Global hit series Bridgerton set to make return
Season two of Bridgerton is coming out on Netflix on March 23, much to the delight of its worldwide fan base. The first season was watched by some 82 million people across the globe.
All of those people will have watched Bath shine in all its glory as multiple locations across the city were used by the production team to film season one.
Back then, no one could have foreseen what a huge hit the racy period drama would be.
Frequently, film crews were spotted in key Bath locations filming the show back in 2019.
They caused some local interest, with tourists enjoying the action, while locals dealt with road closures which caused traders to loose out on footfall.
Yet the filming didn’t draw huge crowds by any stretch.
Fast forward to it being the second most-watched season in Netflix’s history (in number of views in the first 28 days) and filming in actual locations becomes a bit of nightmare. Just imagine the size of crowd it would draw in Bath.
It led to the production team filming a lot of the scenes in a studio north of London comprising 110,000 square metres and multiple sets. It has everything from the Bridgerton drawing room to a cobblestone street that opens into the Modiste shop to a two-story set that has been designed and re-designed as three different balls.
Yet, it didn’t quite have everything as the film crew did reportedly sneak back into Bath quite covertly in May last year.
The Holburne Museum, which doubles as Lady Danbury’s home, was swamped with film crews on Friday, May 14.
The museum is just one filming location, along with the Guildhall, The Assembly Rooms, Beauford Square and Trim Street, Bath Street, The Royal Crescent and The Abbey Deli.
A source told the Chronicle last May, that it was Bridgerton filming at the museum, despite trucks being marked up with ‘Waterloo.’ It is understood ‘Waterloo’ is a code name for the hit Netflix show.
The stunning Grade I-listed exterior of the Holburne Museum is seen in all but one episode of season one so it’s no surprise film crews would need to return.
The front of the museum was cordoned off by a large screen which shields any activity inside.
It was said that actors weren’t on set as the crew were purely filming exterior shots.
Security around the museum was tight to stop any avid fans from glimpsing too much. Photos show the surrounding streets blocked off and a film crew on site.
There is no doubt that the show has been a great success story for Bath.
It has helped draw in tourism as there are several walking tours of Bridgerton filming locations across the city offering fans a ‘behind the scenes’ experience.