The Other Bennet Sister has been a hit with fans, but Keeley Hawes' series is another BBC period drama well worth your time — especially if you're missing the Pride and Prejudice-inspired series08:28, 28 May 2026Period drama fans have delivered overwhelmingly positive feedback, awarding it an impressive 92% overall score on the review platform Rotten Tomatoes.‌Launched earlier this year, The Other Bennet Sister is a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice which has proved enormously popular with television audiences.‌With its compact yet fulfilling 10 episodes now ended, viewers are still searching for additional period dramas to devour.‌Miss Austen ticks all the boxes - a self-contained season (at present) of historical fiction, focusing on the life of Cassandra Austen, sibling to the iconic Jane Austen.The BBC iPlayer programme is based on Gill Hornby's novel Miss Austen, tracking Jane's older sister, who survived her cherished sibling.‌The storyline reveals supposed correspondence the late Jane Austen wrote as a younger woman to the respected Fowle's wife Elizabeth, featuring some quite disturbing warnings.Examining the correspondence discloses considerably more about her sister and relatives than she'd ever imagined, though it becomes an intensely agonising exploration of bygone times.Eventually, she obliterates all except a few of the letters, abandoning those surviving for Mary Austen to discover.‌One admirer posted an review on Rotten Tomatoes, saying: "A series of substance and character! A refreshing tale with heart but also capturing that eternal dilemma of self vs duty."Nothing is simplified, the people portrayed are complex, and it leaves you both smiling and in tears."Meanwhile, another viewer said: "The writing, casting and acting is excellent - especially Patsy Ferran as Jane and Synnove Karlsen as the young Cassandra. Keeley Hawes is good too, of course, but some of the "present day" scenes (1830s-40s) drag a bit and are not as interesting as the extensive flashbacks."‌It's the dedicated fanbase that has driven the series to such remarkable ratings, though despite the current period drama enthusiasm, Miss Austen remains relatively under the radar.Regarding the ensemble, The Bodyguard's Keeley Hawes assumes the principal role of Cassandra, while Patsy Ferran depicts the renowned novelist Jane Austen.‌Viewers will also identify Alfred Enoch, who plays Mr Lidderdale, from his work in productions including Harlan Coben's Run Away, The Couple Next Door, and his early role in Harry Potter.Spanning four parts/episodes, the series is exceptionally binge-worthy and can be consumed in one marathon session or distributed across a miserable weekend.While nothing has been formally announced, rumours are growing that a second series is being developed to advance the somewhat open-ended narrative.‌Encapsulating the spirit of the programme, a Los Angeles Times critic said: "The main thrust of the series is sisterly love and self-sacrifice, tangled with Austenesque questions of marriage and financial security."Others, considering the programme's foundation on real-life figures, were quick to challenge its authenticity. One review states: "In real life, Cassandra burnt most of Jane's letters after her death, so the letters are fictional.'"But they seem to have the spirit of Jane and what we know of her family. I enjoyed the story, the scenery and the costumes."Article continues belowAll episodes of the British period drama series Miss Austen are presently available to stream without charge on BBC iPlayer.