Jane Austen leaves behind a legacy (and romantic mystery) in Miss Austen trailer
Keeley Hawes stars in the four-part series, premiering on PBS Masterpiece on May 4.
Robert Viglasky Photography/Masterpiece
But of course PBS Masterpiece is going to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. As a treat for all the Austen stans out there, the premier period piece destination is exploring the author’s life and times in a “fascinating, witty and heart-breaking story of sisterly love.” The first Miss Austen trailer introduces us to another Miss Austen: Cassandra, Jane’s sister.
Based on Gill Hornby’s novel of the same name, the four-part series imagines the circumstances around the real-life Cassandra’s burning of her deceased sister’s letters. Cassandra (Keeley Hawes) sets out to protect her sister’s (and her own) past, lest her private correspondence and intimate history become part of the official Jane Austen biography. But uncovering a last trove of Jane’s missives sends Cassandra on a trip down memory lane to their girlhood “as they navigate the infatuations, family feuds and dashed hopes which shaped their lives and laid the foundations for Jane’s unforgettable stories,” per Masterpiece.
Cassandra’s mission brings the past alive and uncovers the entanglements she shares with her young friend Isabella (Game Of Thrones‘ Rose Leslie). She not only needs to protect the past, but also make amends for it. In doing so, she’s “finally able to understand and celebrate the sacrifices she chose to make for her brilliant sister, Jane.” Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Austen tale without some romantic meddling, which you can tell from the stolen kisses and charged glances in the Miss Austen trailer. As one voiceover puts it: “Your sister understood affairs of the heart better than anyone.”
In addition to Hawes (Bodyguard), Miss Austen stars Synnøve Karlsen (Last Night in Soho) as young Cassy and Patsy Ferran (Living) as young Jane. The cast also features Max Irons (The Wife), Alfred Enoch (How to Get Away with Murder), Calam Lynch (Bridgerton), and Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey). The series, penned by BAFTA winner Andrea Gibb (Elizabeth Is Missing), premieres on May 4.