Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines

[DearEvette]

I think it is more than likely.  According to Netflix twitter:

 

[Door County Cherry]

I know the way they gather their stats is pretty eye roll worthy but I do think Netflix is probably one of the few services that knows that women will make them money.  They bought Emily in Paris, and ordered shows like Virgin River to series.  

[DearEvette]

They are usually closemouthed about specifics unless the numbers are big, then they'll make a point to announce it.  They did the same thing with 'You' and 'The Witcher'

[ebk57]

A nice interview with Rege-Jean Page on All Things Considered today:

 

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/04/953314526/rege-jean-page-on-redefining-regency-era-masculinity-in-bridgerton

 

[Growsonwalls]

There's a video of Rege Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor practicing waltzing:

 

[Scarlett45]

Frock Flicks made a post about the costuming if anyone is interested. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The costumes of Bridgerton:

Behind the scenes with the cast and crew:

Bridgerton cast guesses Regency slang

 

[bijoux]

Mashable's A very serious ranking of all your 'Bridgerton' crushes

Whether you agree with the rankings is beside the point, really, because the pros and cons are uniformly hilarious. 

Topping the hilarity is the fact that Jamie Beamish, aka Lord Berbrooke, shated it thusly:

[peachmangosteen]

That ranking is terrible lol.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

Ha, Jamie Beamish kind of reminds me of how people reacted to seeing what the actor who played Ossie Whitworth on Poldark, Christian Brassington, looked like IRL. Make up can do wonders to make decent-looking actors look badly.

Re that video on Regency slang - I obviously read too many Regency novels because I knew all of them but can we take a moment to marvel at Rege-Jean Page's accent there at the end? Flawless. 

[iwantcookies]

I’m very certain season 2 will happen. 
 

The waltz video is nice. I got 24 left feet so I’m impressed.

[ouinason]

That mashable list is indeed hysterical.  

I like Anthony's a lot

Pros: deeply angry in a way that will prove beneficial during sex
Cons: cares about a woman’s honor unless he’s sleeping with her

[bijoux]

I recommend the Regency slang video for ‘Regency fuckboi’ alone. I’ll never be able to read that type of character without this popping to mind. Well executed, Sir. 👏

[ElectricBoogaloo]

17 hours ago, bijoux said:

I recommend the Regency slang video for ‘Regency fuckboi’ alone. I’ll never be able to read that type of character without this popping to mind. Well executed, Sir. 👏

Just for you:

[cailinoBAC]

 

[Harvey]

I like the style of the write-up they made for the announcement. Very on point.

 

[Door County Cherry]

That was a foregone conclusion but now I'm looking forward to getting casting news. 

[TheOtherOne]

https://tvline.com/2021/01/21/bridgerton-season-2-spoilers-lord-anthony-new-love-interest/

Quote

 

“We’re really going to be [focusing on] the eldest Bridgerton brother next season, Lord Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey,” Van Dusen revealed Thursday on the Today show. “We left him at the end of the first season at a bit of a crossroads, so I’m looking forward to jumping in and discovering how he fares on the marriage market.”

He apparently will fare well since Van Dusen went on to add that the series will be introducing “a bunch of new characters” in Season 2, including a new “love interest” for the nuptial-minded Lord Anthony. The EP remained confident that this new love story will be as “sweeping and moving and beautiful” as Season 1’s central romance between Regé-Jean Page’s Simon and Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne.

Speaking of the Duke and Duchess of Hastings, Van Dusen would not confirm whether Page and Dynevor will be returning for Season 2. “I hope so,” he hedged. “They are the Duke and Duchess now, but in my mind they will always be Bridgertons, and I think they will always be a part of the show.”

 

The last bit is what I found most interesting, because a TV show is very different from a romance novel series, where the main couple from one book moves into the background of subsequent books as other couples' stories are told. In a TV series, lead actors generally don't want to become supporting characters, and it would be expensive to keep them on contract to just do brief cameos and pop-ins like they would in a romance novel series. To stay a large part of the show, they'd need story, which likely means conflict, and most viewers who read the books won't want to see anything that tests Simon and Daphne's happy ending (just look at some of the reaction to the changes to some of the other characters to inject more conflict and drama, which was necessary for a TV show). It will be very interesting to see to what degree the characters are involved in the future.

