Hawes and Miss Austen author Gill Hornby spoke with Radio Times magazine about the new BBC period drama.

Miss Austen is a period drama with a difference, telling the real-life story of Jane Austen's lesser-known sister

The four-part series is set in 1830, many years after the death of Jane Austen (Patsy Ferran) and follows her sister Cassandra Austen (played by Keeley Hawes) as she helps her niece Isabella Fowle (Rose Leslie) settle her father’s estate in the wake of his death.

Our cover story this week is about Miss Austen - not the celebrated Jane, but her older sister, Cassandra. Any TV or film adaptation of one of Jane Austen's six novels will always attract a huge audience. However this BBC series is based on a book by Gill Hornby and is much more intriguing.

Keeley Hawes is one of the main stars of the show. She is playing the role of Jane's sister Cassandra Austen. The actor shot to fame when she played Zoe Reynolds in the BBC series Spooks, and has gone on to star in Line of Duty and Bodyguard. She is married to fellow actor Matthew Macfadyen.

Here, Keeley Hawes and Jessica Hynes reveal what to expect from Miss Austen ….

What did you miss? BBC viewers have been sharing their love for new Keeley Hawes period drama Miss Austen, calling it "absolute gold". The BBC One Sunday night series adapts Gill Hornby's book which explores the bond between Jane Austen and her elder sister Cassandra.

Fans of the writer are sure to enjoy this gentle and charming period drama - but I'm not sure it'll spawn any new readers

The BBC's new period drama Miss Austen is careful and considerate in its storytelling.

Everything you need to know about the upcoming period drama, based on Gill Hornby’s novel ‘Miss Austen’, starring Keeley Hawes.

Based on Gill Hornby’s novel of the same name, Miss Austen takes this real-life incident and reimagines it as a fascinating story of sisterly love, where Cassandra emerges as an Austen heroine in her own right.