When you think of period dramas, you might think of Netflix’s Persuasion, Keira Knightley’s Pride & Prejudice, or Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet in Sense And Sensibility. And what do all these classics have in common? They (and many others) are all based on literary legend Jane Austen’s novels.

However, there’s more to Jane’s life than her books. Inspired by a real-life literary mystery, Gill Hornby’s Miss Austen is a reimagining of the complicated relationship between Jane and her sister Cassandra.  Now, Hornby’s bestselling novel is being adapted for television in the new BBC drama, Miss Austen.

The show picks up with Cassandra years after Jane’s death. After the death of a family friend, Cassandra arrives on the scene to steal back letters to the family that were written by Jane. As Cassandra pours over letters exchanged between her sister and their family friends, she finds herself reliving the past – and discovering a few secrets along the way.

Here’s everything we know so far about the four-part series coming to screens in 2025.

What is the plot of Miss Austen?

A witty and heartbreaking story of sisterly love, the series kicks off in 1830, 13 years after Jane’s death. Under the guise of helping her friend Isabella, Cassandra is looking for a stash of private letters which, in the wrong hands, could destroy Jane’s reputation. When she finds them, Cassandra is transported back to her youth, where we meet a young Cassy and Jane as they navigate their lives as young women and lay the foundations for Jane’s unforgettable stories. Meanwhile, Cassandra is also trying to help Isabella Fowle, the niece of the man she was once betrothed to marry.

For any Austen fan, the series will be filled with delightful nods to famous Austen stories and characters  – the first episode alone features characters that instantly recall the slimy Mr Collins and the flapping energy of Mrs Bennet in Pride And Prejudice.

Who stars in Miss Austen?

Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard, Line Of Duty) stars as Cassandra, Rose Leslie (Game Of Thrones, Vigil) takes on the role of Isabella and Patsy Ferran (Living) plays the young Jane.

The rest of the cast includes Jessica Hynes (Life After Life), Mirren Mack (The Witcher: Blood Origin), Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey, Shetland), Kevin McNally (The Crown, Ten Percent), Max Irons (Condor, The Wife), Alfred Enoch (How To Get Away With Murder), Calam Lynch (Bridgerton) and Liv Hill (The Serpent Queen).

Christine Langan, executive producer of the series, says: “Gill Hornby has found an ingenious way into the Austen world, creating female characters modern audiences can empathise with and delight in. I’m so honoured to be bringing this wonderful novel to the screen in collaboration with the deeply talented trio of writer Andrea Gibb, director Aisling Walsh and producer Stella Merz.”

When will Miss Austen be released?

The four-part drama, directed by Bafta-winning filmmaker Aisling Walsh, will land on our screens on Sunday 2 February 2025 – on the 250th year since Jane Austen’s birth.

Images: Robert Viglasky/BBC