Netflix isn’t stupid. The streaming network knows it has a cash cow in popular romantic drama Bridgerton. So like all hugely successful TV shows, it’s getting a spinoff. According to TVLine, Netflix has cast its next Bridgerton series, which “tells the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.” Shonda Rhimes is set as writer/showrunner of the limited series.
Bridgerton stars Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte), Adjoa Andoh (Lady Agatha Danbury) and Ruth Gemmell (Lady Violet Bridgerton) will appear in the new series. Additionally, India Amarteifio (Sex Education) stars as Young Charlotte, who realizes “she was not exactly what the royals were expecting” while Arsema Thomas plays Young Agatha Danbury, someone who “becomes a guiding light for the new Queen, all while finding her own voice and power.” While Season 2 saw some of the Black characters take a step back in the story, it appears this new show will bring them front and center. The sex and romance of Bridgerton gets a lot of attention, but we should never lose sight of how important it is to see a diverse cast in a period drama, since Hollywood loves to pretend we weren’t around in Regency movies and series.
Following the departure of Regé-Jean Page, there were questions about whether Bridgerton Season 2 would find the same success as its breakout first season. For Netflix, those concerns were put to rest with the series’ monster first week numbers for Season 2. After premiering on March 25, Bridgerton took over the top of the Nielsen streaming charts with 193 million hours viewed.
Based on the novels by Julia Quinn, each season follows a different Bridgerton sibling’s romantic journey. Though it’s already been renewed for Seasons 3 and 4, there were no obvious hints in the latest episodes about which sibling would be up next. Perhaps that’s why we’re getting a spinoff? The writers need time to figure out where they’re going next.
Bridgerton is available to stream on Netflix.