A period drama is returning for an unexpected season 2, following the success of its first instalment.
Miss Austen premiered on BBC One earlier this year to positive reviews. The programme - starring Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard) as Cassandra Austen, Jane Austen's only sister - is comprised of four 53-minute episodes.
Adapted from Gill Hornby's novel of the same name, Miss Austen is now making a surprise comeback. The forthcoming Miss Austen Returns is an adaptation of Honby's recently published follow-up book, The Elopement.
This second series will see Hawes and the main cast reprise their roles, per Deadline.
"People watching Miss Austen might think, how does it return?" producer Christine Langan told the outlet.
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"To a large degree, it's down to the fact that Gill wrote another novel, which we optioned, and which created the potential for Cassandra to come back."
She elaborated: "The Elopement is drawn from very rich family history; the Austens were very fertile, there's a lot of them. This is a well-researched true story that happens later on [from Miss Austen], around the 1820s, and to a wing of the family that involves Cassandra."
Miss Austen also stars Jessica Hynes (The Royle Family) as Cassandra and Jane's sister-in-law, Mary, as well as Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones), Max Irons (Young Sherlock), Alfred Enoch (Harry Potter) and Patsy Ferran (Black Mirror).
The series takes place in two timelines, drawing from the letters Jane had penned to Cassandra and other loved ones during her lifetime.
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"Secrets unfold one letter at a time. Will Cassandra expose the most private details of her life, or send her sister Jane’s legacy up in flames?" the logline reads.
Digital Spy's review hailed the limited drama as "a love letter to both Austen women" that "capture[s] the spirit of Jane Austen".
Miss Austen currently holds an impressive 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Other critics have pointed out the series' careful treatment of the mystery surrounding Cassandra's destruction of Jane's letters after her death.
Meanwhile, Keeley Hawes is also set to star in Prime Video's new crime thriller The Assassin, which is released next month.
Miss Austen is available on BBC iPlayer.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
