American producer Shonda Rhimes’ first outing with Netflix, Bridgerton, which was poised to be a sweet, holiday, Regency-era romance, has smashed all viewing records to emerge as the biggest ever series on Netflix. If we’re talking numbers, Netflix announced that 82 million households across the world chose to stream the series in its first 28 days. The previous record was held by The Witcher which earned 76 million views in the same period.
8 2 M I L L I O N
with love
From all of us
To all of you
🙏🏽❤️💫#BRIDGERTON pic.twitter.com/NhVMdQRcXi
— Regé-Jean Page (@regejean) January 27, 2021
Set in 1800s England, Bridgerton, which was recently renewed for season two, is based on Julia Quinn’s eponymous series of novels. The best way to describe the show is that it’s the result of a wonderfully steamy affair between Pride and Prejudice and Gossip Girl. There’s romance, scandal, society gossip and even a mysterious gossip columnist, Lady Whistledown, who airs everybody’s dirty laundry. She just doesn’t sign off with an “xoxo Gossip Girl“. On the bright side, she is voiced by the incomparable Julie Andrews. And yes, the show also serves as something of a thirst trap for viewers who can’t get enough of the fictional character Simon Basset (pictured above), portrayed by British actor Regé-Jean Page.
While season one focused on the romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset, season two will shine the spotlight on Daphne’s older brother Anthony, played by Jonathon Bailey.
