It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that fans of a talented author who passes away too young must be in want of more. More stories related to that author, more stories related to their work. Few classic authors inspire such a following as Jane Austen. The new PBS series Miss Austen dramatizes an Austen-related story, and it does so with big emotional beats and handsome production values.
Jane Austen only left behind 6 completed novels. She combined observational humor about people and incisive romances into timeless and lasting stories, and they are widely beloved. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite novel of all time. And I’m sure many other people can say the same. This kind of adoration has led to a big business in works related to Austen in modern publishing. Sequels, prequels, variations, spin-offs, and retellings of Austen’s novels are too numerous to count, including Gill Hornby’s 2020 novel Miss Austen. It dramatizes Jane’s relationship with her sister Cassandra and the events surrounding Cassandra burning some of Jane’s letters many years after her death.
With effective emotional impact and appealingly low-key costumes and sets, Miss Austen is a must-watch for Janeites like me. The incredible cast is the delicious icing on a satisfying piece of cake.
MORE: You need to see ‘Jane Austen’s Period Drama’ and read our review of the short film!
“There is nothing more unsettling than insecurity.”
In the Jane Austen fandom, the close relationship between Jane and her sister Cassandra is well known. As is the fact that Cassandra was engaged when she was young but lost her fiancé to illness. This series begins when older Cassandra (played by Keeley Hawes) receives news that Vicar Fulwar Fowle (Felix Scott), the brother of her deceased fiancé, has passed away. Cassandra and Jane were also close friends with Fowle’s wife, Eliza (Madeleine Walker). That means personal letters from Jane will be at the Vicarage for anyone to find. Cassandra knows what she has to do to protect Jane’s legacy, so off she goes.
From there, Miss Austen shuffles back and forth between the past and present. Extended flashbacks establish the strong bond between Cassandra (played by Synnove Karlsen) and Jane (Patsy Ferran). The interaction between Cassandra and Tom Fowle (Calam Lynch) is so sweet, especially the proposal, and when his death comes, it hits hard.
In the middle of all this, Cassandra and Eliza attempt to match up Cassandra’s brother James with Eliza’s sister Mary (Liv Hill). Jane is against this meddling. This might surprise Jane’s fans, because her books feature matchmaking, but it turns out she is right. (Of course, Jane is right.) Mary proves to be a horrible presence. For example, she prompts James to take Mr. Austen’s (Kevin McNally) place at the rectory at Steventon, and she insists on bringing up James’ writing whenever anyone praises Jane. Older Mary (Jessica Hynes) is the same way.
MORE: If you want another film where Jane Austen is a character, read our review of ‘Love & Jane’ from Hallmark Channel!
“We are all in the shade of those who shine brightest.”
The drama in the present-day storyline is similar. While Cassandra searches for Jane’s letters, she tries to help Isabella Fowle (Rose Leslie) decide which of her two sisters to live with now that their father is gone. There is obviously some history between Isabella and the local doctor, Mr. Lidderdale (Alfred Enoch). They are polite to each other but the unspoken sexual tension is conspicuous. Just in case the parallel wasn’t clear, Cassandra and Isabella are reading Persuasion at the same time. The way the famous fall in that novel plays into the resolution of Isabella and Lidderdale’s romance is memorable and a fun bit of humor.
If all this sounds like one of Austen’s novels, well, watching this 4-episode series feels a bit like one, too. There is more tragedy here than in Austen’s work, though. Cassandra has another possible romance that she refuses because her family needs her. The biggest emotional blow is Jane’s untimely illness and passing. Karlsen and Hawes pull off this material brilliantly in each timeline. Grief is a prevalent theme in this show, but thankfully, it doesn’t feel heavy or oppressive. And Patsy Ferran’s Jane is a delight. The way she’s written here feels right. She feels real and capable of writing the classics that we know. PBS‘s Miss Austen manages to evoke a feeling similar to that of reading one of Jane Austen’s novels, with the same familiar and satisfying beats, but without a marriage for its heroine. That’s something to think about.
MORE: Come read all the good and bad about the recent adaptation of ‘Persuasion’ in our review!
Miss Austen airs on PBS Sunday at 9PM.
