The BBC has released a trailer and confirmed the release date for Miss Austen, a drama looking at one of Britain’s most celebrated authors.
It’s 1830, and Jane Austen has been dead for over a decade. Alive and kicking, though, is her sister Cassandra, who will later take the decision to burn a huge portion of Jane’s letters. The four-part series, an adaptation of Gill Hornsby’s novel of the same name, uses Cassandra’s decision to explore the friendship, romance and regrets that shaped the Austens’ lives.
Keeley Hawes (It’s A Sin) stars as Cassandra, with Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones) playing Isabella, the niece of Cassandra’s deceased fiancée. Synnøve Karlsen (Last Night in Soho) and Patsy Ferran (Living) play younger versions of Cassandra and Jane.
In the trailer, Jane has received posthumous acclaim:
“She warrants a substantial biography, where we might discover the real Jane Austen.”
The thought of this terrifies Cassandra. She loved her sister dearly, but worries exposure of the ‘real’ Jane Austen would destroy the writer’s burgeoning reputation. So it comes to pass that Cassandra denies the existence of the all-important private letters, before destroying them.
Miss Austen will air on BBC One on 2 February 2025, and will be available on iPlayer from 6.00am that day.
