Bridgerton set the world on fire, when it premiered on Netflix on December 25, 2020. The eight-episode first season was met with outstanding reviews. It is based on Julia Quinn's novels , but was adapted into it’s current version by Chris Van Dusen and producer, Shonda Rhimes. Viewers fell in love with the beautifully detailed Regency-era costumes and sets, and the saucy intrigue and storyline. With a viewership of 82 million people, it has become the most-watched series on Netflix. In January 2021, the series was already renewed for a second season.

The plot is based around the Bridgerton family: Violet, Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton; her four sons, Anthony, Benedict, Colin and Gregory and her four daughters, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca and Hyacinth. Also featured are the Featheringtons: Portia, Lady Featherington; her husband the Baron; their three daughters, Philippa, Prudence and Penelope; and their cousin Marina Thompson. Each episode includes narration by actress Julie Andrews, who voices the anonymous and ever-scandalous newsletter columnist known as Lady Whistledown. As eldest daughter Daphne Bridgerton enters her first season with Queen Charlotte's favor, she meets Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings. Despite being encouraged by his mentor, Lady Danbury, the Duke is determined not to marry.

In my opinion, while Bridgerton has many failures, the creators of the show also managed to make it an exceedingly entertaining show. While the plot remains very shallow, the costumes aren’t always historically correct, and it can be unnecessarily sexually explicit at times, I still managed to watch the entire show in two days. I would recommend that if you intend on watching it, watch it alone, in your room, with the door closed. It isn’t the most family friendly series I’ve encountered and could lead to unnecessary awkward tension in your family. Another thing that I really appreciated about the show was the diversity among the cast members. Bridgerton definitely wasn’t a classic, historically correct British period piece, but I don’t think that's what it is intended on being. It’s like a somewhat dumbed down version of a Jane Austen-esque story, with bright and frilly visuals, and a very diverse cast, which is very important and much needed in the TV industry. I believe a big part of the reason why Bridgerton is so amusing to watch lies in the various and very frequent parties and balls. In every episode, we see sprawling estates and opulent gardens, extravagant outfits of satin, tulle, and velvet, and elaborate ball after elaborate ball. During each of these balls, the creators of the show incorporated modern song choices like Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” and Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy”, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet.
Over all, if you're looking for a gateway into the world of 19th century British period dramas, and are not particularly bothered by shallow drama, storylines that stretch out far longer than their natural evolution, and somewhat uninteresting characters, than I recommend Bridgerton, I’m sure you will find it to be quite entertaining.