Lady Whistledown and Netflix invite you to a second season of Bridgerton

We’re not sure if an official announcement confirming a second season of Netflix’s hotly devoured period drama Bridgerton really qualifies as good gossip. For some of us, our Twitter timelines have essentially devolved into steady streams of Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) thirst and, as of Wednesday, well-curated Bernie Sanders memes. (Well, that’s certainly the case for this writer, at least.) Also, the streaming platform has been teasing the news for days. But the perceived obviousness of Netflix maybe wanting to hold onto their Regency-era golden goose a little while longer hasn’t precluded Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews) from announcing the renewal with all the pageantry you’d expect from the Shondaland hit.

“The ton are abuzz with the latest gossip, and so it is my honor to impart to you: Bridgerton shall officially return for a second season,” Netflix’s announcement reads. “I do hope you stored a bottle of ratafia for this most delightful occasion.”

The announcement goes on to confirm that production will begin this spring and that season two’s focus will land squarely on Lord Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey. The entire cast is confirmed to return for the next round of bodice-ripping and societal faux pas with creator Chris Van Dusan continuing to lead the way.

Adapted from a series of novels by Julia Quinn, Bridgerton has remained one of Netflix’s most streamed properties since its Christmas debut. According to The A.V. Club’s series review by Gwen Ihnat Lady Whistledown herself: “Bridgerton has a soapy, compelling way about it. Although I think highly of myself (for obvious reasons), I would never deign to consider my writings great literature, and I doubt that the keepers of Bridgerton view their stories that way either. Nevertheless, people run toward my creative outputs, and I suspect that viewers of Bridgerton will likely do the same.”