‘Call the Midwife’ writer’s new BBC adaptation of ‘Little Women’ will air this Christmas

The BBC’s new TV adaptation of Little Women is arriving sooner than we expected.

The new mini-series began filming in Ireland in July, from the makers of the makers of Wolf Hall and the executive producer of Downton Abbey.

The three one-hour episodes will air on BBC One in the UK this Christmas.

American author Louisa May Alcott’s classic 1868 novel has been adapted for television by Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas.

The all-star cast includes Emily Watson (The Theory of Everything) as Marmee, Dame Angela Lansbury (Murder She Wrote) as Aunt March, Michael Gambon (Harry Potter) as their neighbour Mr. Laurence and Jonah Hauer-King as Laurie Laurence, alongside Maya Hawke, Willa Fitzgerald, Annes Elwy and Kathryn Newton as the iconic March sisters.

The official synopsis reads: “Set against the backdrop of a country divided, the story follows the four March sisters: Jo (Maya Hawke), Meg (Willa Fitzgerald), Beth (Annes Elwy), and Amy (Kathryn Newton) on their journey from childhood to adulthood while their father (Dylan Baker) is away at war.

“Under the guidance of their mother Marmee (Emily Watson), the girls navigate what it means to be a young woman: from gender roles to sibling rivalry, first love, loss and marriage.

“Accompanied by the charming boy next door Laurie Laurence (Jonah Hauer-King), their cantankerous wealthy Aunt March (Angela Lansbury) and benevolent neighbour Mr. Laurence (Michael Gambon), Little Women is a coming of age story that is as relevant and engaging today as it was on its original publication in 1868.”

A co-production with Masterpiece on PBS, Little Women will air in the US on PBS in 2018.