BBC reveals first look at The Other Bennet Sister Christmas special

The BBC has unveiled the first promotional image for the upcoming Christmas special of its hit series, The Other Bennet Sister. The picture teases a romantic picnic scene for the returning characters.

Filming on the three-episode special concluded at the end of October, as announced by producer Edoardo Ferretti on social media. The show, a continuation of the story inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, will see the return of its principal cast and creative team.

Returning Cast and New Additions

Ruth Jones, known for Gavin & Stacey, will reprise her role as the often cruel Mrs. Bennet. Ella Bruccoleri returns as the central character, Mary Bennet, now engaged to Tom Hayward, played by Donal Finn.

Other returning cast members include Tanya Reynolds as Caroline Bingley, Laurie Davidson as Mr. Ryder, Varada Sethu as Ann Baxter, Poppy Gilbert as Lizzie Darcy, Maddie Close as Jane Bingley, Grace Hogg-Robinson as Lydia Wickham, Molly Wright as Kitty Buncock, and Anna Fenton-Garvey as Charlotte Collins. A new addition to the cast is Nerys Amber-Stocks, who will play Mary's housemaid, Lucy.

Production Details and Plot Tease

The special has been produced by the Cardiff-based company Bad Wolf, with filming taking place primarily in Wales over the summer. Screenwriter Sarah Quintrell has written the episodes, and Asim Abbasi is returning to direct.

Little specific plot information has been released. However, the BBC has provided a thematic tease, asking: "With marriage comes a new identity and the question remains: who will Mary become as Mrs Hayward?" The three new episodes will each run for 30 minutes and continue to draw on storylines from Janice Hadlow's original novel.

Broadcast and Distribution

The Christmas special will premiere in the United Kingdom on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer streaming service. For audiences in the United States and Canada, the series will be available on the BritBox platform. International distribution rights are held by Sony Pictures Television.

The first series of The Other Bennet Sister, which focused on the middle Bennet daughter handling Regency England, was filmed largely in south Wales. It attracted an audience of 7.3 million viewers in the UK within its first four weeks of broadcast.