Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Explained

Genre:Historical fiction
Creator:Shonda Rhimes
Director:Tom Verica
Country:United States
Composer:Kris Bowers
Num Episodes:6
Producer:Anna O'Malley
Cinematography:Jeffrey Jur
Company:Shondaland
Network:Netflix
Related:Bridgerton

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is an American historical fiction television limited series created by Shonda Rhimes for Netflix.[1] The series is a prequel spin-off of the Netflix series Bridgerton. The story is loosely based on an alternate history take on the rise of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz to prominence and power in the late 18th century. The series premiered on May 4, 2023, and consists of 6 episodes that are roughly an hour in runtime each.[2]

The series received generally favorable reviews by critics, who appreciated the performances of Adjoa Andoh and India Ria Amarteifio. It was nominated at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards for costume design, make-up and hairstyle, winning the latter; Julie Andrews was also nominated for her voice-over performance. Shonda Rhimes won the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Writing, Drama Series and the series was recognized at the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Drama Series.

Kris Bowers's score and soundtrack, containing reinterpretations of pop songs in a classical style, was well-received, with Alicia Keys's song "If I Ain't Got You" being nominated at the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video for Good.

In the first week after its premiere, the series debuted at number one in 91 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, South Africa and Canada, and topped the Netflix Global Weekly Top 10 on May 7, 2023.[3]

Premise

The spin-off miniseries revolving around Queen Charlotte consists of two plot lines: one in the present of Bridgerton, beginning in 1814 with the death of the royal heir Princess Charlotte, an event that causes the Queen to pressure her children to marry and produce another royal heir; the other begins in 1761 with Charlotte meeting and marrying King George. The latter explores the King and Queen's marriage and his mental illness.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guests

Production

Development

The series was announced in May 2021, with Shonda Rhimes set as showrunner and writer. Rhimes also serves as executive producer with Betsy Beers and director Tom Verica.[4] Anna O'Malley serves as producer.[5] The series consists of 6 episodes.[6] In April 2022, production designer Dave Arrowsmith was fired due to bullying allegations on set.[7] In an interview for Netflix Tudum, the executive producer and screenwriter Verica talked about the creative process behind the series and why it was chosen to be based on the Charlotte Queen figure:[8] [9]

Casting

On March 30, 2022, Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, and Hugh Sachs were announced to be reprising their roles from Bridgerton. India Amarteifio, Michelle Fairley, Corey Mylchreest, Arsema Thomas, Sam Clemmett, Richard Cunningham, Tunji Kasim, Rob Maloney, and Cyril Nri were also cast.[10] In June 2022, Katie Brayben and Keir Charles were cast in recurring roles.[11] One month later, Connie Jenkins-Grieg joined the cast as a young Violet Bridgerton.[12]

Filming

The series was previously set to begin filming in January 2022. Production began on February 6, 2022, under the working title Jewels, and was set to wrap in May 2022.[13] Director Tom Verica confirmed filming had started by March 28, 2022.[14] The series wrapped on August 30, 2022. The filming locations included Blenheim Palace, Belton House, Merton College, Hatfield House and Waddesdon Manor[15] as well as Hampton Court Palace.[16]

Music

Kris Bowers, who scored both the first and second seasons of Bridgerton, also worked on two original soundtrack projects for the series through Sony Music.[17] The first one, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series), was supervised by Bowers, with co-production by Max Wrightson and co-writing of some tracks by Alec Sievern and Michael Dean Parsons.[18] The second project, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Covers from the Netflix Series), provided for the reinterpretation in a classical music key of pop songs from Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, SZA, Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston discography.[19] Keys song "If I Ain't Got You" was recorded with Queen Charlotte's Global Orchestra, a 70-piece orchestra of women of colour and Keys herself, and has been used as a soundtrack song.[20]

Release

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story was released on Netflix on May 4, 2023, consisting of 6 episodes.[21]

Reception

In the first week after its premiere, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story debuted at number one in 91 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, South Africa and Canada, and the Netflix Global Weekly Top 10[22] ranking of the ten most-watched English-language TV series on the platform in seven days with a further 148.28 million viewing hours.[23] It peaked in week two with 158.68 million hours of viewing,[24] maintaining the top spot in the Global Weekly Top 10 in week three as well.[25]

Critics reviews

[26] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, has assigned a score of 76 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[27]

