Will Netflix’s Bridgerton start a new trend for adaptations?

By Rebecca Mills | Jan 23, 2021

BRIDGERTON (L to R) REG-JEAN PAGE as SIMON BASSET and PHOEBE DYNEVOR as DAPHNE BRIDGERTON in episode 102 of BRIDGERTON Cr. LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX © 2020 /

You can’t go anywhere without hearing about Bridgerton on Netflix. Whether it’s at work, talking with friends, or scrolling your feed, it seems like everyone has become infatuated with Netflix’s new series.

Based on a popular historical romance book series by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton is a delightful series in which we follow the Bridgerton siblings on their own quests for love and the series does a great job of showcasing that.

Even though things have been changed between the book and series, it’s clear fans of either or both are happy. Since its premiere, the series has been talked about non-stop and has even been renewed for a second season. It’s no surprise considering its popularity and plethora of lovable side characters who want their own happily-ever-after.

With the popularity of Bridgerton, it’s clear Netflix has a vision for what the streaming service can become. However, its success doesn’t just start and stop with Netflix. If anything, it could signify an even larger cultural trend to come and that’s more romance books being adapted. It doesn’t necessarily have to be historical romance per se but the series might open the door for more than we might think.

Before getting started, I’d be remiss to not mention how much the romance genre is constantly mistreated and seen as lesser than other genres. Considering how popular the genre is, it’s incredibly frustrating for readers of the genre and those who enjoy media centered around it.

We can applaud Bridgerton for everything it’s doing for romance lovers, but it’s also fair to point out that romance hasn’t always been treated with such respect.

Will Bridgerton’s success push more romance adaptations to the mainstream?

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However, with the success of Bridgerton, we might see other mainstream romance novels finally being adapted. Julia Quinn is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to historical romances.

If Netflix did decide to adapt works, they might dive into the catalog of authors such as Beverly Jenkins, Alyssa Cole, or Courtney Milan. All are authors of color and have written fantastic historical romance stories, perfect for a follow-up to Bridgerton.

If the trend drifts to other streaming services, we could end up seeing an entirely new world of historical romance dramas out there. It’s such a vast genre to boot that romances could be set during any time period.

While we’ve seen our fair share of historical dramas, it would be nice to see more just centering around romance. Not every series has to have a romance, but it certainly would help pull viewers as proven by Netflix’s success.

While Netflix didn’t start this trend, they’re really lighting a fire under other services to try and find their own “version” of Bridgerton. For Hulu, they might try to adapt something written by Lisa Kleypas while HBO Max or Amazon Prime might try adapting a work by Sarah MacLean or Tessa Dare.

Either way, there is no way other historical romance novels aren’t being shopped around and trying to find homes because of how well Bridgerton was received.

Ultimately, it feels like it’s going to be a spike in romance novels being adapted. Some non-historical romances are already poised to hit our screens soon such as The Hating Game, Intercepted, and Marry Me. Those are just a few examples, but it seems like more and more romances are getting their time in the sun.

It’s been a long time coming and it’s exciting to finally see more romance books getting a chance no one thought they would have and Bridgerton is exactly the push the entertainment world needed to ensure it will happen.

Bridgerton Season 2 release date, cast, trailer, and more. dark. Next

Bridgerton is currently streaming on Netflix.

What did you think of Bridgerton? Do you think we’ll see an uptick in romance novels being adapted within the next year or so? Be sure to let us know in the comments!