History of Bridgerton in Timeline

Bridgerton is a Regency-era romance series on Netflix, created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shondaland, based on Julia Quinn's novels. The show presents an alternative history set in London, revolving around the Bridgerton family and other aristocratic families as they navigate love, marriage, and society. It features an ensemble cast, including Adjoa Andoh, Golda Rosheuvel and Nicola Coughlan, portraying the complexities of relationships and social expectations within the context of balls, courtships, and societal intrigues.

1956: Shostakovich Composes Suite for Variety Orchestra

Sometime after 1956, Dmitri Shostakovich's Suite for Variety Orchestra was written. This piece of classical music was used in the first season of Bridgerton, which some consider an anachronism as the show is set in 1813.

2001: Inspiration from A Knight's Tale

The director and executive producer of the first season of Bridgerton, Julie Anne Robinson, was inspired by the use of classic rock songs in the 2001 film A Knight's Tale to use orchestral covers of contemporary popular music in the show.

July 20, 2018: Netflix Announces Bridgerton Adaptation

On July 20, 2018, Netflix announced that Shonda Rhimes, through her production company Shondaland, would produce the screen adaptation of the bestselling novels of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn, with Chris Van Dusen as showrunner.

June 19, 2019: Julie Andrews Cast as Lady Whistledown

On June 19, 2019, Julie Andrews was cast as Lady Whistledown.

July 2019: Principal Photography Commenced

Principal photography for the first season of Bridgerton commenced in July 2019.

February 2020: Principal Photography Wrapped

Principal photography for the first season of Bridgerton wrapped in late February 2020.

December 25, 2020: First Season Debut

On December 25, 2020, the first season of Bridgerton debuted.

2020: Perfect Storm of a Perfectly Timed Premiere

In 2020, Caroline Framke of Variety attributed Bridgerton's huge viewership to "the perfect storm of a perfectly timed premiere (Christmas Day of 2020), providing silly and sexy entertainment after the first terrible year of COVID".

2020: Increased Interest in Stately Homes

Since the launch of Bridgerton in 2020, stately homes around England saw an uptick in interest and visitors. Chris Small of English Heritage noted that many people were inspired to visit Ranger's House after being unaware of the site before.

January 2021: Second Season Officially Announced

In January 2021, the show was already in pre-production for a second season which was officially announced.

January 21, 2021: Jonathan Bailey to Reprise Role in Season 2

On January 21, 2021, it was announced that Jonathan Bailey would be reprising his role as Anthony and would be the center of the show's sophomore season.

January 27, 2021: Viewership Numbers Announced

On January 27, 2021, Netflix announced that 82 million households had watched at least two minutes of the first season, amounting to 625 million hours viewed.

March 2021: Production Began for Season 2

Production on the second season of Bridgerton began in March 2021.

April 5, 2021: Charithra Chandran Joins Cast

On April 5, 2021, Charithra Chandran joined the cast as Edwina; Rupert Young joined to play a new character; Shelley Conn was cast as Kate's stepmother and Edwina's mother, Mary; and Calam Lynch was cast as Theo Sharpe.

April 13, 2021: Series Renewed for Third and Fourth Seasons

On April 13, 2021, creator Van Dusen revealed on Twitter that the series had been renewed for a third and fourth season.

May 2021: Netflix Orders Queen Charlotte Prequel Series

In May 2021, Netflix ordered a limited prequel series from Shondaland to focus on young Queen Charlotte, a character who does not appear in the Bridgerton novels.

May 2021: Filming Permission Refused

In May 2021, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead refused permission to build a film set for the second season in Sunninghill Park near Windsor, despite royal approval.

May 28, 2021: Rupert Evans Cast as Edmund Bridgerton

On May 28, 2021, Rupert Evans joined the cast as Edmund Bridgerton, the late patriarch of the Bridgerton family.

July 15, 2021: Production Paused Due to COVID-19

On July 15, 2021, production on the second season was paused for 24 hours when a crew member tested positive for COVID-19, but resumed the following day.

