The Other Bennet Sister is the delightful comfort watch that took over the internet in the first half of 2026. Based on Janice Hadlow's novel of the same name, the BBC and BritBox's period drama is a retelling of Pride & Prejudice with the focus on Mary, the titular, oft-overlooked middle child of the Bennet family. While Jane Austen adaptations are nothing new, The Other Bennet Sister stands out with its charming focus on giving the late bloomer both the rom-com treatment and her own journey of self-discovery.
Though U.K. viewers were the first to fall in love with The Other Bennet Sister, the historical romance later arrived stateside, with the series finale landing on BritBox on June 24. Fans who are mourning the end of their new favorite show may be wondering whether Mary's story will continue. Read on for everything we know about the future of The Other Bennet Sister.
Is 'The Other Bennet Sister' renewed for season 2?
Unfortunately for fans, Mary Bennet's story has (mostly) come to an end. The Other Bennet Sister is billed as a limited series, and the 10-episode season is a complete adaptation of Janice Hadlow's novel, so it doesn't look like the series will return for future seasons.
Of course, limited series tend to find ways to live on if they're popular enough. According to The Radio Times, The Other Bennet Sister became the BBC's biggest drama launch of the last 12 months, with the first episode drawing 7.3 million viewers in its first 28 days on BBC One and iPlayer. With that kind of popularity, the network may be taking note and considering how the show could continue.
Will 'The Other Bennet Sister' return for more episodes?
The Other Bennet Sister fans are getting more episodes! On the day of the BritBox series' finale, the streamer announced that Mary Bennet and co. will return for a three-part Christmas special, answering fans' pleas for a bit more time with their favorite Bennet.
"We know how much audiences have fallen in love with Mary Bennet, and we’re thrilled that her story isn’t over yet," Jess O’Riordan, Executive Producer and Commissioning Executive for BritBox, said in a statement. "We are so pleased Mary’s story will continue for three more chapters and to welcome audiences back into the world of The Other Bennet Sister this holiday season."
When will 'The Other Bennet Sister' Christmas Special come out?
There isn't an official release date for the special episodes of The Other Bennet Sister yet, but the biggest clue lies in their unofficial title. In the tradition of other smash-hit British shows, the special will debut during the Christmas season. (It's still unclear whether the U.S. and the U.K. will get the episodes at the same time.)
The show will also be working on quite a quick turnaround. According to the announcement, production is set to film the three-part special in Wales later this summer.
Which cast members will return for 'The Other Bennet Sister' Christmas special?
So far, Ella Bruccoleri (Mary Bennet) is the only actor confirmed to reprise her role, but the rest of the main cast will likely join her. The surest bet is Dónal Finn, who plays Mary's now-husband Tom Hayward.
The Other Bennet Sister also stars Poppy Gilbert (Lizzie Bennet), Maddie Close (Jane Bennet), Molly Wright (Kitty Bennet), Grace Hogg (Lydia Bennet), Ruth Jones (Mrs. Bennet), Laurie Davidson (William Ryder), Aaron Gill (John Sparrow), Varada Sethu (Ann Baxter), Indira Varma (Mrs. Gardiner), Richard Coyle (Mr. Gardiner), and Tanya Reynolds (Caroline Bingley).
What will 'The Other Bennet Sister' Christmas special be about?
While the overall plot is under wraps, executive producer Jane Tranter teased some details on The Other Bennet Sister Christmas special to IndieWire. The special won't see Mary celebrating Christmas, as "the Regency era wasn’t so big on [the holiday]." Instead, it'll focus on newlyweds Mary and Tom Hayward and their life post-wedding, with Quintrell writing the episodes based on storylines from source author Janice Hadlow.
“The thing that Janice was interested in is, Jane Austen always pulls the camera away, in her novelistic way, at the point of marriage,” Tranter told the outlet. “And I think it’s really because Jane Austen’s novels are about longing and about love, and once marriage has been found, Jane Austen herself knew well enough that it could easily not be a choice between marriage or misery, but marriage and misery. [She] doesn’t tread down that path and doesn’t delve in [to that], Jane Austen herself was never married and she doesn’t delve into that…but we were interested in seeing, but what if we did go into the next step of what life was going to be like for the Haywards?”
Will 'The Other Bennet Sister' get a spinoff?
Even before the Christmas special was announced, the team behind The Other Bennet Sister hinted that they were interested in exploring more of the Jane Austen canon. In an interview with Variety, executive producer Jane Tranter expressed an interest in returning to the world of the show, teasing that they're "thinking about" doing another Austen-related series.
"I think that Mary Bennet and the Bennet family continues to live on in our minds, so potentially," Tranter said, when asked about the possibility of a new series starring the Bennets. "But Mary Bennet isn’t the only character in Jane Austen’s novels who Jane Austen gives a bit of a side eye to, and that is really what interests me."
What would 'The Other Bennet Sister' spinoff be about?
Avoiding any spoilers, The Other Bennet Sister ends with a true happily-ever-after for Mary, wrapping up her story as she finds true happiness. If the series goes the anthology route, it probably wouldn't center on a Bennet woman at all, since Mary's sisters were married off before the show's timeline. (Unless the series decides to pull a Francesca Bridgerton on Lydia or Kitty.)
However, there is a well-known Pride & Prejudice character who gets a redemption arc in the new series. Warning: Stop reading here if you want to stay spoiler-free. Caroline Bingley (Tanya Reynolds) arrives in London soon after Mary, and the sisters-in-law's paths cross once again around halfway through the season. However, Mary gets to see Caroline in a new light, as the Bingley sister pursues her own love story. As IndieWire points out, this new take on Caroline Bingley could be great fodder for a new installment.
Of course, there's also the chance that future spinoffs could go beyond Pride & Prejudice to explore another unsung Austen heroine. Could a character like Margaret Dashwood or Jane Fairfax step into the spotlight next? We'll have to wait and see.
How can I watch 'The Other Bennet Sister?'
The Other Bennet Sister is currently streaming on BritBox, with every episode out now. BritBox offers a seven-day free trial, after which a subscription starts at $10.99 per month.
As stated, it hasn't been announced when the Christmas specials drop, but there is a chance they could air in the U.K. on BBC iPlayer before BritBox in the U.S. If that's the case, you can use a VPN to watch. If you don't have a VPN, you can use one like Nord VPN.
