It is hard to remember a time before Bridgerton became a streaming juggernaut. But the Regency romance novels were not always on the course to become a Hollywood success story.
Julia Quinn wrote the steamy novels, and structured each subsequent novel from the perspective of a different child of the Bridgerton clan, a formidable and influential family of the ton. The first book is perhaps the most famous, entitled The Duke & I. Depicted in the first season of the Netflix series, the story follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), who schemes to get a husband by entering a fake courtship with the rakish Duke Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page).
After just one season on television, the series became must-see television for the streaming platform. This success could be because the series is spearheaded by Grey’s Anatomy creator, Shonda Rhimes, who has the Midas touch for onscreen romance. But had she not entered the picture, Bridgerton may have taken even longer to get an adaption.
Bridgerton took a long time getting to screen
While Quinn had cultivated quite a following with her book series, the author says she had not envisioned it finding a home on the screen. The author spoke about her concerns in the book Inside Bridgerton, which included many inside tidbits about the series.
“I never, ever thought that I would see something like this happen to one of my books. Nobody makes historical romances into television series or movies. If someone wants to make a period piece, they make Pride and Prejudice… again.”
Classics are more likely to be adapted for the screen. As it is, romance novels are not a highly respected genre in film or television. Getting a television creative to not only invest in the genre but adapt it from existing material was a long shot. Quinn attributed this to gender inequality in Hollywood. The entertainment industry is extremely male-dominated and less interested in these female perspectives.
Luckily, Rhimes was an already established creative in the industry and one who had built a brand on female characters. Even when series like Grey’s Anatomy revolve around romances between the characters, Rhimes doesn’t shy away from in-depth characters. The female friendships in the medical drama are some of the strongest as the women on the series strive for success in their hospital. Rhimes’ track record was a selling point for Quinn.
“I gave up creative control — not because I don’t trust myself or care about the result but because I am not going to be the person to tell Shonda Rhimes how to make television. I had every faith — and for good reason — that she would know exactly how to translate the books into television. And as I also came to know Betsy Beers and Chris Van Dusen, I had even more faith that Shonda’s vision of my vision would be realized.”
This faith was not misplaced. Bridgerton is one of those water cooler television shows begging to be analyzed. Even when it takes place at a time when women had little autonomy of their own, Bridgerton shows women that take control of their own destinies. Now, with season 3 imminent, fans are more excited than ever to see where the new romance will lead. Season 3, Part I of Bridgerton will air on Netflix on May 16.