Miss Austen unveils new look at Keeley Hawes and Rose Leslie
The upcoming series will air on BBC One and iPlayer in 2025 – to coincide with Jane Austen's 250th birthday.
The BBC has released several new stills from upcoming series Miss Austen – giving fans a new look at Keeley Hawes and Rose Leslie in the upcoming period drama.
The four-part series will air on BBC One and iPlayer in 2025 – to coincide with Jane Austen's 250th birthday – and is adapted by Elizabeth is Missing and Mayflies screenwriter Andrea Gibb from Gill Hornby’s best-selling novel of the same name.
According to a release, it reimagines one of English literature's greatest mysteries – Cassandra Austen burning her famous sister Jane’s letters – as a "fascinating, witty and heart-breaking story of sisterly love".
Bodyguard and Line of Duty star Hawes takes on the lead role of Cassandra, who is described as "a character as captivating as any Austen heroine," while Leslie (Game of Thrones, Vigil) stars as Isabella Fowle, the niece of Cassandra's long-dead fiancé.
A fuller synopsis teases: "The drama begins in 1830, many years after Jane has died.
"Cassandra rushes to visit Isabella, who is about to lose her home following her father’s death.
"Cassandra is ostensibly there to help Isabella, but her real motive is to find a hidden bundle of private letters which, in the wrong hands, she fears could destroy Jane’s reputation."
It continues: "On discovering them, Cassandra is overwhelmed as she is transported back to her youth.
"In flashback, we meet Young Cassy and Jane as they navigate the romantic infatuations, family feuds and dashed hopes which shaped their lives, and laid the foundations for Jane’s unforgettable stories.
"Cassandra’s re-evaluation of her past eventually leads her to find a way to guide Isabella towards the path of true happiness."
The cast for the series also includes Synnøve Karlsen (Last Night in Soho, Clique) as young Cassandra and Patsy Ferran (Living, Hot Milk) as young Jane, while other actors who can be glimpsed in the new stills include Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey), Max Irons (Condor), Alfred Enoch (How to Get Away with Murder), Calam Lynch (Bridgerton) and Liv Hill (The Serpent Queen).
Meanwhile there are also roles for Jessica Hynes (Life After Life), Mirren Mack (The Witcher) and Kevin McNally (The Crown) in the series, which is directed by BAFTA award-winning filmmaker Aisling Walsh (Maudie, Elizabeth is Missing) and produced by Stella Merz (Gentleman Jack, Renegade Nell).
Miss Austen will air on BBC One and iPlayer in 2025.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
