Skip to content
Bridgerton has been out since Christmas Day, and while period dramas aren’t normally my sort of thing, there’s been a lot of hullaballo about this one, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.
The series begins in Grosvenor Square, 1813, a time of forcing women into corsets, and those women obsessing over men like it gives them oxygen.
As it begins, London’s marriage-minded misses are presented to the Queen. This seems to be what happened 200 years ago, rather than fumbling around in a nightclub after ten pints of lager… scenes which are certainly not allowed at present because of the lockdown situation. Either way, it’ll be a disaster if they end up a spinster, because that’s the only way they can be valued(!)
For the man most women want to bag, it’s Lord Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey – W1A), although his first sentence is rather than oddity. His sister, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), exclaims that he’s turned up, yet when he replies that he is and that he wouldn’t miss such an important day for her, there’s a cut in the camera view, and he’s not actually speaking in the second shot.
In addition to Daphne, new arrival Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) turns the men’s heads. Meanwhile, the women go wild for Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page), so it doesn’t take an Einstein to work out who’ll end up together at the end of episode 1, but maybe not for the reasons you expected. However, if that’s a ‘twist’ then they know what they can do with it.
All the while, the series is narrated by Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews) who has her ‘society papers’… tittle tattle, basically.
Like gossip, this seems to be a show loved by women. Perhaps that explains all the “can’t quite see anything” bonking going on, yet which results in the females of the cast having multiple orgasms. I saw reports about it featuring amazing sex scenes, but they clearly haven’t explored the internet if they scene THOSE are such scenes, nor have they actually had sex(!)
It’s as bad as the Armstrong & Miller spoofs from their BBC sketch show, below, and just feels like the awful Downton Abbey (from what I’ve seen of it), plus bad sex scenes.
Bridgerton has a large, fairly well-known cast, but that does not a decent drama make.
Bridgerton is not available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but is on Netflix now.
Episode 1 Score: 0/10
Series Directors: Sheree Folkson, Alrick Riley, Julie Anne Robinson, Tom Verica
Producers: Holden Chang, Sarada McDermott, Sarah Dollard
Creator: Chris Van Dusen
Writers: Abby McDonald, Joy C Mitchell, Jess Brownell, Julia Quinn, Sarah Dollard, Janet Lin
Music: Kris Bowers
Cast:
Daphne Bridgerton: Phoebe Dynevor
Simon Basset: Regé-Jean Page
Marina Thompson: Ruby Barker
Anthony Bridgerton: Jonathan Bailey
Philipa Featherington: Harriet Cains
Prudence Featherington: Bessie Carter
Penelope Featherington: Nicola Coughlan
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Ruth Gemmell
Hyacinth Bridgerton: Florence Hunt
Eloise Bridgerton: Claudia Jessie
Lord Featherington: Ben Miller
Colin Bridgerton: Luke Newton
Benedict Bridgerton: Luke Thompson
Gregory Bridgerton: Will Tilston
Portia Featherington: Polly Walker
Lady Whistledown: Julie Andrews
Maid Rose: Molly McGlynn
Lady Danbury: Adjoa Andoh
Queen Charlotte: Golda Rosheuvel
Jeffries: Jason Barnett
Lady Cowper: Joanna Bobin
Brimsley: Hugh Sachs
Mrs. Varley: Lorraine Ashbourne
Genevieve Delacroix: Kathryn Drysdale
Cressida: Jessica Madsen
Nigel Berbrooke: Jamie Beamish
King George III: James Fleet
Lady Trowbridge: Amy Beth Hayes
Mrs. Colson: Pippa Haywood
Lady Berbrooke: Caroline Quentin
Featherington Doctor: Matthew Cottle
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.