 

Edited January 21, 2021 by TheOtherOne

[Harvey]

13 minutes ago, TheOtherOne said:

https://tvline.com/2021/01/21/bridgerton-season-2-spoilers-lord-anthony-new-love-interest/

The last bit is what I found most interesting, because a TV show is very different from a romance novel series, where the main couple from one book moves into the background of subsequent books as other couples' stories are told. In a TV series, lead actors generally don't want to become supporting characters, and it would be expensive to keep them on contract to just do brief cameos and pop-ins like they would in a romance novel series. To stay a large part of the show, they'd need story, which likely means conflict, and most viewers who read the books won't want to see anything that tests Simon and Daphne's happy ending (just look at some of the reaction to the changes to some of the other characters to inject more conflict and drama, which was necessary for a TV show). It will be very interesting to see to what degree the characters are involved in the future.

 

The show creator said in this interview that Daphne will always be a part of the show. They will simply expand her storyline in creative ways.

 

[bijoux]

2 hours ago, Harvey said:

I like the style of the write-up they made for the announcement. Very on point.

 

I've said it before, but it bears repeating, this show's promotion is on point. 

[eleanorofaquitaine]

On 1/21/2021 at 12:03 PM, TheOtherOne said:

https://tvline.com/2021/01/21/bridgerton-season-2-spoilers-lord-anthony-new-love-interest/

The last bit is what I found most interesting, because a TV show is very different from a romance novel series, where the main couple from one book moves into the background of subsequent books as other couples' stories are told. In a TV series, lead actors generally don't want to become supporting characters, and it would be expensive to keep them on contract to just do brief cameos and pop-ins like they would in a romance novel series. To stay a large part of the show, they'd need story, which likely means conflict, and most viewers who read the books won't want to see anything that tests Simon and Daphne's happy ending (just look at some of the reaction to the changes to some of the other characters to inject more conflict and drama, which was necessary for a TV show). It will be very interesting to see to what degree the characters are involved in the future.

 

Yeah, I said something similar in one of the other threads. I think that they'll have to adopt slightly more of a soap operatic style, where even the married couples have conflicts and thus some kind of story line.

[Umbelina]

51 minutes ago, eleanorofaquitaine said:

Yeah, I said something similar in one of the other threads. I think that they'll have to adopt slightly more of a soap operatic style, where even the married couples have conflicts and thus some kind of story line.

Or, they can just increase the interaction with family members that are not the key focus of the season.  Instead of musing to oneself, talk to a sister or brother, etc.

I also think they may combine a couple of books in a season.

[ouinason]

Simon is Anthony's best friend, so having him there for a talk to, as Anthony was for Simon, is an obvious way to keep him relevant.  Maybe some other hijinks with the non center characters, as Eloise had this season, and Daph and Simon can be involved.  Show them adjusting to being parents... that kind of thing.

[Ohiopirate02]

Season one ended with a flashforward so there is room for Daphne and Simon to have some sort of story going on in season two.  Simon's daddy issues aren't going to magically go away, and it would be nice to see him work on becoming a better man and Duke.  The show did hint at the other responsibilities Simon inherited, and those could be explored.  

[Katsullivan]

I want to see more of Anthony and Simon's bromance. They're practically shippable, their chemistry is that good. I imagine happily-wedded Simon and bride-searching Anthony having some great banter. If they can do this while shirtlessly wrestling, even better. 

I'm still holding out hope for Eloise/Penelope endgame and gay or bi Benedict. 

[eleanorofaquitaine]

8 hours ago, Umbelina said:

Or, they can just increase the interaction with family members that are not the key focus of the season.  Instead of musing to oneself, talk to a sister or brother, etc.

I also think they may combine a couple of books in a season.

I mean, I am sure they will increase family contact but that isn't exactly a story line. And as we saw with this season, they did actually show conflict and/or plots that were more than just family contact with the other other siblings (Anthony and Sienna/Benedict and his art stuff/Eloise and her desire to be something more than just a debutante). So I presume that they are going to actually craft a plot for Simon and Daphne that's beyond just mere conversations between her and her siblings. (Plus, more contact with the family doesn't give much for Simon to do).

Also, Chris Van Dusen has said he'd like to see 8 seasons, like the 8 books, so it doesn't sound like they are combining books. But I guess we'll see - I think it may be somewhat dependent on how popular season 2 is. But it sounds like season 2 is going to focus on Anthony, just like book 2 did. 

[Mirabelle]

Teen Vogue article on the wigs the characters wore on the show.

[Featherhat]

There are ways you can continue a married couple's storylines without *completely* undoing their happiness. Shows don't often chose to do it, but they can. I'm sure they can think of something Regency-lite ish. 

