Netflix ’ s eight-part series focuses primarily on the love affair between Daphne Bridgerton ( Phoebe Dyenevor ), London ’ s newest and most pursue debutante, and Simon Bassett ( Regé-Jean page ), the devil-may-care Duke of Hastings. The proceedings are laid out by a Gossip Girl-esque narrator, Lady Whistledown ( voiced by Julie Andrews ), the spiritual world, but all-knowing author of a lewd society page. And while this initial season of Bridgerton centers on Daphne and Simon, the eight Bridgerton books follow the escapades of all eight Bridgerton siblings—giving Netflix plenty of material for potential future seasons.
hera ’ s what to know about the Bridgerton books that inspired Netflix ’ s fresh read .
The Bridgerton family .
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX—© 2020 Netflix, Inc .
What to know about the Bridgerton book series and its author, Julia Quinn
While the Netflix usher includes many of the characters and plotlines of Quinn ’ south entire Bridgerton book series, it is chiefly based on The Duke and I, the first novel in her solicitation, which chronicles a bogus courtship scheme-turned-real romanticism between the eldest Bridgerton daughter, Daphne, and London ’ s most eligible bachelor, the Duke of Hastings. Each of the eight Bridgerton siblings, who are alphabetically named in chronological order—Anthony ( The Viscount Who Loved Me ), Benedict ( An volunteer From a Gentleman ), Colin ( Romancing Mister Bridgerton ), Daphne ( The Duke and I ), Eloise ( To Sir Phillip, With Love ), Francesca ( When He Was Wicked ), Gregory ( On the Way to the Wedding ), and Hyacinth ( It ’ sulfur In His Kiss ) —is the subject of his or her own fresh, although the books should not be read in the order of their births. The series, which Quinn wrote between 2000 and 2006, now besides includes prologues, epilogues and relate novellas in the larger universe of the Bridgertons. Quinn ’ s huge popularity via the Bridgerton series has helped to make her one of the first chat up writers of her generation, with many dubbing her the “ contemporary Jane Austen. ” Although her Bridgerton books take place in London, Quinn is an american writer, who graduated from Harvard and briefly attended medical school at Yale, before pursuing writing full-time. The decision has paid off : to date, more than 10 million copies of her books have been published in the U.S. and her workplace has been translated into 32 languages. She ’ randomness besides one of only 16 authors to have been inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. While Quinn didn ’ thyroxine adapt the books for the Netflix series, she did serve as a adviser for the testify and has been a vocal patron of its cyclosis revamp .
“ With a series, you ’ ve got hundreds of people able to bring their imagination and lived experiences to it, ” Quinn told Shondaland.com in a December 2020 consultation about the Netflix adaptation. “ It expands the universe then much in a way that I ’ thousand not able to as a unmarried human being… it ’ s not a word-for-word adaptation and it shouldn ’ t be. But the characters and the plot are absolutely true to who and what they were in the book, and signally therefore. ”
Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset and Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX—© 2020 Netflix, Inc .
What to know about Shonda Rhimes’ Bridgerton adaptation for Netflix
Although Bridgerton is a period piece, it boasts many of the signature markers of a contemporary Shonda Rhimes production, including jaw-dropping drama, divers project and the exploration of topics like sex equality and sexual predilection. The show ’ sulfur first base season, which is comprised of eight one-hour episodes, was primarily filmed in London and Bath, England. The show ’ randomness creators besides consulted Dr. Hannah Grieg, a senior lecturer in early modern history from the University of York, to make certain historic elements were accurate.
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however, the serial besides took batch of creative liberties when it came to crafting the period piece. For one matter, showrunner Chris Van Dusen and executive producer Betsy Beers chose to do inclusive casting, casting many BIPOC actors in roles of british nobility, during a time when historically, they may not have held these positions. “ It ’ s not color-blind vomit, ” Beers told Entertainment Weekly of the decision in a November 2020 interview. “ We try to imagine history and the world in the way we wanted to see it. ” other modern elements may besides pique the interest of viewers ; while the balls reflect the decorum of London ’ s high society in the 1800s, much of the music played at them are string quartet renditions of contemporary hits like Ariana Grande ’ s “ thank uranium, following ” or Maroon 5 ’ sulfur “ Girls Like You. ” And the costume design is decidedly flashier and more colorful than one might expect from the Regency era. In an consultation with Vogue, costume graphic designer Ellen Mirojnick revealed that bonnets, a proprietorship wardrobe staple of that time, were banned from fixed, american samoa well as the needed muslin dresses that have become synonymous with Austen adaptations, to keep the aesthetic of the show fresh and modern. As an alternative, she crafted playful hair’s-breadth pieces that hinted at the bonnets the women would have worn. And when it came to materials, the about 7,500 pieces of the show ’ s wardrobe utilized undimmed fabrics, rhinestones, feathers and embellishments to tell the decidedly nontraditional tales of the colorful characters in the Bridgertons ’ world .
GOLDA ROSHEUVEL as QUEEN CHARLOTTE in episode 102 of BRIDGERTON
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX—© 2020 Netflix, Inc .
What to expect from Bridgerton in the future
While the series has entirely been picked up by Netflix for one season, there ’ s a wealth of material in Quinn ’ s other Bridgerton novels that can be expanded upon for possible extra seasons. Judging from the enthusiastic reception to the series then far, it appears the sake is there.
Write to Cady Lang at cady.lang @ timemagazine.com. partake THIS STORY
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