New BBC drama Miss Austen has finally been given a release date, and TV fans don’t have long to wait.
The four-part drama, adapted from Gill Hornby’s best-selling novel of the same name, will launch on Sunday 2 February. All episodes will land on iPlayer at 6am, with the series also airing weekly on One, beginning on the same date.
Miss Austen wrapped production last year and has been adapted for TV by writer Andrea Gibb, known for her work on Elizabeth is Missing and Mayflies.
The has teased that the drama series “takes a literary mystery – Cassandra Austen notoriously burning her famous sister Jane’s letters – and reimagines it as a fascinating, witty and heart-breaking story of sisterly love, while creating in Cassandra a character as captivating as any Austen heroine”.
Miss Austen is launching on BBC One (Image: BBC)
A new trailer, released on 21 January, shows actress Keeley Hawes in her role as Cassandra Austen, while also providing viewers with a quick glimpse into Cassandra’s bond with her sister Jane.
The series also stars the likes of Rose Leslie, Patsy Ferran, Synnøve Karlsen, Phyllis Logan, Max Irons, Alfred Enoch, Jessica Hynes, Mirren Mack, Kevin McNally, Calam Lynch and Liv Hill.
The synopsis reads: “The drama begins in 1830, many years after Jane has died, Cassandra rushes to visit Isabella (Rose Leslie), the niece of her long-dead fiancé, who is about to lose her home following her father’s death. Cassandra is ostensibly there to help Isabella, but her real motive is to find a hidden bundle of private letters which, in the wrong hands, she fears could destroy Jane’s reputation.
“On discovering them, Cassandra is overwhelmed as she is transported back to her youth. Today’s trailer also sees Young Cassy (Synnøve Karlsen) and Jane (Patsy Ferran) in flashback as they navigate the romantic infatuations, female friendships and dashed hopes which shaped their lives, and laid the foundations for Jane’s unforgettable stories.”
The four-part drama premieres in February (Image: BBC)
Keeley Hawes as Cassandra Austen (Image: BBC)
Miss Austen is directed by BAFTA award-winning filmmaker Aisling Walsh and produced by Stella Merz. It is a co-production of Bonnie Productions and MASTERPIECE, in association with the and Federation Stories.
The executive producers are Christine Langan for Bonnie Productions, Susanne Simpson for MASTERPIECE and Polly Williams for Federation Stories. Keeley Hawes, Andrea Gibb and Aisling Walsh are also executive producers. Federation Studios will distribute the series internationally.
Miss Austen launches on iPlayer and One on Sunday 2 February.