The BBC's latest literary adaptation, The Other Bennet Sister, offers a thoroughly charming and refreshing take on Jane Austen's beloved world. This new ten-part series, based on Janice Hadlow's novel, shifts the spotlight to Mary Bennet, the often-overlooked, bespectacled middle sister from Pride and Prejudice, creating a delightfully awkward protagonist who captures viewers' hearts.
A Welcome Antidote to Modern Trends
In an era where period adaptations have increasingly embraced overt sensuality and eroticism – from Bridgerton's elaborate fantasies to Emerald Fennell's controversial Wuthering Heights reinterpretation – The Other Bennet Sister provides a perfect counterbalance. This series proves that compelling storytelling doesn't require climbing-the-walls steaminess or uninhibited romantic encounters to captivate audiences.
Mary Bennet Takes Centre Stage
Ella Bruccoleri, known for her role in Call the Midwife, delivers a pitch-perfect performance as Mary Bennet. While her four sisters each possess celebrated qualities – Jane's beauty, Elizabeth's wit, Kitty's amenability, and Lydia's vivacity – poor Mary faces daily reminders of her perceived inadequacies from the melodramatic Mrs Bennet, brilliantly portrayed by Ruth Jones of Gavin and Stacey fame.
"To be poor and handsome is misfortune enough," Mary reflects in the opening scene, "but to be penniless and plain is a hard fate indeed." This poignant observation sets the tone for her journey of self-discovery.
Familiar Territory with Fresh Perspective
The series begins with the familiar Pride and Prejudice narrative: Mary's elder sisters make advantageous marriages while she suffers through her own futile attempts to attract the ridiculous Mr Collins, played with conceited buffoonery by Ryan Sampson. The betrayal by family friend Charlotte Lucas, portrayed by Anna Fenton-Garvey, who swoops in to secure Mr Collins's proposal herself, adds to Mary's struggles.
From this starting point, the series follows Mary as she tentatively ventures into London society, attempting to build a life distinct from her sisters' and escape the narrative imposed since childhood: that she is inherently unloveable.
A Different Kind of Transformation
What makes The Other Bennet Sister particularly refreshing is its avoidance of clichéd transformation tropes. There's no dramatic makeover moment where Mary suddenly reveals hidden beauty behind her glasses. Instead, when allowed to select her own dress fabric for the first time, she endearingly chooses brash, almost garish colours, reminiscent of a child playing dress-up.
The series presents a gorgeously slow unfurling of character development as our self-conscious protagonist, through numerous missteps and crises of confidence, gradually finds her voice. This journey is supported by her endlessly kind aunt and uncle, portrayed by Indira Varma and Richard Coyle, alongside potential love interests Mr Hayward (Dónal Finn) and Mr Ryder (Laurie Davidson).
Breathing New Life into Familiar Territory
The feel of the series remains pleasingly faithful to Austen's original language and tone, with dialogue that maintains the authentic Georgian England atmosphere. Yet the decision to chart Mary's coming of age as an underdog-turned-unlikely-heroine injects genuine freshness into these well-trodden narratives.
For dedicated period drama enthusiasts who have watched countless Austen adaptations, The Other Bennet Sister provides the ideal combination: all the comfort-watching pleasure of a beloved classic with the anticipation of following a previously overlooked character on a brand new journey of self-discovery.
While contemporary adaptations often prove that sex sells, this series demonstrates that watching the forgotten middle child finally receive her due recognition can be equally compelling. The Other Bennet Sister successfully balances nostalgic appeal with innovative storytelling, creating a viewing experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.
