The Other Bennet Sister - Season 1

The Other Bennet Sister is a heartwarming period drama offering a delightful twist on Jane Austen's well-known tale.

Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous books by author Jane Austen, and it has spawned a multitude of adaptations for film, television, and theater. Her book has also inspired countless writers to put their own spin on the well-known story. Think, for instance, of the parody Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. A slightly less absurd, but still fun reinterpretation of this story comes from author Janice Hadlow, who wrote the book The Other Bennet Sister in 2020. And that book has now been adapted into a film by the BBC.

The story of Pride and Prejudice about the romance between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy is widely known. But Elizabeth has four other sisters. In The Other Bennet Sister, we follow the middle daughter of the Bennet family, the intelligent but awkward Mary (Ella Bruccoleri). Mother Bennet (Ruth Jones) never intended to present Mary on the marriage market, but Mary thinks quite differently about it. She decides to leave the secluded family estate and travel to London to find happiness in her own way.

The Other Bennet Sister consists of ten episodes, each lasting half an hour. This gives the series a nice compact format, which fits well with the relatively light-hearted tone of the series. Despite the necessary dramatic events, The Other Bennet Sister never becomes too heavy. There is ample room for humor and frivolity without it feeling out of place. The somewhat sarcastic voice-over of Mary at the beginning of each episode contributes to this.

Ella Bruccoleri is perfect for the role of the awkward and sweet Mary.

The series also features a wonderful cast. Ella Bruccoleri is very charming and convincing as Mary. The series has a somewhat awkward and sweet atmosphere, and the character Mary is an excellent embodiment of that. Bruccoleri does a great job of portraying someone who, while staying within the proverbial lines, uses her own proverbial pencils.

Her co-stars also perform well. Dónal Finn and Laurie Davidson are delightful as the two men each fighting for Mary's heart in their own way. Ruth Jones is an excellent choice for the role of Mary's mother. She is a character you can thoroughly enjoy being annoyed by as a viewer, yet you also have some understanding for her. Lastly, Indira Varma shows that she is also capable of convincingly portraying a sympathetic character.

The Other Bennet Sister is a fun variation on the well-known Jane Austen story.

The story does a wonderful job of poking fun at the familiar clichés of the genre (we see an homage to the famous lake scene from Pride and Prejudice), while simultaneously containing all the ingredients of a typical costume drama. In that respect, The Other Bennet Sister does not offer a radical overhaul of the genre, but simply a fun variant of what we already know: a well-made series with excellent actors and beautiful settings. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Fans of costume dramas can start The Other Bennet Sister with confidence. It gives a quirky twist to the familiar story of Jane Austen, yet remains recognizable. It features delightful actors, looks good, and is entertaining. This makes this variant on Pride and Prejudice more than successful.