Three-parter will be produced by Bad Wolf

Bad Wolf period drama The Other Bennet Sister is returning for a three-part Christmas special for BBC1 and BritBox North America. 

Screenwriter Sarah Quintrell, who wrote nine of the 10 episodes of the series, will return to write the 3 x 30-minute series based on storylines by author Janice Hadlow. Asim Abbasi, who directed five episodes of the series, will also return to direct.  

Shooting primarily in Wales this summer, the special will see the return of Ella Bruccoleri as the titular character – the oft-overlooked sister in the Bennet family from Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.  

The first series followed her as she navigated the societal pressures of Regency England, where marriage is considered a necessity. The final episode saw her agree to marry Tom Hayward.  

The title was the biggest launch of a new drama across all platforms and streamers in the UK since May 2025, with 7.3m viewers watching in its first 28 days, according to BBC figures.  

It also generated 250m views across the BBC’s accounts on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. 

In the US and Canada, it drove five times more new subscribers to BritBox in its first five weeks than any previous launch on the service. More than 40% of active subscribers have watched the show on the platform.  

It was ordered by BBC drama director Lindsay Salt and chief content officer, direct to consumer, BBC Studios, for BritBox North America Jon Farrar. 

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, and 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.  

Tranter said: “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.”  

Salt added: “It’s been incredibly exciting to see Mary Bennet cause such a sensation in 2026, and we could not be happier to announce this new three-part Christmas gift to her 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.”   

Sony Pictures Television distributes The Other Bennet Sister.