Ella Bruccoleri To Star in New BritBox Drama THE OTHER BENET SISTER

Ella Bruccoleri (Call the Midwife, Bridgerton, Paddington in Peru) is set to lead the cast as Mary Bennet in the ten-episode series The Other Bennet Sister, produced by Bad Wolf (His Dark Materials, Industry) for BritBox International in a co-production with BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The series will stream on BritBox in NORTH AMERICA and on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Janice Hadlow, Sarah Quintrell (The Power, Ellen) will write nine of the ten half-hour episodes, with Maddie Dai (We Were Dangerous) writing one episode.

Bruccoleri will take on the role of one of Jane Austen’s most unassuming characters: Mary Bennet, the seemingly unremarkable and overlooked middle sister in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The series takes as its premise that – when it comes to the Bennet sisters, while we dream of being Lizzy, in reality, most of us are more like Mary.

The series follows Mary as she steps out of her sisters’ shadows IN SEARCH OF her own identity and purpose – finding herself in the middle of an epic love story along the way. Her journey will see her leave her family home in Meryton for the soirees of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all IN SEARCH OF independence, self-love and reinvention. 

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, one of English literature’s most celebrated authors. Renowned for her keen social observations and unforgettable characters, Austen’s legacy endures through beloved novels like Pride and Prejudice. The Other Bennet Sister, a novel by Janice Hadlow, was released in 2020, and reimagines Austen’s world by focusing on Mary Bennet – honouring Austen’s enduring influence while offering a fresh perspective on a classic tale.

The Other Bennet Sister was co-commissioned by Robert Schildhouse, Jess O’Riordan and Stephen Nye on behalf of BritBox International, and Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Kate Crowther, Becca Kinder and Jane Tranter executive produce for Bad Wolf, Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC, with Sarah Quintrell and Janice Hadlow also serving as executive producers. The series has been developed and overseen by Bad Wolf’s Director of Content, Dan McCulloch and Chief Creative Officer, Ryan Rasmussen. 

Photo Credit: Simon Annand