The series is an adaptation by Andrea Gibb of the novel Miss Austen by Gill Hornby, imagining the life of Jane Austen's sister Cassandra.

Filming for the four-part series got underway in November 2023.

Keeley Hawes not only stars as Cassandra Austen but also serves as an executive producer on the series.

A sequel series titled Miss Austen Returns entered pre-production in June 2025, with Keeley Hawes set to reprise her role as Cassandra Austen and key cast members returning; it will adapt Gill Hornby's follow-up novel The Elopement.

The BBC acquired the UK broadcast rights to the series in December 2023, ahead of its premiere on BBC One and iPlayer on 2 February 2025.

The series later aired in the United States on Masterpiece on PBS starting 4 May 2025.

In The New York Times, Shivani Gonzalez noted that although the characters are based on real people from Austen's life, the actual storylines depicted are mostly fictional.

Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded the series four stars and specifically praised Keeley Hawes's performance.

Director Aisling Walsh received a nomination for Best Director at the Irish Film & Television Awards in January 2026.