For those who loved Miss Austen on PBS, there is some exciting news. Another season is on the way.
The series did come across as a limited series, but there was always the chance of more. After all, Gill Hornby, who wrote the novel the first season was based on, has more books in her portfolio to adapt. They cover different people within the Austen family tree, opening the chance for more of a Bridgerton form of storytelling for the PBS series.
Miss Austen season 2 is officially happening
Deadline confirms that PBS will bring us a second season of Miss Austen. However, we don’t have any details on when. With the renewal only just happening, we may need to wait until 2027 for the season.
There is also no idea who from the first season will be back. With it still carrying the title Miss Austen, we can likely assume that Keeley Hawes will return as Cassandra Austen, the sister of Jane. However, there’s no real reason for the likes of Max Irons or Phyllis Logan to return.
The two who may return are Rose Leslie and Alfred Enoch. It was clear their two characters had feelings for each other, and viewers will be interested to see where that story goes.
Andrea Gibb will return to write the second season. She developed Hornby’s book for the first season.
Which book will Miss Austen season 2 cover?
What we do know is that the season will mostly focus on The Elopement, which is Hornby’s latest novel. It follows Mary Dorothea Knatchbull, the daughter of Fanny Knight, who is the daughter of Jane and Cassandra’s niece. It’s set in 1820, which takes us a little back in time from the first season, and it could rule out some of the returning characters.
The first season was set in 1830, although there was the use of flashbacks to help tell Cassandra and Jane’s backstory for the letters. However, with the decision to set it a little bit earlier than the first season, it could allow for season 2 to bring in characters who are deceased by the time the first season aired.
The news comes just as the world gets ready to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. The first season focused on the real-life questions surrounding Jane’s letters to her friend, Isabella. For some reason, some of the letters were destroyed by Jane’s sister, Cassandra. While many historians have painted her in a negative light, Hornby (and by extension the series) gave her a kinder reason to destroy them.
Miss Austen is available to stream on PBS Masterpiece.
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