August 2021: Production Resumed

Production on the second season of Bridgerton resumed in August 2021 after being halted.

September 2021: Preview and First Look Stills Aired

In September 2021, a preview of a scene from season 2 aired during Netflix's Tudum: Extended Talent Panel, which was followed by first look stills.

October 2021: Surpassed by Squid Game

The Bridgerton viewership numbers had been surpassed by Squid Game in October 2021.

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November 20, 2021: Production Wrapped for Season 2

Production for the second season of Bridgerton wrapped on November 20, 2021.

2021: The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Concept Album

In 2021, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear wrote a concept album based on the characters and situations in season 1 of the series titled "The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical".

February 14, 2022: First Teaser Trailer Released

On February 14, 2022, the first teaser trailer for the second season of Bridgerton was released.

March 22, 2022: World Premiere Held in London

A world premiere for the second season of Bridgerton was held at Tate Modern on March 22, 2022, in London, England prior to the season's eight episodes being released.

March 25, 2022: Second Season Premiere

On March 25, 2022, the second season of Bridgerton premiered.

April 2022: Bailey and Ashley Confirmed to Return for Season 3

In April 2022, Bailey and Ashley were confirmed to return for the third season as Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton, exploring their married life and duties as heads of the eponymous family.

May 2022: Castle Howard on Screen: From Brideshead to Bridgerton Exhibition

In May 2022, Castle Howard opened an exhibition titled "Castle Howard on Screen: From Brideshead to Bridgerton."

May 22, 2022: The Simpsons features "Tunnelton"

On May 22, 2022, the finale episode of the 33rd season of "The Simpsons" featured Marge and her friends watching a period drama called "Tunnelton" with a narrator who sounds like Lady Whistledown.

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July 2022: Daniel Francis, Sam Phillips, and James Phoon Cast in Undisclosed Roles

In July 2022, Daniel Francis, Sam Phillips, and James Phoon were cast in undisclosed capacities for the third season.

July 2022: Netflix Sues Barlow & Bear for Copyright Infringement

In July 2022, after Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear presented songs from their concept album, "The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical", live in concert at the Kennedy Center, Netflix sued them for copyright infringement.

July 2022: Principal Photography Began for Season 3

Principal photography for the third season of Bridgerton began in July 2022.

August 2022: Chandran Will Not Reprise Her Role

In August 2022, Chandran reported that she would not reprise her role as Edwina for the season.

September 2022: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Title Announcement

In September 2022, Netflix announced that "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" would be the title for the prequel series and released the first look.

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October 2022: Hannah New Joins the Cast

In October 2022, Hannah New joined the cast as Lady Tilley Arnold.

January 2023: Dynevor Confirms Absence from Third Season

In January 2023, Dynevor confirmed she would not appear in the third season, but remained open to returning "in the future".

March 2023: Principal Photography Wrapped for Season 3

Principal photography for the third season of Bridgerton wrapped in March 2023.

May 4, 2023: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Released on Netflix

On May 4, 2023, "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" was released on Netflix, consisting of six episodes.

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May 2023: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Release

In May 2023, the spin-off series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, focused on Queen Charlotte, was released.

June 2023: Highest Single Weekly View Count

Season 3 also recorded the highest single weekly view count for any Netflix series, regardless of language, since Netflix started the list in June 2023.

December 2023: Third Season Split into Two Parts

In December 2023, it was announced that the third season of Bridgerton would be split into two parts.

2023: Netflix Changes Viewership Counting Method

In 2023, between seasons 2 and 3, Netflix rolled out a new, different method of counting viewership, which is to divide the number of hours watched by a show's runtime. The platform also expanded the measurement window from 28 days to 91 days.

February 14, 2024: Valentine's Day Event Reveals Episode Titles and Footage

At a Valentine's Day Event on February 14, 2024, the episode titles, exclusive photos and first look footage for the third season were released alongside a panel attended by Rhimes, Brownell, Quinn, and cast members.

April 11, 2024: Trailer for Season 3 Part 1 Released

On April 11, 2024, the trailer for season 3 part 1 was released.

