Kidi Tafesse
Arts & Entertainment Editor
It appears that the latest period drama on Netflix, “Bridgerton,” is taking the giant streaming service by storm, breaking multiple viewer records during its first season. Based on Julia Quinn’s series of historical romance novels of the same name, the story follows multiple families that are part of London’s high society in the early 1800s (*disclaimer: I guarantee you will snort with laughter due to at least one of the family names).
The first season depicts the ups and downs that come with the annual social season, where everyone gets prepped and ready to hit up a bunch of balls and meet different people in the hopes of finding a love match or a strategic match. Despite being a very typical setting for a historical drama, the show carries a unique combination of subtle humor, jabs at oppressive societal structures, surprising insight into relationships and a LOT of dancing. Although there are noticeable differences between the novels and the show, as there often are with adaptations, “Bridgerton“ maintains a very good balance of keeping in touch with the original story by dedicating the first season to the two main characters of the first novel, the Duke Simon Basset of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton, while successfully introducing us to other characters that will later rise in importance as the plot continues. Moreover, the cherry on top comes in the form of Lady Whistledown, a mysterious writer who spreads gossip pamphlets across the city; imagine “Gossip Girl” but instead of talking about socialites in Manhattan, she writes about a Viscount’s affair with an opera singer or the King’s sudden and strange disappearance.
If this doesn’t catch your attention, then maybe the fact that it is ranked No.1 on Netflix in 76 countries since its release in December will do the job. The fact that the producer and co-creator of “Bridgerton“ is Shonda Rhimes instantly piqued my interest. If the name Shonda Rhimes sounds kind of familiar, then you are likely a fan of other hit shows such as ABC’s “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” or maybe even “How to Get Away with Murder” (in which Annalise Keating is quite literally an icon). On the off chance that you don’t know any of these shows, they are all highly recommendable and encompass everything interesting about drama series: mystery, murder, love, politics, the list goes on. The common denominator amongst all these shows being Shonda Rhimes serving as either a producer or a screenwriter is sure to demonstrate her range and creativity. After a rather outrageous incident with ABC over Disneyland passes, Rhimes left the company and went on to briefly work with Walt Disney Co. but was later paid $100 million to join Netflix. It is not often creators get the recognition and credit they deserve, but with record-breaking drama hits like “Bridgerton,” it should come as no surprise that Rhimes is also currently the highest paid showrunner on television. This is all to say that “Bridgerton” is an entertaining must-watch that is sure to serve as a calming reminder that we may be living through a pandemic, but at least we don’t have to wear overly tight corsets while undergoing existential dread at the thought of ballroom dancing.