If they hadn't specifically said the baby's name must begin with an A they could have brought in Amelia, Belinda and Caroline before getting to David. Pregnancy storylines are often popular. 

They could definitely explore Simon's "relationship" with his father and the challenges and rewards of being a 2nd black Duke (compared to his book counterpart being in a long line of Dukes). He and Anthony do have a long history together. They could also adapt some of the 2nd epilogue stuff with the letters. 

Really looking forward to see who they cast as Kate and Edwina though. 

[bijoux]

We don't know how far into the future Daphne giving birth was. There's no reason not to incorporate her pregnancy into season 2 and have Simon deal with some of the more interesting issues posters here have mentioned, like how his mother's death at his delivery could have been just cause for him not wanting to have kids. I agree about his father's letters. I don't really have any idea now for Daphne.

I think very shortly after this season dropped there was some chatter about Netflix sending out casting notices for two female characters in their early 20s or thereabouts, one of them being Indian, the other half-Indian. Some fans on Instagram thought this might be for Kate and Edwina. 

[ouinason]

that would be amazing

[Featherhat]

4 hours ago, bijoux said:

We don't know how far into the future Daphne giving birth was. There's no reason not to incorporate her pregnancy into season 2 and have Simon deal with some of the more interesting issues posters here have mentioned, like how his mother's death at his delivery could have been just cause for him not wanting to have kids. I agree about his father's letters. I don't really have any idea now for Daphne.

I think very shortly after this season dropped there was some chatter about Netflix sending out casting notices for two female characters in their early 20s or thereabouts, one of them being Indian, the other half-Indian. Some fans on Instagram thought this might be for Kate and Edwina. 

 I could see Indian/half Indian for Kate and Edwina. This is before the official British Raj era but definitely within the East India Company Rule era. That could be interesting.

[bijoux]

Well... 😁

[ursula]

I really love this take on all the -isms with the show. Like she said, it's enjoyable watching but there are loads of problematic elements.

[incandescent]

On 1/13/2021 at 4:14 PM, bijoux said:

Mashable's A very serious ranking of all your 'Bridgerton' crushes

All I will say is that Number One is entirely correct.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

On 1/25/2021 at 1:58 PM, Featherhat said:

 I could see Indian/half Indian for Kate and Edwina. This is before the official British Raj era but definitely within the East India Company Rule era. That could be interesting.

That would be interesting. And yes, while the Raj did not actually start until the 1850s, the Regency period was one in which the British Crown was expanding its rule in Southeast Asia - Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) came under British rule in 1802. Cornwallis, the guy who surrendered at Yorktown, became the first Governor-General of India in 1786. (And as anyone who ever watched the old Masterpiece series "The Jewel in the Crown" can tell you, there was a LOT of discrimination in British society towards the Southeast Asian population they were ruling).  So I like this idea, especially as a way of addressing that often really troubling history.

ETA: In terms of Daphne and Simon, I don't think that a plot involving them necessarily means having their marriage in trouble or anything. I kind of would like to see more of Daphne and Simon becoming good landowners and helping out their tenants and such, but I realize that not everyone finds that kind of minutiae all that interesting. 🙂 But yes, I can imagine that they'll develop some actual plot line around their parenthood, etc. 

Also, you know what I would like to see - Violent have a romance. I realize she was very much in love with her late husband, but it would be kind of nice to see an older woman have a romance on the show. 

Edited January 27, 2021 by eleanorofaquitaine

[bijoux]

I think this could be really good, but as I said, it's all up in the air now and could be casting calls for any number of shows. So I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. 

[eleanorofaquitaine]

Just now, bijoux said:

I think this could be really good, but as I said, it's all up in the air now and could be casting calls for any number of shows. So I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. 

Understood. My hopes aren't up or down. 🙂 But it does make sense for the era. 

[Harvey]

Well there  you have it folks, it is now officially the biggest netflix show ever:

Quote

The final numbers are in, and Season 1 of Bridgerton was watched by a record 82 million households around the world (partially or in its entirety.) That is a whopping 19M households higher than the four-week projection.

Bridgerton, whose massive wave of popularity is showing no signs of subsiding, is now Netflix’s biggest series ever by a wide margin. It pushed down to No.2 previous record holder, fantasy hit The Witcher (76M in its first 28 days).

https://deadline.com/2021/01/bridgerton-netflix-viewership-record-biggest-series-ever-1234681242/

[Door County Cherry]

FYI,

I moved a bunch of posts into the book vs. series thread.  While some media-related casting talk is fine here, and the characters they'd play, if the conversation starts drawing on book details to evaluate the casting decisions, it's best moved to the book vs. series thread. 

