The Bridgerton’s are coming, and the release date announcement from Netflix has set the Internet on fire.
We couldn’t be more excited for this show, both as readers of Julia Quinn’s books and fans of period television shows. Here is a list of what we’re looking forward to the most for the series.
The Cast
Hey, guess what, producers? Bridgerton proves that a diverse cast can exist in a period piece. We hope that future shows take note when casting. The photos released have us hyped to see this cast in action.
The men of the series look mighty fine in their costumes. We are ready to swoon over some hot dukes, viscounts, and nobles of all sorts. The Bridgerton brothers are all super dishy, but we CANNOT get over just how hot Regé-Jean Page looks as Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Seriously, it’s a guarantee that he will send all those regency ladies into a swoon. You may recognize him from the canceled-too-soon show For the People.
We would be remiss to not mention, however, that the top casting win for this show is clearly Julie Andrews, who was brought in to voice the Lady Whistledown gossip column. That is reason enough to watch this show.
And we need to take a moment to talk about how excited we are to see Derry Girls’ Nicola Coughlan in this cast. She is lovely and funny, and we couldn’t think of anyone better to trust with our beloved Penelope Featherington (the best character in the entire book series, no arguments allowed).
The Romance
Look, 2020 has been a shit show, and we deserve to be transported into a world of romance and happily ever afters. While the show won’t have time in the episodes it has to tackle all eight books in the series (hello future seasons), we are looking forward to losing ourselves in grand society balls, stolen moments, sexy trysts in the garden, scandalous gossip, matchmaking mamas, and more.
Our shipping hearts are ready. Bring it on.
We are absolutely here for reformed rakes losing their mind over sassy ladies who have no time for their nonsense (but secretly into it). The first book features Simon (mentioned above) and the eldest Bridgerton daughter, Daphne. And judging from the photos, we will see their story in season 1. We can’t wait to see the two of them flirt and fight their attraction for each other. We are here for all of it.
The Costumes
A running thread in the books is that the Featherington family goes above and beyond with the colorful dresses to stand out at society’s functions (much to Penelope’s horror), but the pictures teased by Netflix made it a reality for fans.
Beyond just that family, we can’t wait to see all the beautiful gowns and pageantry of a time long past, and to hear Lady Whistledown’s commentary on all of the looks, of course.
The Hype
Romancelandia readers have for decades dealt with naysayers who speak ill of our genre (because it’s mostly written by and for women, but that’s an issue to discuss another day). When the Bridgerton announcement came on Twitter, we all lost our collective minds in joy. Bridgerton and #thebridgertonsarecoming trended all day.
Romance readers have seen some of their favorite series being picked up by Netflix, not only through Bridgerton, but with Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias. We’re here for it, and to see others discover our beloved characters and stories for the first time too.
And if these series continue to be full of hype – we will not complain if Netflix and other streaming platforms decide to produce some of our other faves.
Lady Whistledown
Navigating the ton can be confusing for anyone, but thankfully we will have Lady Whistledown to guide us. Julie Andrews will provide the voice of the character, who publishes a paper spilling the truth tea on the rich and famous in the series.
We get to hear her dish the dirt. The best part will be watching newbies to the series try to figure out her identity. Book readers know, but our lips are sealed!
Relationships
While we are excited about the romantic ships, the friendships in the Bridgerton book series are some of our favorites. We can’t wait to see them play out on screen. Penelope and Eloise are friendship goals.
The strong bonds within the Bridgerton family are what drives some of the sweetest moments in the books. We can’t wait to see the brothers interact on screen. Not to mention, the youngest ones of the bunch driving the older siblings mad. And Violet Bridgerton is the mother figure we all wish we had.
While Bridgerton is a show about romance, its also about the love of family and friends.
Bridgerton premieres Christmas Day on Netflix.
