5 Factors That Put Bridgerton's 8-Season Plan In Serious Jeopardy

Back in 2021, Shonda Rhimes gave hope to Bridgerton fans everywhere.

'There are eight Bridgerton siblings, and as far as I'm concerned, there are eight Bridgerton seasons. And maybe more,' the legendary showmaker told Variety.

At the time, it seemed like a killer plan, making Bridgerverse fans relax and get ready for a long romantic ride. Sure, Netflix only greenlit four seasons, but with Shonda's confidence, more was a given, right? Well, not really.

Fast forward three years and one season, and Bridgerton is sitting on a powder keg. Turns out, Rhimes' grand plan isn't as rosy as promised. In fact, there are at least five factors that put it in jeopardy.

1. The Format

The idea of tackling one love story of a titular sibling in one season comes from the original Julia Quinn novel series and has many advantages. The storylines are not dragged-out, and you don't have to rewatch the whole show when a new season comes out (not that we don't rewatch it all the time anyway). But there is also a major cause for concern.

So far, viewers have only gotten to know the eldest siblings, and it is their arcs that keep us glued to the screen. But imagine when Colin, Benedict and Eloise are done finding the loves of their lives. Will we be as invested in the stories of Francesca, Hyacinth and Gregory?

2. The Premiere Schedule

This is probably the biggest concern for fans. The first two seasons of Bridgerton were released 15 months apart. And it will take almost twice as long for Season 3 to debut.

Of course, the Hollywood strike and other external factors (like the release of the spinoff Queen Charlotte) have taken their toll on the premiere schedule. But if this pattern holds and each new installment debuts roughly every two years, Season 8 will not arrive until 2034, which frankly sounds wild.

3. The Cast Involvement

The issue, which is a direct result of the previous take, is that not all cast members will stick with the show for another ten years. People age and move on. The youngest Bridgertons already look older than their on-screen counterparts. The actors playing the oldest have become big stars, sought after by British and American filmmakers.

Under such conditions, it will be difficult to keep the large ensemble cast in the show. And constant recasting and new characters is far from an ideal scenario.

4. The Public Interest

Taking all of this into consideration, the loss of at least some level of public interest in the future seems inevitable. Today, the Bridgerton fandom is massive and passionate. They make huge numbers for every new promo clip that lands on social media.

But people tend to shift their focus to new projects and pairings when the wait for breadcrumbs gets too long. This is even more true when you're talking about casual viewers who weren't that invested in the show to begin with.

5. The Netflix Algorithms

The production of the flagship costume show set in lavish historical locations is certainly expensive. At the same time, we know that Netflix has a fairly simple system when it comes to deciding the future of a show, they basically put the production budget against the viewership and see if the ratio is good enough to continue.

This means that each new season of Bridgerton must continue to break all kinds of records and charts to cover its costs. And if the previous points come true, that will be harder and harder to do.

Source: Variety.