Bridgerton (2020-)

[Hollywood Heidi]

Bridgerton

Premiered: December 25, 2020

Network: Netflix

Genres: Drama, Romance

Cast: Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter, Florence Hunt

Synopsis: Wealth, lust, and betrayal set in the backdrop of Regency era England, seen through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family. Based on the popular Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. The main characters are named A-H in birth order: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Book 1, The Duke and I, is the focus of season 1 and features Daphne and Simon's story. (from IMDb)

Trailer:

[Hollywood Heidi]

Seeing as I'm not the only one obsessed with this show now, I decided to create a thread for it! I did read most of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn more than a decade ago, so while my memory is very hazy, I do remember little bits here and there.

There are tons of romance writers, but Julia Quinn has always been one of my favorite authors. Her characters are rich and the chemistry between the leads is so great! Her books are also really funny with the leads cleverly and very entertainingly bantering.


All the actors were great and Julie Andrews narrating Lady Whistledown's gossip column was so great!  I loved watching the leads and their really great chemistry and it was fun trying to guess who, exactly, is this "Lady Whistledown"?  Obviously not a real name of a person, but someone who is able to overhear and learn about the goings-on of the upper class.

I'd read on IMDb that it was renewed before it even aired.  Usually IMDb is pretty reliable, but searching the interwebs, I'm seeing that it's not official.  All the articles, however, are saying it's looking really good as people are obsessed and raving.

Season 1 was based off the first book, "The Duke and I" and followed the story of Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset.  They come up with a plan to pretend to form an attachment.  For Simon, who doesn't want to marry, it will keep the mothers anxiously pushing their daughters at him off his back.  For Daphne, it'll help attract suitors of higher status to see she's gained the interest of a Duke and keep her brother, the man of the family, from pushing her into a loveless marriage with this gross older man of their same status.  Well, I think we all know how that's gonna turn out.   Their chemistry is amazing and spending all that time together just grows the attraction, of course:

---

Now if this gets renewed, I'm assuming they're going to follow the order of the books and that season 2 will be based on the second book in the Bridgerton series.  That would be "The Viscount Who Loved Me" which is centered around Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sheffield.  We didn't get to see Kate yet in the show!  You can find the synopsis of all these books online, so I'm not gonna make more of a monster out of this post by copying and pasting all that!

---

Season 3 would be book three, "An Offer from a Gentleman" which is Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beckett's story.  We have yet to meet Sophie!

---

Season 4 would be book four, "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton" which is Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington's story!  We saw in season 1 how the sweet, kind hearted Pen (the one in center of the pic below of the Featherington daughters) has already been in love with Colin for some time.

 

---

Season 5 would be book five, "To Sir Phillip, With Love" which is Eloise Bridgerton and Sir Phillip Crane's story.  We have yet to meet Phillip and probably won't until her actual season, based on what the story is about.  CORRECTION!  We DID meet Phillip!  He's the brother of Marina's love who had died and who offered to marry her.  Marina decided to accept and left with him at the end of the first season.  You can read the synopsis of this book to get a clear picture of how he and Eloise end up together.   Speaking of pictures, I can't find one of him online!  But I found one of them posing together out of character.  There also a couple adorbs ones of them hamming it up, but they're dark, grainy shots.

---

The rest of the books are extended Bridgerton family members that I'm not sure the show is going to get to and the last two much younger siblings which are books that take place years later.

[Hollywood Heidi]

I fixed up the information on the 5th book and added a picture of Phillip. We did see him in the finale! I heard them call him Phillip and wondered, but recalling the books, I don't think we ever saw him at all til book 5.

I've been wandering around the interwebs and talk of renewal is pretty strong! There's even some plot talk about it being Anthony's story but also starting to touch on Eloise's story. I wonder if they plan to not keep each book its own season. Kinda hope they do! But I don't mind them playing around with the start of the other Bridgerton siblings' storylines as a background/secondary story that leads into their own story!

[Ariel]

This show was amazing!!
I had never heard of the show or the books until Heidi mentioned them, so thank you Miss Heidi for finding my newest obsession ! The whole cast was great and I really loved the storyline. The writing was so refreshing and loved every twist and turn (especially the one at the end.). My favorite characters were Anthony, Simon and Eloise. Simon's backstory definitely almost made me emotional but I am happy with his outcome in the show by the end of the first season. Eloise was so adorable, I loved her spunk and how determined she is to break the norms of their society. Anthony was the first character I noticed and I absolutely loved him! His choices for Daphne were questionable, but his intentions were always good and you could tell he was just trying to do the right thing for his sister and family. I really didn't like the Opera singer and Nigel (freaking Nigel!!!) but I can appreciate a show's actors that do their job really well. Also, Freddie Stroma who plays the Prince in the show also portrayed Cormac McLaggen in Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince! I felt like I knew him from somewhere but couldn't place my finger on it, always a nice surprise to see other actors from other beloved movies creep into our shows. Overall, amazing show, everyone needs to watch it NOW and I need to see what happens to Anthony! Might have read the books before season two comes out, but we shall see!

