Sunday evenings have become a feast for British television fans, with the BBC rolling out not one but two highly anticipated dramas this March: the inventive period piece The Other Bennet Sister and the tech-thriller The Capture, now in its third season. Both series not only showcase the BBC’s knack for compelling storytelling and high production values, but also shine a spotlight on the talents of their leading women—Ella Bruccoleri and Holliday Grainger—each navigating very different worlds on screen.
The Other Bennet Sister arrives as a ten-part period drama, reimagining Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice through the eyes of Mary, the oft-overlooked middle Bennet sister. The adaptation draws from Janice Hadlow’s 2020 novel, promising a fresh perspective on a classic tale. Starring Ella Bruccoleri (best known for her role in Call the Midwife), Ruth Jones (Gavin & Stacey), and Richard E. Grant (Saltburn), the series made its debut on BBC One at 8pm on Sunday, March 15, 2026. According to HELLO!, the first five episodes landed on BBC iPlayer the same day, with the remaining episodes set to release on March 29. For viewers across the Atlantic, BritBox will premiere the series exclusively in the US and Canada starting May 6.
What sets this adaptation apart isn’t just its focus on Mary, but also the creative choices made behind the scenes. Ella Bruccoleri, who brings Mary to life, shared with HELLO! a key decision that shaped her character’s visual identity: Mary keeps her glasses on in nearly every scene, even during romantic moments. "Everybody involved, luckily including myself, didn't want [the show] to have a naff makeover aspect to it," Bruccoleri explained. She added, "We could have done that and it could have been subtle, but I just think it would have been completely the wrong message. So we were really certain... Let's just try and make sure that they're on for all the romantic moments and that she's not criticised for those bits."
This commitment to authenticity didn’t come without its challenges. Ruth Jones, who plays Mrs. Bennet, revealed the practical difficulties of filming with glasses, noting, "On a practical level... if you're wearing glasses as a character, it can be quite prohibiting, because you have to make sure you don't get the reflection of the camera crew and the lights. And in some ways, that is a negative." Bruccoleri echoed this sentiment, admitting, "I did find that an absolute nightmare. Inner me didn't want them on because I wouldn't be able to do a natural performance, because I would literally just have to keep my face in one place. But then I knew that I had to... I didn't want it to look like I was taking them off."
The show’s nuanced approach to Mary’s story, coupled with these thoughtful production choices, has already generated buzz among Jane Austen aficionados. The BBC’s decision to steer clear of clichéd makeover tropes and instead embrace the character’s individuality marks a refreshing change in period drama storytelling.
Meanwhile, the BBC’s contemporary drama The Capture made its long-awaited return on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, nearly four years after its second season concluded in August 2022. The series, which delves into the murky world of deepfake technology and government surveillance, sees Holliday Grainger reprising her role as Rachel Carey. This season picks up a year after Carey’s explosive broadcast of a live deepfake that exposed the UK intelligence service’s clandestine video manipulation program, known as Correction.
Grainger, now 37 and hailing from Didsbury, Manchester, has been acting since the age of six. She left the University of Leeds to pursue her passion full time, a decision that’s paid off with a string of acclaimed roles in both film and television. Her credits include Jane Eyre, Cinderella, Great Expectations, The Riot, and notable TV turns in The Borgias and Strike. In The Capture’s third season, Grainger’s character has risen to Acting Commander of Counter Terrorism, but as she told Everything Gossip, the new episodes explore what happens when her "strong moral compass" begins to fracture under mounting pressure. "She believes her integrity is intact but series three explores what happens when those morals begin to fracture," Grainger said.
The ensemble cast for this season is as impressive as ever, with returning stars Paapa Essiedu (Isaac Turner), Ginny Holder (DI Nadia Latif), Ron Perlman (CIA agent Frank Napier), Indira Varma, Ben Miles, Lia Williams, Andy Nyman, Nigel Lindsay, Tessa Wong, and Daisy Waterstone. New faces include Killian Scott, Joe Dempsie, Andrew Buchan, Hugh Quarshie, Amanda Drew, Linus Roache, and Jonathan Aris. The show’s focus on the dangers and ethical dilemmas of digital manipulation resonates strongly in today’s world, where technology’s reach often outpaces regulation and public understanding.
Grainger’s star turn in The Capture is only one facet of her diverse career. Fans of British period drama may also remember her as Lady Constance Chatterley in the 2015 adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, filmed mainly in the lush landscapes of South Wales. The production, which also starred Richard Madden and James Norton, is now streaming for free on Channel 4 and U. Set in the English Midlands at the fictional Wragby Hall, the drama explores the forbidden romance between Lady Chatterley and her husband’s gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors. The film has been lauded by viewers for its emotional depth and the palpable chemistry between Grainger and Madden—one IMDb user gushed, "The on-screen chemistry between Lady Chatterley and Mellors... had me hooked from their very first meeting. I found myself willing them to be together and was almost brought to tears on numerous occasions in the last 40 or so minutes of the show."
Grainger’s ability to move seamlessly between genres—from the high-stakes intrigue of The Capture to the heart-wrenching romance of Lady Chatterley’s Lover—has cemented her status as one of Britain’s most versatile actresses. Off screen, she keeps her personal life relatively private, although it’s known she’s in a relationship with fellow actor Harry Treadaway, with whom she welcomed twins in 2021.
As both The Other Bennet Sister and The Capture continue to captivate audiences, the BBC’s spring lineup underscores the enduring appeal of both classic and contemporary storytelling. Whether you’re drawn to the quiet resilience of Mary Bennet or the modern-day moral quandaries faced by Rachel Carey, there’s no shortage of drama—and heart—on offer this season.
For viewers eager for compelling characters and thought-provoking plots, the BBC’s latest offerings are delivering in spades, making Sunday nights a must-watch event for fans of British television.