Bridgerton is getting a prequel spinoff about Queen Charlotte's (presumably) horny youth
Given that it’s one of the most successful original series in Netflix’s history, and that it exists under the aegis of prominent TV empire-builder Shonda Rhimes, it’s not exactly surprising to learn that Chris Van Dusen’s Regency romance hit Bridgerton is getting a spinoff. Per THR, we’ve now got confirmation that the as-yet-untitled new show will not just be a spinoff, though, but a prequel spinoff, showcasing the love lives of the series’ older characters in their adventurous youths, carrying a long legacy of horny old-timey people back into the past.
Specifically, the new show will focus on Queen Charlotte (played by Golda Rosheuvel in the mothership series), whose intrigues inform so much of the action of the original show’s first season, and whose historical status—and specifically, the rumors that she was of at least partial African heritage—helped inform Van Dusen’s vision of a London society far more diverse than the one we actually got. Described as a limited series, the spinoff will also focus on the earlier lives of matriarchs Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury, all of whom, we suppose, must have had ribald encounters just as risqué and hornt-up as those of their later successors.
Meanwhile, the core series of Bridgerton is expected to roll merrily along, especially since it’s already been renewed up through its fourth season. THR does note that it’s now been formally announced that Van Dusen will be passing on his showrunner duties after the second season wraps; those’ll then go to long-time Shondaland alum Jess Brownell for the third and fourth seasons, as the series continues to adapt Julia Quinn’s bestselling books.