Two-hundred and fifty sets.
Three different actors playing Lady Whistledown.
A mischievous dog eating pebbles.
All kinds of stuff happens behind the scenes of "Bridgerton," and we've got more inside
info than Lady Whistledown herself.
If you noticed hints of "Pride and Prejudice" in "Bridgerton," then you weren't mistaken.
The show is set in the same 19th-century time frame as Jane Austen's seminal novel.
It contains quite a few odes to its predecessor.
The most obvious is the parallel between Anthony Bridgerton and Mr. Darcy.
"Bridgerton" showrunner Chris Van Dusen admitted to a conscious overlap between these two characters.
He told "Entertainment Weekly":
"I've definitely talked about my love for that 1995 BBC adaptation with Colin Firth
emerging from the lake in his white shirt.
That scene of Anthony going in relates to that."
Fans immediately picked up on the easter egg, which appears in the fifth episode of Season
2.
They went wild for the wet-shirted Viscount.
Any air of doubt about Anthony being a kindred spirit to Mr. Darcy was cleared away by Dusen.
He confirmed to "E! News":
"Anthony is a version of Mr. Darcy."
In a separate interview, Dusen also invoked the famous hand-clench scene of Mr. Darcy.
Many have compared this scene to the almost finger-touching scene between Kate Sharma
and Anthony.
Every few scenes in "Bridgerton," you'll encounter a score that sounds similar to a pop song
you have on your own playlist.
The enchanting background score includes contemporary touches, featuring the likes of Harry Styles,
Ariana Grande, and even Nirvana.
The modern songs have been rendered as regal-sounding, classical pop.
Each featured track is apparently selected carefully to be meaningful to the plot running
in the foreground.
The song "Stay Away" by Nirvana plays when Anthony Bridgerton scours for a wife.
Music supervisor Justin Kamps said:
"It's this frenetic sound, mimicking the stresses that are put on him.
[...] It matches the standoffish way that Anthony's going about his life."
Fans are as obsessed with the show's music as much as with the show itself.
They appreciate the way it streamlines high art and pop culture.
One of the most popular numbers was "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham", which plays during Edwina
Sharma's wedding prep.
According to Kamps, it sent emotions soaring among viewers.
Composer Kris Bowers revealed that the idea to include the song actually came from his
assistant, who heard the song all the time while growing up.
"Bridgerton" is anything but historical truth.
The setting resembles the time and place of 19th century Regency London, but the show
takes its creative liberties.
According to series creator Chris Van Dusen:
"The show is for a modern audience, and everything on this show is filtered through a modern
lens.
We're re-imagining this world; it's not a history lesson and it's not a documentary."
"Bridgerton" portrays a multiracial high society from which the concept of racial hierarchy
seems to be absent.
Some key characters from the aristocracy are played by Black actors, including the Queen,
Lady Danbury, and the Duke of Hastings.
Star Regé-Jean Page said:
"With color-conscious casting, I get to exist as a Black person in the world."
While this aspect of the show was welcomed by many, others saw it differently.
The New York Times described it as "escapism."
While the characters' races have kicked off many online debates and think pieces, it's
interesting to note that race wasn't mentioned at all in the original books.
The show features a few other historical inaccuracies, including wardrobe blunders and sightings
of parking lines and manhole covers.
"We're not saying this is exactly what Regency London was like.
We're saying, 'This is our version.'"
The first season of "Bridgerton" showcased extravagant Regency-era fashion.
"Bridgerton" inspired an increase in demands for corsets, headbands, and empire line dresses.
However, it's worth noting that the ensembles featured in the show weren't always the most
comfortable.
Actress Simone Ashley, who plays Kate Sharma in Season 2, explained:
"When you're in a corset, you can't put your shoes on.
[...] I had a lot of pain with the corset, too, I think I tore my shoulder at one point!"
Corsets are so tight they apparently make eating difficult.
Ashley said it made her feel sick.
Golda Rosheuvel, who plays Queen Charlotte, revealed it was difficult to answer nature's
call while wearing her costume.
