Step aside, Mr. Darcy.
A new “Pride and Prejudice” spinoff, “The Other Bennet Sister,” has become one of the most viewed BBC shows in the UK over the past year, but that doesn’t mean the star’s of the show are feeling the impact in their real life.
Series star Laurie Davidson exclusively joked to Page Six that the show’s viral popularity hasn’t changed his life, as he’s only getting recognized “among my mom’s friends.”
Davidson, 34, quipped, “I don’t think things have changed, it’s not like I’m walking down the street and taxi drivers shout [commentary about the show]. Maybe that’ll happen!”
Based on a novel by Janice Hadlow, “The Other Bennet Sister” — which is streaming now on BritBox — follows Elizabeth Bennet’s sister Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) after the events of “Pride and Prejudice.”
With all four of her siblings married off, Mary goes on her own adventure to London, and ends up in a love triangle with the earnest Tom Hayward (Donal Finn) and the cheerful William Ryder (Davidson).
Finn, 30, exclusively told Page Six that since they play Austen heroes, they wanted to “reward” fans with classic Darcy style moments.
He noted iconic moments such as Matthew Macfadyen’s famous hand flex in the 2005 version “Pride & Prejudice” and Colin Firth’s famous wet shirt scene, as he steps out of a lake in the 1995 BBC miniseries.
He explained that the show was “aware of what’s come before,” and they wanted to “pay homage to those moments” without feeling “overly landed on” and “getting carried away” by doing too many tributes to past “Pride and Prejudice” movies.
Finn noted that the characters aren’t “aware” that they’e in the middle of a “cinematically iconic moment,” so he was focused on playing the “truth” of the scene,” and then audiences “can put on it what they wish.”
The “Young Sherlock” actor said what he likes about “The Other Bennet Sister” is that Mary is an unlikely protagonist.
“The Other Bennet Sister” is now streaming on BritBox.