May 2024: Coughlan and Newton Confirmed to Return

In May 2024, Coughlan and Newton were confirmed to be returning for the fourth season.

May 16, 2024: Third Season Part 1 Premiere

On May 16, 2024, the first part of Bridgerton's third season premiered, featuring the first four episodes.

June 13, 2024: Third Season Part 2 Premiere

On June 13, 2024, the second part of Bridgerton's third season was released.

July 2, 2024: Season 3 Becomes Tenth Biggest English-Language Series

On July 2, 2024, Season 3 became Netflix's tenth biggest English-language series ever with 91.9 million views so far.

July 2024: Benedict Bridgerton to Lead Season 4

In July 2024, it was confirmed that Benedict Bridgerton would be the lead for Season 4.

August 2024: Yerin Ha Cast as Sophie Baek

In August 2024, Yerin Ha was cast as Sophie Baek (known as Sophie Beckett in the novel) while Bailey confirmed his return for the fourth season.

September 2024: Katie Leung, Isabella Wei and Michelle Mao Join the Cast

In September 2024, Katie Leung, Isabella Wei and Michelle Mao joined as Araminta, Rosamund, and Posy, while Hugh Sachs and Emma Naomi have been upgraded to series regulars.

September 16, 2024: Principal Photography Commenced for Season 4

Principal photography began on September 16, 2024 for season four.

October 2024: Ashley Confirmed to Return for Season 4

In October 2024, Ashley confirmed that she would be returning for the season, later confirmed to be in an additional cast role as opposed to series regular in the previous two seasons.

October 2024: Netflix uses "The Carriage Scene" to Launch "Moments"

In October 2024, Netflix used "The Carriage Scene" with the tagline "What a Ride" and the timestamp of the scene as the advertisement to launch their "Moments" feature to the Netflix mobile app.

2024: Season 3 Among Most Watched

In 2024, Season 3 became the second most watched series on Netflix during the first half of 2024, with 92 million views. Season 3 has the second-highest viewing figures for streaming in 2024, with 11 billion minutes of watch time. According to Nielsen, Bridgerton was the most-streamed original series of 2024 with 21.42 billion minutes viewed, with Season 3 accounting for 56% of those views.

2024: Doctor Who's "Rogue" Episode Inspired by Bridgerton

In 2024, the creators behind "Rogue", the sixth episode of the season of "Doctor Who", took great inspiration from Bridgerton. The episode revolves around intrigue and romance at an English country party in 1813.

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January 1, 2025: Season 3 Ranks Sixth on Netflix's All-Time List

As of January 1, 2025, Season 3 was sixth in Netflix's top-10 all-time list, for any language, with 846.5 million hours viewed/106 million views.

January 2025: Dynevor Reveals She Has Not Been Asked to Return

In January 2025, Dynevor revealed that she had not yet been asked to return for an appearance in the fourth season.

May 2025: Netflix Announces Dual Season Renewal

In May 2025, Netflix officially announced a dual season renewal of seasons 5 and 6.

June 20, 2025: Principal Photography Wrapped for Season 4

Principal photography for season 4 wrapped by June 20, 2025.

August 21, 2025: "The Carriage Scene" wins TV Moment of the Year

On August 21, 2025, "The Carriage Scene" from season three part one won the Edinburgh TV Award for TV Moment of the Year at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

February 26, 2026: Fourth Season Part 2 Premiere

On February 26, 2026, the second part of the fourth season of Bridgerton premiered.

March 2026: Francesca Bridgerton Confirmed to Lead Season 5

On 24 March 2026, it was confirmed that Francesca Bridgerton would be the lead for Season 5.

March 2026: Production Begins on Season 5

Production on season five began in March 2026, with Hannah Dodd and Masali Baduza confirmed as the leads.

April 2026: New Cast Members Join Season Five

In April 2026, Tega Alexander, Jacqueline Boatswain and Gemma Knight joined the cast of season five as Christopher Anderson, Helen Stirling and Lady Elizabeth Ashworth.