"I'm corseted up twice.
So yeah, it takes about half an hour to go to the toilet."
Meanwhile, her co-star Nicola Coughlan said of her outfit:
"The heels paired with the corset was a pretty bad combination for me, in that I fell over
three times on my first day."
Kanthony fans, assemble!
We need to talk about the omission of the Kate-Anthony Bridgerton wedding.
The star pair shared electric energy from the get-go, and fans expected their love to
culminate in a grander-than-royal wedding.
Instead, the series took a time jump of six months.
Kate and Anthony were already married and back from their honeymoon.
Series creator Chris Van Dusen told TVLine:
"Tonally speaking, we wondered how Kate and Anthony's wedding would compare [to the Edwina-Anthony
wedding].
The Queen sponsored Edwina and Anthony's wedding, and she wasn't going to do it twice."
Director Cheryl Dunye further explained:
"Two weddings in a show that were that spectacular, one could not do after the other."
The Pall Mall scene was a standout in "Bridgerton" Season 2.
Charithra Chandran, who plays Kate's sister Edwina, described it as:
"Definitely the most anticipated scene of the season."
It showed the Bridgertons and Sharmas engaged in delightful banter and a competitive croquet-like
game.
It may well be one of the most memorable parts from Julia Quinn's novel "The Viscount Who
Loved Me."
As famous as the bit is today, it would surprise you to know that it almost didn't make it
to the original story!
Quinn revealed:
"I was about 2/3 into the book when I realized that everything seemed to be happening too
fast.
I realized I needed to add a scene in which Kate realized that Anthony wasn't such a bad
guy, and the best way to do that would be to show him interacting with his family."
Makers of the show couldn't dream of skipping the Pall Mall scene.
Chris Van Dusen described it as "quintessential Bridgerton."
Apparently, the cast enjoyed filming the Pall Mall scene as much as fans enjoyed watching
it.
Phoebe Dynevor described herself as the "worst player" but said the cast all "had a blast"
shooting it.
"It was a bonding experience.
I can't say we were very good, but we gave it a go."
The Bridgerton house is actually a silent homage to the late Diana Spencer, Princess
of Wales.
Showrunner Chris Van Dusen revealed in a tweet:
"The interior of Bridgerton House was inspired by my visit to Althorp when I was developing
the show.
Elegance.
Opulence.
And that #staircase."
Althorp, an estate situated in West Northamptonshire, is where Princess Diana grew up.
The property has been in the Spencer family for five centuries.
Dusen's disclosure was noticed by Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother.
He currently manages the Althorp estate.
He declared that Van Dusen's remarks are:
"Such a compliment to those of my family who went before me, making [Althorp] what it still
is today."
Though a key character in the TV series, Queen Charlotte doesn't actually figure in the original
books.
However, she wasn't exactly created from scratch, either.
She is based on an actual monarch from the pages of British history.
Charlotte married King George III in 1761.
She hailed from African heritage, and historians believe her to have been Britain's first Black
queen.
In that way, the Netflix show remains loyal to historical commentary on Charlotte.
Golda Rosheuvel has commended the decision.
She told Insider:
"Putting that person at the top of the triangle, as a person of color, allows you to expand
the boundaries."
Charlotte has become so popular that Netflix is planning a spinoff series that will focus
exclusively on her, according to Variety.
The series will reportedly show her marriage and arrival in London as a royal of color.
Her longtime friend Lady Danbury will also appear.
As Shondaland announced on Instagram:
"The Bridgerton-verse is expanding!"
Did you think Daphne Bridgerton looked familiar, but couldn't place it?
It was probably because of her classic Audrey Hepburn hairstyle.
Hairstylist Marc Pilcher revealed the inspiration behind Daphne's micro-fringe plus bun look
on Instagram, saying:
"My designs were derived from images of [Audrey Hepburn] in the 1950s film War and Peace.
This film, although made in the 50s, was also set in the Regency period."
