The Other Bennet Sister: Dónal Finn and Ella Bruccoleri as Mr Hayward and Mary Bennet in the upcoming BBC adaptation of Janice Hadlow’s novel. Photograph: Bad Wolf/BBCFans of frocks, shocks and raffish 19th‑century jocks will flock to The Other Bennet Sister (BBC One, Sundays from 8pm) – a very unofficial Pride and Prejudice spin‑off that relays the story of the overlooked character of Mary Bennet. It is a love letter to outsiders, introverts and people who don’t much fit in, while also adding to the bonfire of Jane Austen ephemera by retelling the key events in Pride and Prejudice from the vantage point of Mary. Cork actor Dónal Finn turns up later in the series as a barrister and potential love interest to Mary, while Richard E Grant has fun as her quietly supportive father. Hooray for weirdos who live inside their heads – and for this sly, pointed deconstruction of the costume drama industrial complex.

Source: The Irish Times March 20, 2026 15:00 UTC