“They kept their promise”: ‘Bridgerton’ Creator Sings Praises of Netflix Boss Ted Sarandos Despite Massive Backlash Over One Insensitive Move During Writers Strike
One of the biggest and most popular shows on Netflix is Shondaland’s Bridgerton, set in the early 1800s in an alternative London Regency. The show’s popularity has reached the peaks as it goes on to explore the highly competitive social settings where young, marriageable nobility and gentry are introduced to society. Julia Quinn’s book series of the same name bases the show that recently released part two of its third season.
The show captured the attention of the audience right from season one, thanks to the characters and the setting of the show, but readers noticed that season three had taken a little different route from the books. But despite all of the storyline changes, the season has been well received, with the audience and critics praising the cast for their exceptional performances. Creator, Shonda Rhimes, in an interview, extended her gratitude to the streaming giant for keeping its promise.
Creator Shonda Rhimes praises Netflix for allowing her to work the way she wanted
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, creator Shonda Rhimes was asked about her experience working with Netflix. The interviewer pointed out that very few showrunners found success while working with Netflix and she is one of them, to which she said,
It worked so well for me because they kept their promise. I literally said, ‘I don’t want anybody bothering me. I just want to make shows.’ And Ted Sarandos was like, ‘Great’. And he’s stayed true to that, and because he did, it’s made me more collaborative and more interested in hearing what they have to say.
Rhimes mentioned that she wants the authorities to be happy because they gave her the space she asked for, so she is happy when the numbers are great as she knows that numbers are important to them. Looking at the grandeur of the show, it seems like the budget of the show touches the peaks of the mountain, but Rhimes clarified that they are not trying to spend a billion dollars, and she is very budget-conscious. The creator added that because she wishes for the team to be working for a long time, she wanted them to be responsible.
The praising statement from the creator for Netflix comes as a surprise for the fans, as according to Deadline, Netflix was criticized for one insensitive move that they made during the strikes. The sole reason for the strike was to protect creative artists against the rise of AI, and Netflix went out and posted a $900K a year job listing for AI Producer Manager.
Netflix’s boss was called out by the guilds WGA and SAG-AFTRA for being tone-deaf to the situation. However, the streaming giant declined to comment at the time, and AMPTP maintained its stance that AI-generated material would not be eligible for writing credits. Shonda Rhimes’ praise for Ted Sarandos irked the fans even though she clarified that she was at the picket lines marching with everyone else at the time of the strike and did not write a single thing during the strike.
Simone Ashley hopes to return to Bridgerton in Season 4
Simone Ashley, who plays Kate Bridgerton, along with her on-screen partner, Jonathan Bailey, who plays Antony Bridgerton, are not ready to say the show goodbye just yet. Upon asking if she has plans to return to the show, she said via People,
I really hope so. Both Johnny and I, we adore our characters, Kate and Anthony, so much and their relationship and what they mean for the show. I think we’ll do all we can with our schedules to make it work so that we can, hopefully.
They appeared in season three, which centered around Colin played by Luke Newton, and Penelope played by Nicola Coughlan’s love story. Kate and Anthony were shown planning to travel to India to welcome their first child at the end of season 3.
The anticipation about who is going to lead season 4 has already begun, as Benedict and Eloise seem like top contenders, but executive producer Jess Brownell said that they are working on pacing their speed up for next season. No answer about the lead was addressed.
All three seasons of Bridgerton are streaming on Netflix.
