The Other Bennet Sister starts tonight on BBC1 8pm

[IwantToRetire]

Seemingly unremarkable and often overlooked, Mary Bennet longs to win her family’s approval.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002qkp3

Is this going to be a spoof or some sort of spin off ?

2nd episode tonight at 8:30

Couldn't see a thread so hope this isn't a duplicate!

You can vote for this on the NTA awards.

I’ve just watched the whole series for a second time and enjoyed it just as much. I wanted my DD to see it, as she aspires to be an actor. We both agreed that the acting was superb - both the main characters and the minor ones were first class.

Maybe branches of families were more commonly not in touch back then. There might have been complicated class issues and snobbery, even within families, where the ‘posh lot’ didn’t like to acknowledge the ‘country cousins’ or embarrassingly poor branches. And I guess communication might have been less frequent and instant - back then people couldn’t so easily pop to London and back to the Hampshire countryside etc to visit people. And obviously there were no phones or FaceTime or anything!

When I read the book, I couldn’t get over the fact that the Gardiners appear to have gone to Longboirn for Xmas without their children

They don't bother taking them to the Lake District either!

I think in those days and probably in their social class, it was perfectly normal for people not to spend much time with their children. I think it was common until fairly recently for children to be looked after by a nanny, eat separately and e.g. be brought downstairs to say good night to their parents sounds good to me

The Gardiners and their kids definitely rock up in Pride and Prejudice and leave their kids at Longbourne while they take Lizzie on holiday! Mary definitely would know who they are so pp makes a good point.

She would have known them as cousins (though maybe not seen a great deal of them). I took that scene -where the children introduce themselves - to be a formal way of acknowledging their new relationship together as governess and pupils. Their mother was there to make sure it was done politely and in the correct manner.

In 'Pride and Prejudice' the Gardiners and Bennets seemed to be on very good terms, and 'The Other Bennet Sister' is partly a follow-on.

Im watching the original pride and prejudice again after really enjoying this drama, and it got me thinking. I know consumption/ TB was a common cause of chest problems/ early death at the time, but there was no suggestion of Jane being afflicted/ suffering from other long term illnesses. So why would a young woman who lives a relatively affluent life- enough to eat, plenty of fresh air and exercise etc be so readily floored by a walk in the rain to the extent that it was life threatening? Was it the threat of a chest infection that couldn’t be treated without antibiotics? If you survived childhood then, other than the dangers of childbirth, were women generally not more hardy?

I think 200 years ago (and in fact even now) there is a belief that getting cold and wet causes illness. Plus it was an important storyline to move the plot along.

I always thought it was a bit satirical, all those hormones in other novels swooning and falling ill. Unlike her heroines who are much more hardy. We love Kane, but she is a typical heroine, not an Austen heroine. She does as her family and society expects.

I suppose so, and Lizzie who is the more Austen heroine, walks herself, doesn’t succumb to a fatal downpour and ends up with a ‘healthy’ glow!

Yes, good point about it being necessary for the plot

I watched this over the weekend and gutted I can't think of anyone to share it with.
I was team Ryder personally and hope she's able to maintain that friendship (she does in my head anyway)
God her mother was a monster but loved Mrs Gardiner and all she did for Mary.
Loved it!!

I just finished watching this and I loved it. The only thing I found under developed were Mr and Mrs Gardiner’s characters. Two wonderful actors in those roles and they had a lot of screen time but they seemed to just serve as devices for Mary’s development. There was one scene from the mountain where they were acting a bit frisky and I think it’s meant to show Mary the model of a healthy relationship but I thought they could have made more of that aspect. Or created a small side plot for the Gardiners.

Why team Ryder?! Do elaborate!

I thought he was a bit of an idiot tbh albeit a charming one.

I’ve started reading the book on the back of this and it’s lovely - more in depth characters

I loved his joie de vivre
Very Charming indeed

Yes, they were underused and it's a pity. Indira V particularly is such a good actor. I get that they were meant to be not like her mother ie not overbearing and interfering/critical, but they came across as a bit bland and very much in the background.

I disagree. I think Mrs Gardiner was a subtle but powerful presence. I'm rewatching it and very much enjoying her parts. She is so warm and encouraging without being pushy. It's quite often that she doesn't say anything - not verbally - but her eyes say a lot!

Oh, she is powerful and very subtle, I agree. I just wanted to see more of her, I suppose.

Agreed. I really felt for Mary when Mr Hayward was with someone else, and her only option was to stay at home to be her mother’s carer/companion. I wanted her to go to Italy for a year with the hot guy, and felt so sorry for her that she couldn’t, like we can in 2026, because of the “shame” it would bring on her family.

It's funny how it takes over isn't it? I watched it on my own and have introduced my sister, daughter and now my husband. All have loved it. My timeline is now inundated with their promo interviews - have you seen this compilation? s

I think I've seen just about every US interview. They are so funny. The way Ella and Donal hit each other to try to stop laughing is hilarious and Ella's laugh is brilliant!