As a self-confessed Jane Austen fan since the age of 15, who adores her novels, even I’m getting tired of the countless adaptations of her novels.

After hearing the news that Netflix is going to be remaking Pride and Prejudice for a new generation, I have my reservations. All the more so after the streamer’s disastrous iteration of Persuasion, featuring a Fleabag-esque twist that turned the beloved Anne Elliot (played by Dakota Johnson) from a stoic and considered character into a wine-swilling heroine throwing smirks and wry asides as she broke the fourth wall.

Although the initial teaser for the forthcoming Pride and Prejudice film appears to fall into a more traditional adaptation vein, it somehow feels flat. I will reserve judgement until the show lands, but we’ve already had two sterling adaptations in the form of the BBC’s immortal 1995 series with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, which has been seared into pop culture thanks in part to the Bridget Jones franchise, and Joe Wright’s gorgeous, if lacking, 2005 edition with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.

But it’s not just Netflix’s Pride and Prejudice; there’s also a Sense and Sensibility remake in the works, heading to cinemas near you later this year. It comes after Emma Thompson’s Oscar-winning 1995 adaptation and the BBC’s 2008 mini-series. With all of this in mind, perhaps it’s time to do something different and tell a new story?

This argument isn’t solely reserved for the world of Jane Austen remakes, it’s a wider issue across film and television as it appears studios, streamers and broadcasters are afraid to take risks with original stories in fear of not hitting the bottom line. They are plumping for remakes, knowing of the existing and loyal fanbase that will lap it up, even if not said remake barely relates to the original source material - I’m looking squarely at you “Wuthering Heights”.

This is why I’ve been enthralled by the BBC’s The Other Bennet Sister. Adapted from the 2020 novel of the same name by Janice Hadlow. While it does feature the events from Pride and Prejudice in part, it also gives a different take on this beloved story from the perspective of the book’s most overlooked sister Mary Bennet (Ella Bruccoleri). Pride and Prejudice is merely a jumping off point for Mary’s story and it feels fresh delving into a different character from the same world.

Call the Midwife star Bruccoleri is enchanting as the unlikely heroine of this story, given she is so painfully aware she doesn’t hold the looks or wit of her elder siblings, and yet her sharp mind allows her to shine in ways that her Longbourn life didn’t. You’ve got the sumptuous costumes and impressive cast - Richard E. Grant, Ruth Jones and Indira Varma are fabulous as Mr and Mrs Bennet and Mrs Gardiner, respectively. Even if it might be considered Austen fan fiction, it’s an exciting new tale.

Last year’s Miss Austen was another glorious example. The BBC and PBS piece based on Gill Hornby’s eponymous 2020 novel is going to be returning for another series and I can’t wait. Miss Austen steered away from remakes, giving audiences a new story that had echoes of Persuasion and was very much in the spirit of Austen’s works.

Austen’s body of work is rich with characters and ready to be explored further. Alongside existing Austenites, the phenomenal global success of Regency period drama Bridgerton, means that there’s more than enough interest for something new. So, please, can we have more of these stories, ones that give us fresh insight rather than resorting to another tired remake?

The Other Bennet Sister is streaming on the BBC iPlayer now