How To Watch Miss Austen Online
| Premiered: Sunday, February 8 |
| Channel: BBC One |
| Free Stream: Watch all 4 episodes on BBC iPlayer now (UK) |
| International Stream: PBS (US, May 4) |
| Watch anywhere: Stream from anywhere with NordVPN |
Watch Miss Austen: Synopsis
Based on the novel of the same name by Gill Hornby, this PBS Masterpiece produced adaptation tells the story of Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra, and the true-life mystery of why she burned Jane's personal letters following her death. Streaming already in the UK and airing later in the States, here's how to watch Miss Austen online and for free from anywhere with the help of a VPN.
Of the thousands of letters that Jane Austen wrote, only 160 remain, the motives of Cassandra often debated. Keeley Hawes (The Durrells, Line of Duty, It's a Sin) portrays Cassandra in 1830 – 13 years after Jane's death – returning to a place the sisters spent much time in their childhood, Kintbury. Tending to the deathbed of Rev Fulwar Fowle (Felix Scott), Cassandra must also seek out the letters to conceal her late sister's innermost thoughts.
The story is part told through flashbacks as an older Cassandra reads over the letters penned by her sister, following as a young Jane (Patsy Ferran) and Cassy (Synnøve Karlsen) share a friendship with the Fowle family, including Eliza (Madeleine Walker), who is married to Fulwar Fowle and whom she has three daughters with: Mary-Jane, Beth, and Isabella (Rose Leslie, Game of Thrones). Through an alternative perspective, we see the rise of a woman now deemed a literary great, and the ends her sister will go to protect the family's reputation and, indeed, the sister she survived.
In turn, we see in the present as Cassandra becomes embroiled in the fate of Eliza's daughter Isabella, who finds herself in much the same position as many of Jane Austen's characters. Of course, it is the worst circumstance a woman of that time can find herself: unmarried.
Fiercely literary, this is one for dedicated fans of Jane Austen, and likely one of many titles released this year to honor the novelist, with 2025 marking 250 years since Jane Austen's birth. Available to stream now from start to finish, here's how to watch Miss Austen online from anywhere.
How to watch Miss Austen online in the UK for free
All episodes of Miss Austen dropped on BBC iPlayer ahead of its linear premiere on BBC One on February 2. The remaining three episodes will air on Sundays until the finale on February 23. Alternatively, you can stream all episodes on BBC iPlayer right now.
BBC iPlayer, the BBC’s online platform, is 100% free to use. Simply go ahead and sign-up for a BBC iPlayer account. All you need is an email address and a UK postcode (e.g. W12 7FA) and a valid TV licence.
Abroad? Use a VPN using the instructions below to access BBC iPlayer like you would at home.
How to watch Miss Austen online from anywhere
If you're a UK citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch Miss Austen online just as you would at home.
While services like BBC iPlayer block access from IP addresses outside of the UK, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN that can change your IP address, allowing you to watch UK TV online by making it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
For example, UK citizens overseas can subscribe to a VPN, join a UK-based server and access their subscription from anywhere in the world, just like they would back home.
Step-by-step of using a VPN to unblock:
1. Choose your ideal VPN and install – our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN.
2. Connect to a server - for BBC iPlayer, for example, you'll want to connect to a server based in the UK
3. Go to the live stream you wish to access - for Miss Austen, head to BBC iPlayer
How to watch Miss Austen online free in the US
Viewers in North America will need to wait to watch Miss Austen, with the episodes airing on Masterpiece on PBS from May 4.
Thereafter, you'll be able to watch 100% free to stream via the website or PBS app. Viewers can access PBS on the following devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android phones, iPhones, iPads, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, and Android TV.
A Brit abroad after your free stream at home? Use a VPN to port yourself back.
How to watch Miss Austen online in Canada
Those in Canada can also watch Miss Austen via the PBS website – at least, in those regions of the Great North where the service is available, though you'll need to wait, much like the US, until May 4.
Currently out of the country? Simply download a VPN to connect to BBC iPlayer or your regional streaming service, regardless of where you’re located.
Can I Watch Miss Austen online in Australia?
There is no confirmation yet of a streaming service getting the rights to Miss Austen in Australia. We will update this page if and when we know more.
NB: If you’re away from home and want to connect to your preferred streaming service, purchase a VPN and watch Miss Austen online from wherever you happen to be.
Miss Austen Trailer
Miss Austen Episode Release Schedule
All episodes were made available on BBC iPlayer at 6am GMT on February 2 prior to its premiere on BBC One at 9pm GMT on the same day. Subsequent episodes will get a linear release every Sunday following the below schedule.
- Miss Austen – Episode 1: Sunday, February 2
- Miss Austen – Episode 2: Sunday, February 9
- Miss Austen – Episode 3: Sunday, February 16
- Miss Austen – Episode 4: Sunday, February 23
Who Is In The Cast Of Miss Austen?
- Keeley Hawes as Cassandra Austen
- Jessica Hynes as Mary Austen
- Patsy Ferran as Jane Austen
- Rose Leslie as Isabella Fowle
- Mirren Mack as Dinah
- Phyllis Logan as Mrs Cassandra Austen
- Kevin McNally as George Austen
- Max Irons as Henry Hobday
- Alfred Enoch as Mr Lidderdale
- Calam Lynch as Tom Fowle
- Liv Hill as young Mary Austen
- Felix Scott as Fulwar Craven Fowle
- Madeleine Walker as Eliza Fowle
- Synnøve Karlsen as young Cassandra Austen
How Many Episodes Of Miss Austen Are There?
Miss Austen is a four-part period drama adapted from the Gill Hornby novel of the same name. The BBC series explores the relationship between Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra Austen.
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