Miss Austen

Last updated

Miss Austen
GenreHistorical drama
Based onMiss Austen by Gill Hornby
Screenplay by Andrea Gibb
Directed by Aisling Walsh
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
  • Andrea Gibb
  • Keeley Hawes
  • Christine Langan
  • Susanne Simpson
  • Polly Williams
ProducerStella Merz
Production companies
Original release
Network
Release2 February (2025-02-02) 
23 February 2025 (2025-02-23)

Miss Austen is a four-part historical television series. It stars Keeley Hawes and Jessica Hynes. It is an adaptation by Andrea Gibb of the novel Miss Austen by Gill Hornby. Aisling Walsh directed the series, while Stella Merz produced for Bonnie Productions and Masterpiece.

Contents

Premise

In year 1830, Cassandra Austen, the sister of late Jane Austen, visits the family Fowle, when Reverend Fowle is dying, and promises him to help his daughter Isabella find a new home. Additionally, she looks for the letters Jane has written in her youth to Fowle's wife Elizabeth, planning to destroy them so that the private themes discussed can not stain Jane's reputation. Mary Austen, James Austen's widow, also looks for these letters, in order to write a biography about her late husband. Reading the letters, Cassandra reminisces the past, which is shown in flashbacks. These cover Cassandra's engagement to Tom Fowle who dies soon after, Mary's marriage to James Austen, losses of relatives and homes for the Austen family, new chances for love, Jane's literary trials and successes, and end before her death. Cassandra burns most of the letters, except for a few she leaves for Mary to discover, and departs after finding a man for Isabella.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest

Production

Aisling Walsh directed the four-part series and also acts as executive producer. Other executive producers on the series were Susanne Simpson for Masterpiece, Christine Langan for Bonnie Productions, Polly Williams for Federation Stories, Keeley Hawes who stars and Andrea Gibb, who also adapted the book by Gill Hornby. Filming got underway in November 2023. [1]

Casting

The series features Keeley Hawes as Jane Austen's elder (and only) sister, Cassandra, and Jessica Hynes as Jane Austen's sister-in-law, Mary. Rose Leslie is the Austen's family friend Isabella and Mirren Mack is her servant Dinah. Also in the cast are Max Irons and Alfred Enoch. [2]

Broadcast

In December 2023 the BBC acquired the rights to show the series in the UK, and it was broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer from 2 February 2025. [3] [4] [5]

The series' broadcast on Masterpiece on PBS began on 4 May 2025. [6]

Reception

Shivani Gonzalez in The New York Times noted that although "the characters are all based on real life people in Austen’s life, the actual story lines here are mostly fictional”. [7]

Lucy Mangan in The Guardian awarded the series four stars and praised the performance of Keeley Hawes. [8]

References

  1. Rice, Lynette (7 December 2023). "'Miss Austen': Keeley Hawes & Rose Leslie Join TV Adaptation For Masterpiece". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  2. London, Rob (7 December 2023). "Keeley Hawes Is Jane Austen's Sister in First 'Miss Austen' Images". Collider.
  3. Moss, Molly (7 December 2023). "Keeley Hawes leads Miss Austen adaptation with Rose Leslie and more". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  4. Turner, Laura Jane (10 December 2024). "Shows coming in 2025 that you won't want to miss". Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  5. Hogan, Michael (17 January 2025). "'I was playing grannies at 38': Keeley Hawes on fame, frocks and feminism". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  6. "Miss Austen: Airdate, Cast Details, First Look Photos and More". Pbs.org. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  7. Gonzalez, Shivani (28 April 2025). "'The Four Seasons,' Plus 7 Things to Watch on TV this Week". New York Times. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  8. Mangan, Lucy (2 February 2025). "Miss Austen review – Keeley Hawes is magnificent in this absolute treat of a period drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 April 2025.