THE BBC’s new drama about the Brontë sisters, filmed in Haworth, will be screened on December 29 at 9pm.

To Walk Invisible, penned by leading screenwriter Sally Wainwright, is one of BBC1’s flagship programmes for the Christmas and New Year period.

The air date for the 90-minute film was revealed this week by the BBC after previous revelations simply that it would be screened in December.

Haworth residents waited with bated breath since the summer, when Main Street was returned to its rundown 1800s look for location filming.

Stars of the drama, who include renowned Wolf Hall actor Jonathan Pryce, mingled with villagers serving as extras in period costume.

The BBC built a life-size replica of the Haworth Parsonage and neighbouring graveyard on Penistone Hill for further location filming.

Indoor filming was carried out in Manchester, on a set painstakingly created with advice on historical accuracy from Brontë Parsonage Museum staff.

Sally Wainwright, writer of popular contemporary dramas like Happy Valley and Last Tango In Halifax, said she had tried to make To Walk Invisible feel as authentic as it could.

She said: “When people watch it I want them to feel that they are transported back in time. It’s not a chocolate box world and I hope it does reflect the real world that they lived in.this

“The primary aim of To Walk Invisible is to entertain people, for people to engage with it as drama and to enjoy it. I hope people will want to go away and know more about the Brontës, read their novels and read Emily’s poetry.

“What’s interesting about the story to a contemporary audience is the domestic situation of the three Brontë sisters.

“The family are living with the alcoholic Branwell, who was very ill. It started in 1845 and goes through to 1848 when he died. The story is really about these three women living with an alcoholic brother and how they start trying to publish."

Jonathan Pryce plays the Rev Patrick Brontë, with Chloe Pirrie, Finn Atkins, Charlie Murphy and Adam Nagaitis playing the Brontë siblings.

Pryce said that even without the Brontë name, To Walk Invisible would still be an exciting and relevant drama.

“Sally focuses on the tensions among the family; it’s about a family who happen to be called Brontë and happen to be very successful authors. It’s not all sweetness and light, it’s quite dark and troubled.”