The Other Bennet Sister to return for Christmas special

Filming is due to restart for a three-part Christmas special of hit BBC TV show The Other Bennet Sister.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the first series - filmed largely in Wales - attracted 7.3 million UK viewers in its first four weeks, while also having huge success in the US and Canada and on social media.

Welsh actress and writer Ruth Jones was the "iconic" Mrs Bennet, with Richard E Grant playing her husband, Mr Bennet.

Based on Janice Hadlow's novel of the same name, it focuses on Mary Bennet, the couple's seemingly unremarkable middle daughter as she navigates the societal pressures of Regency England.

The final episode of the first series saw Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) agreeing to wed Tom Hayward (Donal Finn), and the Christmas special is due to explore "what happens after the wedding bells fade and real life begins", said executive producer Jane Tranter.

The Christmas special is being produced by Cardiff-based Bad Wolf, with filming set to resume this summer, primarily in Wales.

Tranter said the audience response to the series had "exceeded even our most optimistic expectations".

"These Christmas specials give us the chance to spend a little more time with characters audiences have taken to their hearts," she said.

BBC Drama director Lindsay Salt said was "incredibly exciting to see Mary Bennet cause such a sensation in 2026".

"We could not be happier to announce this new three-part Christmas gift to her millions of fans."

As well as being hugely successful in the UK, the first series also attracted a wider audience via BritBox North America, and notched up 250 million media views across BBC accounts on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.