New BBC period drama The Other Bennett Sister is now available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Starring Ella Bruccoleri, Richard E. Grant and Ruth Jones, the 10-part series is based on Janice Hadlow’s best-selling 2020 novel of the same name, and brings Mary Bennet – the oft-overlooked middle sister in Pride and Prejudice – into the spotlight.
Produced by Bad Wolf for the BBC, The Other Bennett Sister was predominantly filmed across Wales, but our Film Office team was pleased to assist the production last Summer by serving up some of Bristol’s most beautiful Regency locations for the drama’s additional filming needs.
In the series, Mary leaves the family home at Longbourn behind and travels to London to live with her aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Gardiner. There, she begins a journey of self-discovery, stepping out of the shadows and into her own story.
Bristol’s Orchard Street (pictured above) doubled for Cheapside, the historic streets near St Paul’s Cathedral where Mary’s aunt and uncle live. Orchard Street’s row of beautifully preserved Georgian properties, originally built in the late 18th Century as merchants’ houses, provided the ideal setting for Regency London.
Berkeley Square in Clifton was also used for several outdoor scenes; again, its stunning Georgian architecture suited the Austen period requirements perfectly. Other areas that hosted filming include Frog Lane and Brandon Hill.
The first five five episodes of The Other Bennet Sister are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer, and the remaining five will be added this Sunday 29th March.