PBS’ ‘Miss Austen’ Trailer: See Keeley Hawes, Rose Leslie & More in New Jane Austen Drama (VIDEO)

PBS Masterpiece‘s adaptation of Gill Hornby’s best-selling novel Miss Austen will tell an untold Austen story — this time, a personal one. Premiering this spring on PBS, Miss Austen is a four-part series chronicling the relationship between Cassandra Austen and her famous sister, Jane.

“Miss Austen takes a literary mystery — Cassandra Austen notoriously burning her famous sister Jane’s letters — and reimagines it as a fascinating, witty, and heartbreaking story of sisterly love, while creating in Cassandra a character as captivating as any Austen heroine,” PBS shares.

The period drama stars Keeley Hawes, Rose Leslie, Alfred Enoch, Max Irons, Phyllis Logan, and more (see the cast in the gallery below). Here, find a breakdown of everything there is to know about the Miss Austen series, including its trailer and unique release schedule.

What is Miss Austen about?

Miss Austen begins in 1830, 13 years after Jane’s death in 1817 and before Cassandra (Hawes) has burned her sister’s letters. The plot takes place in two timelines: 1830 and flashbacks to Cassandra and Jane’s youth.

Here’s the official description: “The drama begins in 1830, a while after Jane has died. Cassandra (Keeley Hawes) races to see her young friend Isabella (Rose Leslie) who is about to lose her home following her father’s death. Cassandra is ostensibly there to help her friend, but her real motive is to find a stash of private letters which, in the wrong hands, could destroy Jane’s reputation. On discovering them, Cassandra is overwhelmed as she is transported back to her youth. In flashback, we meet Young Cassy [Synnøve Karlsen] and Jane (Patsy Ferran) as they navigate the infatuations, family feuds, and dashed hopes which shaped their lives and laid the foundations for Jane’s unforgettable stories. Cassandra’s reevaluation of her past eventually leads her to realize how blind she has been to the real cause of Isabella’s heartache and distress. Finding a way to guide Isabella towards true happiness, Cassandra is finally able to understand and celebrate the sacrifices she chose to make for her brilliant sister, Jane.”

When does Miss Austen premiere on PBS?

The Miss Austen series premiere date is set for Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 9/8c on PBS, the network announced on Thursday, November 14. The four-part drama, directed by BAFTA-winning filmmaker Aisling Walsh (Maudie, Elizabeth is Missing) started filming in October 2024 in the U.K. and is produced by Stella Merz (Gentleman Jack, Renegade Nell).

Is there a Miss Austen trailer?

Yes! In the trailer above, the elder Cassandra (Hawes) is seen protecting her sister’s letters to Eliza (Madeleine Walker) after the Pride & Prejudice author’s death. Flashbacks show the tight bond between the two and the intricacies of their social lives that informed Jane’s letters. Cassandra appears determined to protect her sister’s privacy following her passing. Cassy has been known to history as the keeper of Jane’s legacy, and the burning of these letters were part of that. Miss Austen explores why she felt she needed to burn them and keep her sister’s personal life secret, as theorized in Hornby’s book of the same name.

Who is in the Miss Austen cast?

Hawes stars as the elder Cassandra with Leslie as Isabella. The younger Cassandra, called Cassy, is played by Synnøve Karlsen. Jane is played by Patsy Ferran. Enoch plays a character called Mr. Lidderdale, with Logan as Mrs. Austen and Irons as Henry Hobday. Calam Lynch, Jessica Hynes, Kevin McNally, Mirren Mack, and Liv Hill round out the cast.

Some of these casting details may please fans of Austen adaptations. Hawes is married to Succession‘s Matthew Macfadyen, who played Mr. Darcy in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The series also marks a reunion for Downton Abbey stars Logan and Leslie, who played Mrs. Hughes and Gwen Dawson in the Masterpiece drama, respectively.

When do episodes of Miss Austen come out?

The third and fourth episodes of Miss Austen will air back-to-back on PBS, which means that the four total episodes will come out over the course of just three weeks this May. Here’s the Miss Austen release schedule along with episode descriptions provided by PBS:

Episode 1: Sunday, May 4, 9/8c

Why is Cassandra Austen determined to find the letters her sister Jane wrote to her friend Eliza?

Episode 2: Sunday, May 11, 9/8c

As Cassandra falls ill, her mind is flooded with memories of difficult times.

Episode 3: Sunday, May 18, 9/8c

Through her fevered delirium, Cassandra guards Jane’s letters from her sister-in-law, Mary Austen.

Episode 4: Sunday, May 18, 10/9c

Cassandra takes a final step to protect Jane’s legacy.

See the stars of Miss Austen in the gallery below.

Miss Austen, Series Premiere, Sunday, May 4, 9/8c, PBS