Bridgerton is one of Netflix’s hit shows, but before it aired no one could guarantee that it’d please the fans of Julia Quinn’s original book series. In fact, even the author herself was expecting disappointment when she got the first script.
Adapting books (or any other media) inevitably divides fans and it’s always difficult to find a way to capture the essence of a book without changing too much. Luckily, this wasn’t the case for Bridgerton, which became a true phenomenon when it hit the streaming service in 2019.
Based on Julia Quinn’s steamy book series of the same name, the eight novels follow the titular family’s children finding love. The first novel premiered in 2000 and gathered a loyal following, who hoped the series wouldn’t change much once it hit the small screen. Like other adaptations, some sacrifices had to be made, and Netflix has changed several details from the books, including the book order for the show’s current season 3, but it did pay off.
The series boasts an 82% approval rating from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes and remains a huge hit for Netflix. However, when it comes to the series’ author, Quinn had even more to lose if the adaptation wasn’t successful.
How did Julia Quinn react to the Bridgerton script?
Julia Quinn revealed her thoughts on the adaptation in executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers’ behind-the-scenes book Inside Bridgerton. Shonda Rhimes of Grey’s Anatomy fame is one of the reasons why the adaptation happened (and why it happened so soon), but Quinn had previously opened up about her concerns for a Bridgerton adaptation.
“Before Betsy [Beers] sent me the first script, she called to warn me that it would be structured a bit differently than the books ⏤ that in some ways, they needed to teach the audience about romance novels. I thought that was interesting but steeled myself nonetheless, expecting that I would be a little disappointed,” Quinn explained. “But when it landed in my in-box, I took my computer to the corner of my house where I could be alone and read it, grinning the entire time. It was utterly brilliant. Different, yes, but beautifully done in a way that I never would have considered. It was perfect.”
Luckily, Rhimes’ knack for dreamy romance was already established in the industry with her other Shondaland productions, and her involvement in the series lifted Bridgerton to a must-see, the series even winning two Primetime Emmys. Season 3, Part I of Bridgerton is available to stream on Netflix, with Part 2 scheduled for June 13.