Time ranked the series on The 5 Best New TV Shows of May 2023.[28] Judy Berman of the same magazine wrote that the plot "It’s a neat explanation and one that works well thematically, if not historically" found out that "Rhimes’ reimagined 18th century England has much in common with the contemporary U.S. It's a multicultural society, but one that is in the midst of a painful transformation".[29]

Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave 4 out of 5 stars, defining the series as a "gorgeous six-episode romp from Shondaland" and "a rare exception to the rule of prequels and will hopefully set many of its younger stars on the road to success" especially appreciating the acting of Amarteifio.[30] Nicole Vassell of The Independent pointed out that "Queen Charlotte delivers everything a Bridgerton fan could want . . . with touches of social commentary that feel refreshing, rather than preachy".[31]

The Hollywood Reporters writer Angie Han found the story a "delectable romantic treat", writing that "Queen Charlotte is the tension between the cotton-candy fantasy that’s made Bridgerton so beloved with the thornier ground already laid out for the central couple by the core series" in which "the challenge ultimately yields a spinoff that’s richer and more complex than the flagship series".[32] Lorraine Ali of Los Angeles Times wrote that "lighthearted romance and romps in the gilded bed still play starring roles, and the prequel offers plenty of splendid scenery", appointing that "there is finally a gay love affair in the “Bridgerton” franchise, perhaps in response to criticisms that the series lacked a same-sex relationship, but the subplot does not feel engineered or obligatory. It naturally dovetails with all the other affairs of the heart".[33]

Alison Herman of Variety wrote that Queen Charlotte "offers an ideal metaphor for what the best spinoffs can do; [...] In its brevity, Queen Charlotte can strip down the broad ensemble of “Bridgerton” into a more focused story".[34] Inkoo Kang, writer of The New Yorker, appointed that "this counter-history is hardly convincing as a remedy to ingrained prejudice. [...] But this is also an alternate universe where eighteenth-century musicians play twenty-first-century pop hits and the reigning English monarch is toe-curlingly handsome, so let us feel free to exercise some suspension of disbelief".[35]

