News Broadcasting
BBC to make new adaptation of the Bronte classic ‘Jane Eyre’
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster BBC will make a new mini series of the classic Charlotte Bronte novel Jane Eyre. This will air on BBC One.
The serial stars Francesca Annis as Lady Ingram, Christina Cole as Blanche Ingram, Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs Fairfax, Pam Ferris as Grace Poole and Tara Fitzgerald as Mrs Reed.
Georgie Henley, who recently starred in The Chronicles of Narnia plays young Jane while Aidan McArdle plays the visionary John Eshton.
BBC drama commissioning controller Jane Tranter says, “Sandy Welch’s wonderful version of Jane Eyre for BBC One will add that special ingredient to the mix of dramas due for transmission this autumn.”
The BBC adds that the sustainability and appeal of Jane Eyre lies in her universality and the audience’s appetite for a well-told romantic tale. Orphaned at a young age, Jane (Ruth Wilson) is placed with her wealthy aunt Mrs Reed (Tara Fitzgerald) who neglects Jane in favour of her own three spoiled children.
Mrs Reed’s spitefulness leads her to withhold news that could change Jane’s life for the better. Instead she brands her a liar and sends Jane to Lowood School where she remains until the age of 19. When she finally leaves the dark memories of Lowood behind, she embarks on a career as a governess and her first position is at Thornfield Hall, the home of the alluring and unpredictable Edward Rochester. Jane’s journey into the world and as a woman begins.
The mini series producer Diederick Santer adds, “In her brand new adaptation of Jane Eyre, Sandy Welch has mined Bronte’s novel for every ounce of passion, drama, colour, madness and horror available, bringing to life Jane’s inner world with beauty, humour and at times great sadness.
“The locations we have chosen are stormy and majestic and I hope that Sandy’s original take on the story will be enjoyed as much by long-term fans of the book as by those who have never read it.”
Filming is underway until June at the historical medieval castle Haddon Hall, owned by Lord Edward Manners, and other locations across Derbyshire.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI:Â Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
