If Mary Bennet can step out of her famous sisters’ shadows, why shouldn’t Elizabeth Elliot get a turn? The BBC has commissioned ‘The Other Elliot Sister‘, a new 10-part drama which will give one of the overlooked characters from Jane Austen’s Persuasion a chance to take centre stage.
The new series follows the huge success of ‘The Other Bennet Sister’, which transformed the often-overlooked Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice into the heroine of her own story. Now, the same creative team is turning its attention to another Austen family, with writer Sarah Quintrell returning to adapt author Janice Hadlow’s forthcoming novel of the same name.
Produced by Bad Wolf for the BBC and BritBox North America, the new drama will consist of ten 30-minute episodes, with production scheduled to begin in 2027.
For those who need a quick Austen refresher, Persuasion was the final novel completed by the author, published six months after her death in 1817. The story follows Anne Elliot, whose family is forced to rent out their country estate and relocate to Bath due to mounting debts. Anne’s story famously centres on love, regret and second chances, but her eldest sister Elizabeth has largely remained in the background.
Much like Mary Bennet before her, Elizabeth is about to get the opportunity to tell her side of the story. Rather than simply retelling Persuasion, ‘The Other Elliot Sister’ will explore the life of a character Austen left at the edges of her original novel, potentially revealing a rather different perspective on the Elliot family.
“Elizabeth Elliot is an intriguing figure at the edges of Persuasion – someone we know just enough about to wonder what might be going on beneath the surface… We’re delighted to be returning to the world of Jane Austen with the BBC and BritBox, and to bring another overlooked character to the centre of her own story,” said Jane Tranter, CEO of Bad Wolf.
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, added: “We’re thrilled to be returning to Jane Austen’s world once more with The Other Elliot Sister. The audience instantly fell in love with Mary Bennet and we’re sure they will do the same with Elizabeth Elliot. It promises to be yet another captivating, heartfelt adaptation from Sarah Quintrell.”
It’s perhaps unsurprising that the BBC wants to explore more of Austen’s overlooked characters. ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ was a massive hit, with the broadcaster reporting 6.5 million viewers in its first 28 days, making it the UK’s biggest new drama across broadcasters and streamers since March 2025.
The audience has continued to grow, with the opening episode now reaching 9.5 million viewers, while the series has also generated an impressive 250 million views across the BBC’s TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook accounts. Clearly, there’s a considerable appetite for giving Austen’s supporting characters their moment in the spotlight.
And fans won’t have to wait for Elizabeth Elliot to get another helping of Austen drama. Three special episodes of ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ are coming this Christmas, continuing Mary’s story following her marriage to Tom Hayward.
The three half-hour specials will explore Mary’s new life as Mrs Hayward and the challenges of finding her identity within marriage. However, just as she begins settling into this next chapter, an unexpected visitor from her past arrives seeking her help. Because apparently, even getting married isn’t enough to guarantee a quiet life in Austen’s world!
Behind the scenes, ‘The Other Elliot Sister’ brings together many of the people responsible for its predecessor, including executive producers Sarah Quintrell and Janice Hadlow, alongside Kate Crowther, Becca Kinder and Jane Tranter for Bad Wolf. Rebecca Ferguson executive produces for the BBC, with Robert Schildhouse, Jon Farrar and Jess O’Riordan representing BritBox.
No casting has been announced for the new drama yet, but with filming planned for 2027, we should hopefully hear more about who will be stepping into Elizabeth Elliot’s shoes over the coming months.
‘The Other Elliot Sister‘ will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and BritBox in the US and Canada. No premiere date has been announced yet, although production is expected to begin in 2027.
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