TV changes not a Bridgerton too far
WHILE fans expressed their outrage online at the news Bridgerton would deviate from their beloved books’ timeline, author Julia Quinn is not fussed in the slightest.
Netflix’s hit series, which is expected to return for its highly anticipated third season later this year, will explore the love story between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlin).
It means the raunchy Regency-era romance will skip ahead in Quinn’s book series and adapt the events of the fourth book in the franchise, Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
Quinn, who has been touring Australia with HarperCollins for the first time since her books hit the screen, isn’t among those who have fears when beloved books are adapted for screen.
And that’s especially so with revered TV creator Shonda Rhimes – the hit maker behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and
Station 19 – in charge.
“Shondaland Productions, I mean, they are simply the best people in TV, so I’m certainly not going to tell Shonda Rhimes how to make television,” Quinn said.
“And it’s not even just about the finished product. As a company, they align with all my values.
“I really wasn’t worried at all. I also think there’s the fact I am very passionate about my characters, but when I shut the book, I shut the book. I don’t live and breathe the characters all the time.
“I’m able to give myself a certain degree of separation that other authors have some degree of difficulty in doing.”
One of Quinn’s favourite characters in the Netflix adaptation is the indomitable Queen Charlotte, who doesn’t feature in her original novels.
“Hands down, my favourite change they made for the show was adding Queen Charlotte as character,” she said.
Netflix just announced the Bridgerton prequel will air in May. Centred on Queen
Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power, the six-episode series tells the story of how the young Queen’s s marriage to King George sparked parked both a great love ve story and a societal shift, creating the world inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.
And now Quinn is cowriting a book with Rhimes inspired by the TV prequel.
“So, you have a set of books that inspired a show, that inspired another show which has now inspired a book,”
Quinn said. While Quinn isn’t privy to when the “Polin” season will drop on the streamer, she put paid to rumours rumour circulating that production had ha stopped to completely c rework r the script.
“I saw that stuff s on the internet in as well and, an as far as I know, know there’s no truth tru to it,” she said, id before sharing her own favourite conspiracy theory.
“There’s this one going around that I left a hint on my website as to the order of who’s going to star in the next series – like if you look at the character pages.
“If you guys think I’m organised enough to drop subtext hints on my website, I can tell you there is no truth to that rumour.”
While the financial pressure’s off the best-selling author, there’s a whole level of scrutiny the Netflix series has brought.
“I do feel the pressure to make sure I really get it right,” Quinn said. “I’m still waiting for the exact right idea.”