Keeley Hawes, Rose Leslie, Patsy Ferran & More to Star in ‘Miss Austen’ for Masterpiece on PBS

Filming is underway on the star-studded adaptation of Gill Hornby’s bestselling novel Miss Austen.

Miss Austen is a co-production of Bonnie Productions and MASTERPIECE, in association with the BBC and Federation Stories. The series comes from BAFTA-winning writer Andrea Gibb.

Miss Austen features a cast that includes Keeley Hawes, Rose Leslie, and Patsy Ferran. Jessica Hynes, Mirren Mack, Phyllis Logan, Kevin McNally, Max Irons, Alfred Enoch, Calam Lynch, and Liv Hill also star.

“I’m so thrilled Miss Austen has landed with Christine and MASTERPIECE/PBS – the dream team for the project. I can’t wait to see Jane and Cassandra brought back to life,” Hornby said in June 2022 upon the adaptation’s announcement.

The four-part drama directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker Aisling Walsh began filming last month. It films in the UK, where the BBC has already acquired it. Stella Merz produces the show.

Miss Austen takes the literary mystery of Cassandra Austen notoriously burning Jane Austen’s letters and reimagines it with Cassandra as the heroine in a story about sisterly love.

The full synopsis of the series reads as follows:

The drama begins in 1830, a while after Jane has died. Cassandra (Keeley Hawes) races to see her young friend Isabella (Rose Leslie) who is about to lose her home following her father’s death. Cassandra is ostensibly there to help her friend, but her real motive is to find a stash of private letters which, in the wrong hands, could destroy Jane’s reputation.

On discovering them, Cassandra is overwhelmed as she is transported back to her youth. In flashback, we meet Young Cassy and Jane (Patsy Ferran) as they navigate the 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 realise how blind she has been to the real cause of Isabella’s heartache and distress. Finding a way to guide Isabella towards true happiness, Cassandra is finally able to understand and celebrate the sacrifices she chose to make for her brilliant sister, Jane.

More about Miss Austen:

“Miss Austen is a beautifully told story about the loves and losses of the Austen sisters. I’m thrilled that this heartfelt, romantic, and funny adaptation is in the hands of a remarkable ensemble cast led by the incredible Keeley Hawes,” Susanne Simpson, MASTERPIECE Executive Producer, said.

“To have this hugely entertaining female-driven story told by such a stellar cast, led by Keeley Hawes, as Bonnie Productions’ first drama is genuinely a dream come true. Gill Hornby has found an ingenious way into the Austen world, creating female characters modern audiences can empathise with and delight in,” executive producer, Christine Langan, said. 

“I’m so honored to be bringing this wonderful novel to the screen in collaboration with the deeply talented trio of writer, Andrea Gibb, director, Aisling Walsh and producer, Stella Merz,” Langan added.

“Miss Austen is the perfect blend of intriguing mystery, vivid and engaging characters and beguiling period charm – BBC viewers certainly have a treat in store,” Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, said.

Christine Langan for Bonnie Productions, Susanne Simpson for MASTERPIECE, and Polly Williams for Federation Stories executive produce Miss Austen. Keeley Hawes, Andrea Gibb, and Aisling Walsh are also executive producers. MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by GBH Boston.

—

Are you looking forward to watching Miss Austen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Miss Austen will air on MASTERPIECE/PBS and BBC.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Chelsea Handler Returning to Host the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards