The BBC is to build on the success of Pride and Prejudice spin-off The Other Bennet Sister with another 10-part story about an overlooked sibling, this time from the Elliot family in Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
The new series, The Other Elliot Sister, is expected to follow the same format as the original, in which Ella Bruccoleri played the often overlooked middle Bennet sister Mary.
Hit drama and awards buzz
The original drama aired in the spring and drew 8.3 million viewers. Ella is one of the favourites to take the best actress gong at next month’s National Television Awards. The show will also return for a three-part special to air over Christmas on BBC1.
The follow-up series will be based on a new book from author Janice Hadlow, in which she again reimagines an Austen novel — this time Persuasion. The original story focused on middle sister Anne and was set largely in Bath and Lyme Regis. In it, Anne finally overcame years of regret and heartbreak to reunite and marry her former fiancé, Captain Frederick Wentworth, who had previously been deemed not good enough for her.
New sibling steps out of the shadows
Now the new series will see either elder sister Elizabeth or younger sister Mary step out of the shadows.
BBC drama supremo Lindsay Salt said she had been thrilled by how well the costume drama had performed. Giving credit to the lead performance, she said: “I just think people loved her so much and Ella was incredible. It just shows when you've got a character like that. it really, really it really mattered.”
“I think we've found a really fun brand there where we've refreshed period drama on the BBC.”
Ann Droid recommissioned
It was also announced that the BBC will recommission comedy Ann Droid, starring Dianne Morgan and Sue Johnston, after the first run pulled in more than 7 million viewers. The comedy, about a widow whose son gifted her a care robot to look after her when she moved out, will also return for a Christmas special.