As for Queen Charlotte's towering wigs, Pilcher told Marie Claire:
"They are my interpretation of how a Black Queen would look, a celebration of Afro hair
and dreadlocks but in the silhouettes of the period."
Pilcher also modeled the look after a modern-day queen: Queen Bey.
Pilcher revealed to Harper's Bazaar Golda Rosheuvel's larger-than-life Afro was inspired
by Beyoncé's look in the 2002 film "Austin Powers in Goldmember."
According to Pilcher:
"That wig was literally five wigs sewn together."
Rosheuvel told Insider that her favorite wig was the one that depicts Charlotte's natural
hair.
Though "Bridgerton" is shot at some opulent locations, a few of its delights are actually
visual effects, created by a studio called One Of Us.
They enhanced details as wide as the cityscape down to the small symbolic bee.
Even parts of the Bridgerton house were digitally created using green screens, such as when
Eloise is smoking on the swing.
In a press release, the studio said it was a challenge to accurately portray Georgian
London:
"The two finest houses on Grosvenor Square are home to the two principal families.
Filmed at separate locations many miles apart, the goal was to bring the two buildings to
face each other across the square."
According to the studio, even the expansive garden at the center of the neighborhood was
"fully CG."
The grand sets of "Bridgerton" may be even more bewitching than the steamy romance and
ostentatious wardrobes.
But while we’re taking in all that splendor, the makers of the show pulled a fast one and
apparently recycled a few sets for different sequences.
Architectural Digest reports that the show has 54 studio sets at a huge studio near London.
Sets are repurposed frequently.
Production designer Will Hughes-Jones revealed to Elle Decor that many sets even spilled
over from Season 1 into 2:
"We had redundant sets like Daphne's dressing room, which we 'swung' into new sets for this
season.
That room became the Sharmas' accommodation at Aubrey Hall, as well as Anthony's room
in Aubrey Hall very much later."
Season 1 reportedly flaunted over 250 sets built from scratch, but still featured a few
repeat appearances.
The Wilton House estate served as Queen Charlotte's royal chambers, Lady Danbury's library, and
the house of the Duke of Hastings.
Did you know there are three women playing the mysterious Lady Whistledown?
The identity of the notorious gossip was among the most anticipated revelations of the first
season.
For the better part, she remained only a pen-wielding hand and an all-knowing voice:
"You do not know me, and rest assured, you never shall.
But be forewarned, dear reader — I certainly know you."
She was finally exposed as Penelope Featherington during the finale.
But you may have noticed a mismatch between Penelope's voice and the much older-sounding
articulation of Lady Whistledown's narrations.
Off-camera, it was actually acting veteran Julie Andrews monologuing those juicy scandals!
Chris Van Dusen said that Andrews was their top choice to play Lady Whistledown:
"We offered her the part, sent her the scripts, not thinking anything would really come of
it.
But surprisingly she read the scripts and fell in love with them."
The identity of the third woman is more obscure.
Actor Claudia Jessie revealed:
"The woman who does, like, these amazing paintings of all of us is also Lady Whistledown's hand."
It was hard to look at anyone else when he was in the frame.
We're talking about the furriest, and possibly the most handsome, member of the "Bridgerton"
cast: Newton.
The pooch, who belongs to Kate Sharma, travels all the way from India to London.
Newton gives off major main character vibes all through Season 2.
Newton is played by a seven-year-old corgi named Austin.
"Bridgerton" is not Austin's first brush with British high society.
The cuddly actor also appeared in "The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty" as Queen Elizabeth's
dog.
Newton was a thorough ball of mischief on the show.
Simone Ashley dished on the antics the little glutton got up to on set:
"One of the buildings we filmed at, there was pebbles on the driveway.
I'd have him on the leash and he'd just be eating the stones and pooping out stones in
between takes."
Charithra Chandran added:
"Austin was not necessarily the best behaved dog."
In the show, Newton was responsible for Anthony Bridgerton's famous fall into the lake.
According to actor Jonathon Bailey, he and Newton "didn't really click," even off-camera.
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