bennet Sister' Christmas Special: First-Look Images Revealed

By Elena Vasquez

“The Other Bennet Sister” has released new first-look images from its upcoming three-part Christmas special, showing Mary Bennet, played by Ella Bruccoleri, settling into married life with Tom Hayward, played by Dónal Finn. Production recently wrapped in Wales.

The special is produced by Bad Wolf for the BBC and BritBox. It follows the “Pride & Prejudice” spinoff's record-breaking first season, which premiered in March.

Who is returning for the Christmas special?

The cast list brings back the series' principal ensemble:

• Ruth Jones as Mrs. Bennet
• Tanya Reynolds as Caroline Bingley
• Laurie Davidson as Mr. Ryder
• Poppy Gilbert as Lizzie Darcy
• Maddie Close as Jane Bingley
• Grace Hogg-Robinson as Lydia Wickham
• Molly Wright as Kitty Buncock

Nerys Amber Stocks joins the cast as Lucy, the Haywards' housekeeper. She is the special's new addition.

The series follows Mary, the often overlooked sister in Jane Austen's 1813 novel. The Christmas special picks up after Mary and Tom have wed. The official synopsis poses the question at its center: "With marriage comes a new identity, and the question remains: who will Mary become as Mrs. Hayward?" The stakes rise quickly from there, according to the same synopsis: "But just as Mary begins this new chapter, an unexpected visitor from her past arrives at her door in need of her help…"

Who is writing and directing?

Screenwriter Sarah Quintrell has written all three episodes of the special. Quintrell penned nine of the original season's 10 episodes, meaning she has now written 12 of the series' 13 total installments. Asim Abbasi returns to direct.

How big was season one?

The numbers explain why a Christmas special exists at all. After its premiere in March, “The Other Bennet Sister” became the biggest new drama across all streaming platforms in the U.K. since the previous March, drawing 6.5 million viewers within its first 28 days. Episode 1 has since climbed to 9.5 million viewers.

The series also broke records on BritBox. It drove five times more new subscribers than any previous launch on the service and achieved the highest streaming rate of any title launch on the platform.

In plain terms: one in roughly every ten people in the U.K. has watched the first episode.

Where and when can viewers watch it?

No release date has been announced. The special will air in the U.K. on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, and in the U.S. and Canada on BritBox. Additional first-look images accompany the announcement.

With a record-setting first season and a returning creative team, the special now carries the burden of proving the franchise's streaming momentum can survive a format shift.