Historian S. I. Martin, who specializes in Black British history, described the series as "an absurd take on Black history" and accused it of "inviting, or fomenting, the forgetting or overlooking" of the "time when Britain was the largest trader in human lives on the planet". Gretchen Gerzina, author of Britain's Black Past, fears that the series' race twisting "gives people a pass to say, 'Oh, it was all right. They didn’t suffer and they were wealthy.'"[36]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResultRef
20237th Annual Black Reel Awards for TelevisionOutstanding Drama SeriesShonda Rhimes[37]
Outstanding Writing, Drama Series
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Drama SeriesAdjoa Andoh
Golda Rosheuvel
Arsema Thomas
Outstanding Musical ScoreKris Bowers
Outstanding Original Song"A Feeling I've Never Been" – Kris Bowers and Tayla Parx
14th Hollywood Music in Media AwardsBest Main Title Theme – TV Show/Limited SeriesQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story – Kris Bowers[38]
202475th Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Period Costumes for a SeriesLyn Elizabeth Paolo, Laura Frecon, Jovana Gospavic, Alex Locke (for "Crown Jewels")[39]
Outstanding Period and/or Character HairstylingNic Collins, Giorgio Galliero (for "Crown Jewels")
Outstanding Character Voice-Over PerformanceJulie Andrews (for "Honeymoon Bliss")
3rd Astra TV AwardsBest Streaming Series, DramaQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story[40]
Best Actress in a Streaming Series, DramaIndia Ria Amarteifio
49th People's Choice AwardsThe Bingeworthy Show of the YearQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story[41]
The TV Performance of the YearAdjoa Andoh
35th GLAAD Media AwardsOutstanding Limited or Anthology SeriesQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story[42]
55th NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Drama Series[43]
Outstanding Actress in a Drama SeriesIndia Ria Amarteifio
Outstanding Actress in a Drama SeriesAdjoa Andoh
Arsema Thomas
Golda Rosheuvel
Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic SeriesShonda Rhimes
76th Writers Guild of America AwardsEpisodic DramaShonda Rhimes (for "Crown Jewels")[44]
Best Titles & Graphic IdentityStudio AKA[45]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Queen Charlotte . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230314000137/https://directories.wga.org/project/1239177/queen-charlotte . March 14, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . Writers Guild of America West.
  2. Web site: Tucker . Christina Grace . May 4, 2023 . Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Series-Premiere Recap: The Great Experiment . May 28, 2023 . . en-us.
  3. Web site: Peralta . Diego . May 16, 2023 . 'Queen Charlotte' Reigns Supreme as One of Netflix's Most Popular Shows Yet . May 28, 2023 . . en.
  4. Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . May 14, 2021 . 'Bridgerton' Gets Young Queen Charlotte Spinoff From Shonda Rhimes, Sets Jess Brownell As Season 3 & 4 Showrunner . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211109082755/https://deadline.com/2021/05/bridgerton-young-queen-charlotte-spinoff-prequel-shonda-rhimes-jess-brownell-season-3-4-showrunner-chris-van-dusen-exit-1234756520/ . November 9, 2021 . April 11, 2022 . Deadline Hollywood.
  5. CbwyFCpLdFU. tomverica. Thrilled about this next chapter! @shondarhimes @beersbetsy @shondaland @netflix. March 31, 2022. Tom Verica. Tom Verica.
  6. Web site: Porter . Rick . March 30, 2022 . 'Bridgerton' Spinoff Finds Its Young Queen Charlotte . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220411213453/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bridgerton-spinoff-netflix-young-queen-charlotte-1235122634/ . April 11, 2022 . April 11, 2022 . The Hollywood Reporter.
  7. Web site: Yossman . K.J. . April 11, 2022 . Netflix Parts Ways With 'Bridgerton' Spin-Off Production Designer Amid Bullying Allegations . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220411140950/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/bridgerton-queen-charlotte-bullying-1235229784/ . April 11, 2022 . April 11, 2022 . Variety.
  8. Web site: Romero . Ariana . May 19, 2023 . Wondering what the Great Experiment Is? The Queen Charlotte Cast Explains . May 28, 2023 . . en.
  9. Web site: Romero . Ariana . Bentley . Jean . May 19, 2023 . 'Queen Charlotte': Inside the History of a Fictional World . May 28, 2023 . . en.
  10. Web site: Cordero . Rosy . March 30, 2022 . 'Bridgerton' Young Queen Charlotte Spinoff Casts Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh & Ruth Gemmell . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220411213453/https://deadline.com/2022/03/golda-rosheuval-adjoa-andoh-ruth-gemmell-bridgerton-young-queen-charlotte-spinoff-1234991140/ . April 11, 2022 . April 11, 2022 . Deadline Hollywood.
  11. Web site: Rice . Lynette . June 8, 2022 . 'Bridgerton' Spinoff About Queen Charlotte Adds Katie Brayben & Keir Charles . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220714170508/https://deadline.com/2022/06/bridgerton-spinoff-queen-charlotte-casting-1235040881/ . July 14, 2022 . July 14, 2022 . Deadline Hollywood.
  12. Web site: Rice . Lynette . July 7, 2022 . 'Bridgerton' Spinoff About Queen Charlotte Casts Connie Jenkins-Greig As Daughter Of Vivian & Lord Ledger . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220716054512/https://deadline.com/2022/07/bridgerton-spinoff-about-queen-charlotte-casts-daughter-vivian-lord-ledger-1235059407/ . July 16, 2022 . July 14, 2022 . Deadline Hollywood.
