TV

Blame Netflix and Shondaland For Bridgerton's PR Disaster

Blame Netflix and Shondaland For Bridgerton's PR Disaster
Image credit: Netflix

It’s hard to think of a messier TV promotion.

Summary:

  • Bridgerton is a romantic period drama produced by Netflix and Shondaland.
  • Starting from season 2, fans had some issues with the series’ promotion.
  • Now that it’s time for season 3 updates, the lack of effort put into the promotion creates a bad precedent.

Going back to December of 2020, when many people were on lockdown, and the release of a modernized period romance story offered a sweet escape from the doom of reality, it’s easy to see what made Bridgerton so popular.

Those who were familiar with Julia Quinn’s original book series were getting excited about the rest of 7 stories to come. Those who only met Bridgerton's family through the screen were falling in love with the characters, as well as with the fairy tale setting. It was a perfect show to binge during the winter holidays and come back to after a while.

It was only during the promotion of the second season that the team behind it took a turn for the worse. And now, almost 3 years later since the premiere, on the verge of the official announcement of Bridgerton season 3 release date, it becomes clear: no lessons were learned.

Bridgerton Season 3 Leaks And Rumors

Blame Netflix and Shondaland For Bridgerton's PR Disaster - image 1

If most of the questions about season 2 focused on the lack of interviews, teasers, photo shoots, and additional material with the two leads, Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey, then the promotional events for season 3 are questionable even before they have begun.

While it's hard to tell if the actual leads of the season will be in the spotlight, it's already pretty easy to see the level of secrecy surrounding any and all information about season 3. Pretty much every member of the Bridgerton cast has admitted to being forbidden to say anything about the upcoming season.

The longer fans wait, the more they resent the secrecy forced on the actors.

Blame Netflix and Shondaland For Bridgerton's PR Disaster - image 2

A practice like this becomes even more annoying when you consider the constant leaks from Netflix and Shondaland themselves. The first one, which stated that the season would be released on December 14, 2023, came from Netflix's official account during the TUDUM event in Brazil.

There is now a second leak floating around. This time it was accidentally posted as a header for Bridgestone's official profile on X (formerly known as Twitter). It states that the season will be split into two halves and released on May 16 and June 11 next year.

Blame Netflix and Shondaland For Bridgerton's PR Disaster - image 3

The more conflicting leaked information fans receive, otherwise kept in the dark with no new promotional material since June, the more frustrated they get. No matter how much Bridgerton is loved, four new images are not going to get fans through another year of waiting.

While some are praying for clarity, others seem to have given up on the show. The only hope is that Bridgerton season 3 will be so good in quality and chemistry that the romance will make everyone forget their grudge against the messy promo and rediscover their fondness for the show.