Miss Austen could be the BBC period drama we’ve been missing – but here’s what new show needs to be a regency hit
GIVE me period drama, historical fiction or anything that isn’t set in the modern day and I will be glued to it.
I’ve got my sights set on the latest BBC drama to take on a different historical era, with Miss Austen about to become the highlight of my Sunday nights but it’s got a lot to live up to.
The new Miss Austen drama, which begins tonight (Sunday 2 February), has already been hailed as feeling like ‘a new Jane Austen story’.
We’ve had Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility as well as Emma done numerous times, from Hollywood versions to ITV and BBC both taking their turns.
So the promise of a new period drama is exciting, but it needs to bring a lot to the table – especially with a Jane Austen link.
The new series is based on the book by Gill Hornby and focuses on the mystery of why Cassandra Austen notoriously burned her famous sister Jane’s letters, and it’s something that nobody has ever truly worked out why.
I already have high hopes for the drama as it brings in two storylines, one of a younger Jane and her sister Cassandra as they try out love and navigate society but also because it tries to give us an answer to why Cassandra did burn her sister’s letters.
With an exemplary cast, the storyline promises family mystery combined with romance and restrained passion.
If Mr Darcy is your ultimate romance hero, then this sounds like it could be the perfect fix with the younger storyline bringing in heartbreak and young love, as well as sisterly love that is promising to have us feeling emotional by the end.
For those unfamiliar with the story, the drama begins in 1830, many years after Jane has died where we get to see Cassandra (Keeley Hawes) visiting Isabella (Rose Leslie), the niece of her long-dead fiancé.
Isabella faces potential ruin as she is about to lose her home following her father’s death.
Whilst we see Cassandra is there to help Isabella, it’s clear she has a different motive and she wants to find a hidden bundle of letters that could impact the memory of Jane.
With flashbacks to Cassandra and Jane’s childhood, played by a young Cassy (Synnøve Karlsen) and Jane (Patsy Ferran) it’s giving us a period drama with romantic infatuations, family feuds and dashed hopes.
If you’ve ever been a fan of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice or Sandition (based on Austen’s last unfinished novel) then Miss Austen looks set to deliver more of the lingering looks, duty tangled up with love and hopeless romantic scenes we’ve come to expect from the drama.
The series is directed by BAFTA award-winning filmmaker Aisling Walsh (Maudie, Elizabeth is Missing) and produced by Stella Merz (Gentleman Jack, Renegade Nell) so it has clear form for producing masterpieces set in a different era.
With everything set to make Miss Austen a stand out piece of television drama, I’m keeping everything crossed that it’s a hit and not a flop when it airs on screen.
Miss Austen airs on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer from Sunday 2 February.
BBC crime dramas
The BBC is reopening case files on an all-star line-up of crime dramas this summer.
Here’s a refresher on the popular programmes which span six decades.
- Campion: Aired from 1989 to 1990, this detective drama series was adapted from novels by Margery Allingham and stars Peter Davison.
- Dalziel And Pascoe: A gritty detective drama series about a mismatched pair of policemen, based on the award-winning books by Reginald Hill. Aired from 1996 to 2007.
- Death In Paradise: A misanthropic detective inspector is assigned to a Caribbean island against his will. Premiered in 2011 and is still on air to this day.
- Happy Valley: Created by Sally Wainwright, this northern noir follows Sarah Lancashire as Sgt Catherine Cawood – tough, defiant and facing her traumatic past.
- Hinterland: Welsh drama starring Richard Harrington. Brooding DCI Tom Mathias uncovers secrets – and links to his troubled past amid mountainous terrain and close-knit villages. Aired from 2013 to 2016.
- Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Based on the novels of Elizabeth George, this drama series is about upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley and working class DS Barbara Havers. Aired from 2001 to 2007.
- Jonathan Creek: Starring comedian Alan Davies, this comedy-drama series follows a inventor of magic tricks who is often called in to solve puzzling murders. Aired from 1997 to 2016.
- Law & Order: Originally broadcast in 1978, this four-part drama series is about the British judicial system. Stars include Peter Dean and Derek Martin.
- Life On Mars: Beguiling science-fiction police drama following a Manchester policeman who travels back to 1973 following a car accident. Stars John Simm and Philip Glenister. Aired from 2006 to 2007.
- Line Of Duty: Created by Jed Mercurio, this drama follows the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anticorruption unit. Stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, aired from 2012 to 2021.
- Luther: Crime drama series starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther. Aired from 2010 to 2019, with a follow-up film released in 2023.
- New Tricks: Warm-hearted drama following an eccentric group of old-fashioned detectives. Starring Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong and James Bolam. Aired from 2003 to 2015.
- Sherlock: Benedict Cumberbatch stars a modern day Sherlock Holmes, teaming up with Martin Freeman‘s war veteran Dr Watson to solve impossible crimes. Aired from 2010 to 2017.
- Shetland: Detective drama starring Douglas Henshall, Ashley Jensen and Alison O’Donnell, showcasing the dark side of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Premiered in 2013 and is still on air to this day.
- The Cops: Set in the fictional northern town of Stanton, this acclaimed, provocative police drama stars Katy Cavanagh, Rob Dixon and John Henshaw. Aired from 1998 to 2001.
- Waking The Dead: With a cast including Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston and Wil Johnson, this series follows a cold case team who unearths sleeping secrets, but sometimes the past is best left buried. Aired from 2000 to 2011.
- Wallander: Starring Sir Kenneth Branagh, Kurt Wallander is unable to unsee the dark crimes he’s tasked to investigate while Wallander’s job comes at a cost to his family and relationships. Aired from 2008 to 2016.