First look at The Other Bennet Sister Christmas Special teases romantic picnic

The first look image of The Other Bennet Sister Christmas Special teases a romantic picnic for Mary Bennet.

The drama, based on the novel by Janice Hadlow, follows the prudish sister Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice as she navigates the societal pressures of regency England.

The series finale saw Mary, played by Ella Bruccoleri, agree to marry Tom Hayward, played by Donal Finn.

The BBC has now shared a first look at the upcoming special, which shows the couple holding hands, staring into each other’s eyes.

Ella Bruccoleri stars in The Other Bennet Sister (Ian West/PA)

PA Wire

They appear to be enjoying a romantic picnic together, sitting on a rug with a wicker basket next to them.

Little has been shared about the Christmas special, however, the BBC has teased: “With marriage comes a new identity and the question remains: who will Mary become as Mrs Hayward?”

In the three-part special, Gavin & Stacey’s Ruth Jones will return as Mrs Bennet, Ted Lasso’s Tanya Reynolds as Caroline Bingley and Laurie Davidson as Mr Ryder.

Other returning cast members also include Varada Sethu as Ann Baxter, Poppy Gilbert as Lizzie Darcy, Maddie Close as Jane Bingley, Grace Hogg-Robinson as Lydia Wickham, Molly Wright as Kitty Buncock and Anna Fenton-Garvey as Charlotte Collins.

Nerys Amber-Stocks, best known for appearing in Out There and Mammoth, also joins the cast as Mary’s housemaid Lucy.

All three of the additional episodes – which run for 30 minutes each – have been based on storylines by Hadlow and written by screenwriter Sarah Quintrell.

Asim Abbasi has returned to direct the special.

The series, which aired in March 2026, had the biggest launch of a new drama in the UK since May 2025, according to the BBC, with a total of 7.3 million viewers watching across all platforms in its first 28 days.

It was also nominated in the new drama category at the National Television Awards, with Bruccoleri nominated for drama performance.