Filming on the three-part The Other Bennet Sister Christmas special finished at the end of October, and the BBC published a first image that teases a romantic picnic scene. The production company Bad Wolf completed principal photography after a summer shoot that was carried out mainly in Wales.
The original series centred on Mary Bennet, the middle daughter, and closed with Mary, played by Ella Bruccoleri, agreeing to marry Tom Hayward, portrayed by Donal Finn. That run drew 7.3 million UK viewers in its first four weeks, a measure that underlined the show's reach before the special was commissioned.
Cardiff-based Bad Wolf returns as producer, with Asim Abbasi back to direct and Sarah Quintrell credited as the writer for the three new 30-minute episodes. The episodes continue to adapt storylines from the original novel by Janice Hadlow. Sony Pictures Television will handle international distribution, and in the US and Canada the special will be available on BritBox as well as on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK.
The cast largely reconvenes for the new instalment. Ruth Jones returns as Mrs Bennet, a role she has previously described as "often quite cruel" to her daughter Mary. Tanya Reynolds comes back as Caroline Bingley and Laurie Davidson as Mr Ryder. Other cast members resuming their roles include Varada Sethu, Poppy Gilbert, Maddie Close, Grace Hogg-Robinson, Molly Wright and Anna Fenton-Garvey. Nerys Amber-Stocks joins the ensemble as Lucy, Mary’s housemaid.
Producer Edoardo Ferretti marked the production wrap on social media, posting, "And yet another wrap! Every time emotional, every time proud. This one is going to be so special!" Beyond that message, the BBC has offered little detail about the plot, though it has posed the question of how marriage will reshape Mary’s identity as Mrs Hayward.
With shooting complete and key cast and creative contributors returning, the show moves into its next phase toward broadcast. Viewers will likely watch for further images, trailers and scheduling details from the BBC as the special moves through post-production toward its UK and international release.
