‘Bridgerton’ Premiered 2 Years Ago Today and Changed Netflix for the Better
It’s been two years since the first season of Bridgerton premiered on Netflix and changed the streaming world forever. Based on the novels by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton quickly rose to Netflix’s top 10 and held its spot for quite some time. With its modern take on early 19th-century romance, Bridgerton revamped the period drama, making way for a whole new wave of fans.
‘Bridgerton’ broke streaming records when it premiered on Netflix in 2020
Bridgerton premiered on Netflix in December 2020. The sexy period drama follows the powerful Bridgerton family as each sibling embarks on their individual quest for love. Season 1 was based on Julia Quinn’s novel The Duke and I and followed Daphne Bridgerton’s romance with the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset.
The series quickly destroyed Netflix’s previous streaming records. According to Deadline, season 1 of Bridgerton was watched by a record “82 million households around the world (partially or in its entirety.)” The show’s success far succeeded Netflix’s expectations and quickly earned a renewal for season 2.
Bridgerton Season 2 followed Anthony Bridgerton’s complicated romance with Kate Sharma following his engagement to her younger sister Edwina. Both seasons of Bridgerton remain in the top 10 of Netflix’s most popular series in history. Season 1 amassed 625 million hours viewed in its first 28 days on the streaming service. Season 2 followed up with 656 million.
‘Bridgerton’ made way for a new era of period dramas
Not only did Bridgerton shatter Netflix records, but it also revamped the period drama and paved the way for similar series on the streaming service. Bridgerton added a sexy new twist to the genre. The TV adaptation features some of the most incredibly stunning costumes and styles. Modern music snuck its way in with instrumental covers, and of course, the show features some very attractive actors and notably steamy scenes.
“This allows new audiences to be pulled into a fantasy, with the history acting as a backdrop for a new age of fandoms and sexy/strong/lead icons,” Dr. Emma Butcher, a Lecturer in 19th-Century Literature at King’s College London, explained to Cosmopolitan.
Additionally, Bridgerton put female desires front and center. “Period drama is one of the few genres of television which isn’t centered on the male gaze and doesn’t objectify its female characters,” Dr. Kate Byrne, a Lecturer in English at Ulster University, told the outlet. “Instead, it is the male lead who the camera lingers lovingly on: the women are important as characters, but it is the men who are the main objects of lust.”
‘Bridgerton’ could continue for eight seasons
Bridgerton will return for a third season focusing on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s love story. However, there is potential for the series to continue for many years to come.
“This being a family of eight children and there being eight books, I would love to be able to focus and really tell stories and love stories for all the Bridgerton siblings,” former showrunner Chris Van Dusen said in a 2020 interview with Collider. “For each character, for sure.”
When asked outright if he wanted eight seasons for the series, Van Dusen responded, “I would love that. In success, I would love that.” Although Jess Brownell took over as showrunner for season 3, eight seasons still appears to be the goal. For a Netflix series, continuing for eight seasons is almost unheard of, but Bridgerton is already changing the game.
All episodes of Bridgerton are currently streaming on Netflix.