Thank you!

[eleanorofaquitaine]

Thanks, Door Country Cherry, happy to discuss in that thread instead. 

[magdalene]

8 hours ago, Harvey said:

Well there  you have it folks, it is now officially the biggest netflix show ever:

https://deadline.com/2021/01/bridgerton-netflix-viewership-record-biggest-series-ever-1234681242/

I am not surprised at the popularity.  Escape and fantasy is where it's at.   I made the mistake of reading the comments in the linked Deadline renewal article - watch out for jealous sourpusses and racists disguised as "historians".

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SAG Award nominations!

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series - Regé-Jean Page

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

[katha]

Congratulations to Page! Well deserved! He delivered a stellar performance and really elevated the material.

[DearEvette]

A SAG nom for ensemble.  Whoa.  That is pretty huge.  I mean, these are voted on my their acting peers.  Also Rege!  I mean.. he really leaned into that role.  I had said in several of the episode threads that his charm and charisma really riveted the attention. 

[bijoux]

Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey teases what (and who) is coming in season 2

No real spoilers, so it should be a safe read. Jonathan Bayleaf seems like a delight. 

I didn't know this:

 Shondaland who cast everyone off self-tapes.

 

Your costar Regé-Jean Page broke the internet with a spoon-licking scene. Are you already plotting how best to one-up him? 

 

I hope I get the fork and not the knife. [Laughs] I feel sorry for whoever's doing season 3 who gets the knife.

[/QUOTE] Have you read The Viscount Who Loved Me yet? 

 

It was the first one I read. I read it on the way back from having met Shondaland. They sent me three scripts, I read those, and then I dived into The Viscount Who Loved Me. Who knows what's going to happen, but the relationship that's written in the book is one that I really related to. Kate Sheffield is a really brilliant character. You love your characters and you want them to meet brilliant people along the way, and I hope Anthony gets to meet someone like Kate Sheffield.[/QUOTE] 

It's funny when some friends watched it, and they're like, "Oh God, he's really obnoxious and horrible." And it was a bit of a surprise. I mean, of course, he is. And the best way to play characters is to not comment on them or judge them. That's where you get the best performances. And I have a lot to say about patriarchy and male lineage, and that's definitely in the performance.

 

Can you tell us anything about Kate Sheffield? 

 

I can talk about her in the books. All I can say is I hope that he meets someone who is as opinionated and offended by Anthony as we all are. She hopefully will be the voice of the audience and then they'll work something out together.

 

 

[eleanorofaquitaine]

It's nice what he says here about romance as a genre:

Quote

I've grown up with the idea of romance as a genre. As you're saying, it's never been a genre that's been given the respect and the international platform that Bridgerton has. My understanding of romance novels was that it was on the beach with a glass of rosé. But it makes sense. Sexuality, intimacy, and identity is everything. Especially in the last year. So of course, we're going to celebrate it.

I appreciate the fact that he understands that it is a genre that deserves more respect than it gets. 

I think he's being circumspect about how the series is going to handle Anthony and Kate, because likely there are going to be some changes from the book, just as there were changes from The Duke and I.  But I hope that the broad strokes of the story remain the same. 

[bijoux]

1 hour ago, eleanorofaquitaine said:

 

I think he's being circumspect about how the series is going to handle Anthony and Kate, because likely there are going to be some changes from the book, just as there were changes from The Duke and I.  But I hope that the broad strokes of the story remain the same. 

I think he's just being upfront here. I doubt he's seen the scripts yet, so all he can commemt on is the book. 

[eleanorofaquitaine]

I agree, I don't think he has seen the scripts yet. When I say he's being circumspect, I'm saying that he was being careful to indicate that it is possible that the scripts won't be exactly like the books, not that he was trying to hide anything. I suspect that he knows that there will be some changes, but I doubt he knows what those changes will be yet. 

[magdalene]

Jonathan Bailey comes across as quite witty and charming, and smart and insightful.  Very lucky too - this show has hit the jack pot quite at the right time for him, when he is about to become the leading man for the second season and a lot of attention will be on him.

Any ideas on who will be his leading lady? Have they cast someone yet?

[bijoux]

There's been no casting announcement so far. 

He's been doing alright for himself. In 2018 he won the Lawrence Olivier Award for his role in the revival of Company. 

The recording of his audition for The Last Five Years shows his acting and vocal range nicely.