“Elizabeth Elliot is an intriguing figure at the edges of Persuasion — someone we know just enough about to wonder what might be going on beneath the surface,” said Bad Wolf CEO Jane Tranter as Hollywood Reporter exclusively revealed the greenlight of The Other Elliot Sister at BritBox.
The BBC Studios-owned streamer has commissioned a 10-part drama to launch a brand-new anthology franchise titled Austen Untold. Following the massive global success of The Other Bennet Sister, the new series adapts Janice Hadlow’s forthcoming novel of the same name and shifts the spotlight firmly onto the eldest sibling of Jane Austen’s final completed novel.
Production on the ambitious adaptation is scheduled to kick off in 2027. Sarah Quintrell, who successfully adapted The Other Bennet Sister, returns to pen the script for the upcoming tenant of the new franchise.
The unprecedented momentum behind the initiative stems from the runaway performance of its predecessor. The Other Bennet Sister delivered a record-shattering run, becoming the biggest launch of a new drama in the U.K. across all platforms and streaming services for a full year.
When the series debuted on BritBox in May, viewership increased five times more than any previous platform launch, adding more new subscribers than any prior release. Industry data indicates that fully 50 percent of active BritBox subscribers have now viewed the hit drama.
“The extraordinary response to The Other Bennet Sister confirmed what we’ve long known: audiences have a deep love for Jane Austen’s worlds and an appetite for stories that uncover new perspectives within them,” said Jon Farrar, chief content officer, direct-to-consumer, at BBC Studios.
Farrar emphasized that the newly minted Austen Untold banner represents a direct investment in bold reimaginings centered on overlooked figures. These characters have historically remained confined to the emotional and narrative background of Austen’s classic texts.
Reflecting on the unexpected resonance of the first project, Robert Schildhouse, CEO of direct-to-consumer at BBC Studios, noted that the title fueled a definitive breakout moment for the streaming platform. Schildhouse observed that critical and audience reviews exceeded anything the service had experienced before.
Jane Tranter pointed toward the core themes of the narrative as the driving force behind its widespread appeal. The production places character autonomy and diverse expressions of womanhood at the forefront of the storytelling.
“Mary has her own version of womanhood, and that is a really important part of getting a story out there. Who are we to say that women should look or feel or sound or be like this? They are who they want to be, and I love that,” Tranter said.
Capitalizing on the immediate popular demand, the platform has scheduled a three-part Christmas special of The Other Bennet Sister to air in December. That return will bridge the gap before production begins on the newly greenlit Elliot family expansion.
The Other Elliot Sister is produced by Bad Wolf for BritBox North America and the BBC. Executive producers include Sarah Quintrell, Janice Hadlow, Kate Crowther, Becca Kinder, and Jane Tranter for Bad Wolf, alongside Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC, and Robert Schildhouse, Jon Farrar, and Jess O’Riordan for BritBox.
Development and oversight of the series are managed by Bad Wolf’s managing director Dan McCulloch and chief creative officer Ryan Rasmussen. Sony Pictures Television will handle international distribution for the project.
When the series eventually premieres, it will air exclusively in the U.S. and Canada on BritBox, and exclusively in the U.K. on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