  13. Web site: Moore . Kasey . September 14, 2022 . 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story': Everything We Know So Far . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220326111810/https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/queen-charlotte-everything-we-know-about-the-bridgerton-spin-off-03-2022/ . March 26, 2022 . September 15, 2022 . What's On Netflix.
  14. CbqB1sephhK. tomverica. New chapter. Day 1 filming. Never gets old. #DirectorsPOV Wait til you see what we've got in store!. March 28, 2022. Tom Verica. Tom Verica.
  15. Web site: Hassan . Beril Naz . May 9, 2023 . Where is Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story filmed? . May 28, 2023 . . en-GB.
  16. Web site: Bridgerton Filming. 27 April 2023 . Historic Royal Palaces. 2 October 2023. Key filming locations include Master Carpenter's Court, Fountain Court, Clock Court, Base Court, the King's Stairs and the Gardens.
  17. Web site: Geraci . Samantha . 4 May 2023 . Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton StorySoundtrack & Covers Albums Out Now . 4 May 2023 . . en-US.
  18. Web site: Cormack . Morgan . 4 May 2023 . Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story soundtrack: All the songs in the Netflix drama . 4 May 2023 . . en.
  19. Web site: Gomez . Dessi . 4 May 2023 . Here Are All the Cover Songs in Queen Charlotte . 4 May 2023 . . en-US.
  20. Web site: Reilly . Nick . 4 May 2023 . Alicia Keys on revamping 'If I Ain't Got You' for 'Queen Charlotte' soundtrack . 4 May 2023 . . en-GB.
  21. Web site: Strause . Jackie . February 14, 2023 . 'Queen Charlotte' Makes Her Debut With Trailer, Release Date for 'Bridgerton'-verse Prequel Series . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230214165727/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/queen-charlotte-bridgerton-spinoff-trailer-premiere-1235325198/ . February 14, 2023 . February 14, 2023 . The Hollywood Reporter.
  22. Web site: Netflix Top 10 – Global . May 28, 2023 . Netflix.
  23. Web site: Bell . BreAnna . May 9, 2023 . Netflix Top 10: 'Queen Charlotte' Debuts at No. 1 With Nearly 150 Million Hours Viewed . May 28, 2023 . . en-US.
  24. Web site: Campione . Katie . May 16, 2023 . 'Queen Charlotte' Prepares For Coronation Among Netflix's Most Popular Series Of All Time . May 28, 2023 . . en-US.
  25. Web site: Campione . Katie . May 23, 2023 . 'XO, Kitty' Falls Head Over Heels Among Netflix Top 10 English-Language Series; 'Queen Charlotte' Continues To Reign . May 28, 2023 . . en-US.
  26. queen_charlotte_a_bridgerton_story. tv. 1. July 23, 2024.
  27. queen-charlotte-a-bridgerton-story. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. tv. 1. June 3, 2023.
  28. Berman . Judy . 31 May 2023 . The 5 Best New TV Shows Our Critic Watched in May 2023 . 6 June 2023 . . en-US.
  29. Berman . Judy . 8 May 2023 . 'Queen Charlotte' Fixes What Was Broken About 'Bridgerton' . 6 June 2023 . . en-US.
  30. News: Mangan . Lucy . 4 May 2023 . Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story review – a ravishing, romp-packed prequel . en-GB . . 27 May 2023 . 0261-3077.
  31. Web site: Vassell . Nicole . 4 May 2023 . Queen Charlotte blends romance and race issues in dashing Bridgerton prequel – review . 27 May 2023 . . en-GB.
  32. Web site: Han . Angie . 3 May 2023 . 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story' Review: Netflix Prequel Is a Delectable Romantic Treat . 27 May 2023 . . en-US.
  33. Web site: Ali . Lorraine . 4 May 2023 . Review: Believe the talk of the ton: 'Queen Charlotte' rules in this 'Bridgerton' prequel . 27 May 2023 . . en-US.
  34. Web site: Herman . Alison . May 3, 2023 . 'Queen Charlotte' Is the Best 'Bridgerton' Yet: TV Review . May 29, 2023 . . en-US.
  35. Kang . Inkoo . May 15, 2023 . "Queen Charlotte" Has Shonda Rhimes All Over It . en-US . . 2023-05-29 . 0028-792X.
  36. News: Rose. Steve. 12 June 2023 . 'Why is Bridgerton's race twisting acceptable?' The real problem with the show's Black fantasy. en-GB . . 13 June 2023.
  37. Web site: Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; 'The Best Man: Final Chapters' leads with 18 noms . Valerie . Complex . . June 15, 2023 . July 3, 2023.
  38. Web site: Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo Nominated for 2023 Hollywood Music in Media Awards . Caroline . Brew . . November 2, 2023 . November 3, 2023.
  39. Web site: 75th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List . . July 12, 2023.
  40. Hollywood Creative Alliance Reveals the Nominees for the 2023 HCA TV Awards Streaming Edition . . July 11, 2023 . July 11, 2023.
  41. Web site: Malec . Brett . January 11, 2024 . 2024 People's Choice Awards: Complete List of Nominees . January 14, 2024 . E! Online.
  42. Web site: Pedersen . Erik . January 17, 2024 . GLAAD Media Awards Nominations Revealed . January 17, 2024 . Deadline Hollywood.
  43. Web site: Hipes . Patrick . January 25, 2024 . Colman Domingo, Keke Palmer, Ayo Edebiri, Victoria Monét Lead NAACP Image Awards Nominations . January 26, 2024 . Deadline Hollywood.
  44. Web site: Pedersen . Erik . February 21, 2024 . Strike-Delayed Writers Guild Awards Nominations Revealed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240221203020/https://deadline.com/2024/02/wga-awards-2024-nominations-list-1235833003/ . February 21, 2024 . February 27, 2024 . Deadline Hollywood.
  45. Web site: BAFTA Television 2024: The Winners and Nominations. BAFTA. 12 May 2024. 12 May 2024.

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