[DarkSideCookie]

I think Heidi had us all infected with a whole new virus: The Bridgerton virus! XD

I have only seen a picture on Netflix of the show before Heidi had mentioned it being great. Thought it wouldn't be my thing, but turned out it totally is. I so can't wait to get another season. I need more to know about Anthony, my favorite. I also like Simon, Penelope and Elois.

I think nobody did like Nigel, lmao. Freaking Nigel!!! XD But I agree that the acting was just awesome.

I'll definitely getting me the books sometime before the next season might air.

[Hollywood Heidi]

I'm so glad that you guys watched the show! I loved it so much that I totally needed some people to gush about it with. I'm doubly glad that some of you are going to read the books! It's probably been closer to two decades since I've read them.

My wonderful minion, Nick, got me the audiobooks of the entire Bridgerton series! I've already started to listen to the first one, "The Duke and I" whilst adulting around the house. I almost thought of skipping that one since I got to see the show, but then thought how it'll probably take a couple years before we get a second season. It'll be a good time filler, plus I'll get to see the differences from the adaptations and all the details that couldn't be fit into a show. I'll also get to see Anthony and the other Bridgerton boys, plus the development of Lady Whistledown.

With my commutes, I'll probably have been able to listen to the whole damned series before we see a second season. 

GAH, I can't wait!  Not even an announcement yet that it's been renewed, but a Bridgerton craze has been sweeping the interwebs.  I'm seeing so many articles on FB and other places.  Everyone is just gushing about the show and so hungry for more!  I can't see how they WOULDN'T renew this!

I'll keep a watchful eye on any news and will be sure to post it here!

[Hollywood Heidi]

We already SQUEEE'd about this via IM, but I'm officially posting the news here.

BRIDGERTON HAS BEEN RENEWED FOR SEASON 2!!! Not too long ago, we finally got the casting news on who will be playing Anthony Bridgerton's love interest, Kate Sheffield. Simone Ashley has been cast! I've updated the pic above in my season breakdown of who would be the two leads in each movie, if they went with the same pattern of each season being dedicated to one of the Bridgerton books.

There's no set premiere date for season 2. Only that it'll be in 2022. Such a long wait!

[Hollywood Heidi]

It's also been renewed for a season 3 AND 4!! See Reply #1 above for who each season would be about, assuming they'll continue following suit with season 1 and 2.


There's also going to be a spin-off that's a flashback:

The new series will focus on the origin story of Queen Charlotte. We'll also get the backstories of Lady Danbury, the mentor of season 1's The Duke/Simon, and of a young Violet Bridgerton, mother to the eight Bridgerton siblings, and wife to the great love of her life, the late Edmund Bridgerton.
- from Entertainment Weekly

[Hollywood Heidi]

Season 2 date announcement!  March 25, 2022!

[Hollywood Heidi]

Omg, I didn’t realize there was a sneak peek clip out like 4 months ago! These two are gonna he so fun! I can’t wait! Kate and Anthony are my fav!

[Hollywood Heidi]

SQUEEE!!!

[Ariel]

Yay! We're so close! Cannot wait for next month!

[Hollywood Heidi]

AHHH!! New trailer! I am probably going to watch this 100 times before the new season is out. 😆

[Hollywood Heidi]

I absolutely LOVED season 2! I binged it all in one day! I just couldn't stop! Woke up at 4:30 a.m. after only like 4 1/2 hours sleep. Kinda stirred and was like, yah, I could totally wake up now. XD So glad I did cuz it would have been torture to have to wait to watch the rest until after marathon!

Really loved the casting of Kate. The chemistry between her and Anthony was so electric. There were several changes from the book and I have no problems with any of them. So far, in both seasons, the show has been improving on the books, which, after having relistened to them last year, didn't age that well. Or maybe it's just that I've experienced an insane amount of content since I'd listened to them decades ago that my taste has refined.

Another good thing about the changes is that it makes it not completely predictable for those who've read the books. For example, Anthony never actually proposes to Kate's sister in the books. He doesn't get to that point and there's definitely not a wedding. I was sitting on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out how TF they were going to get out of this!! Man, things were tough back then. So much concern over scandal and scandal can completely ruin your family and your standing in the community and the future of your family and their kids. Just so crazy and ridiculous how things were!

I'm so happy that romance is finally being taken seriously, particularly romance novels. I'm hoping that the popularity and success of the Bridgerton series will bring some other great romance series to the screens!

I can't wait to watch it again!! Been really wanting to, but waiting to watch with my mom. I think we'll get to start tomorrow night after our movie, but with marathon again, she's gonna have to wait a week to watch more. XD