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Shonda Rhimes reveals Bridgerton character best suited for 'great' spinoff

Shonda Rhimes opens up on Bridgerton future

Shonda Rhimes thinks a new Bridgerton spinoff series is "definitely" in the pipeline.

The 56-year-old producer, who created the beloved racy Netflix period drama, is "excited" to explore more of the regency era show after the success of 2023's Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

Appearing on the Glass Half Full podcast, she told host Craig Melvin: "I think definitely.

"That's an area that we're excited about and know that that could be really rich and really mined well."

If a spinoff series came to fruition, Shonda thinks the story of family matriarch Violent Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) would be a strong choice.

She said: "I’ve always said that I thought if we were going to do something like that, Violet would be a great person to tell the story about—the Bridgerton mom."

Fans got a taste of Violet's story in season four as her relationship with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) blossomed.

The relationship with the brother of friend Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) came years after husband Edmund Bridgerton had died.

However, Violet decided she wasn't ready to marry, and showrunner Jess Brownwell insisted the time wasn't right.

Speaking on Bridgerton: The Official Podcast, she previously said accepting Marcus' proposal "would be like her marrying the first guy right after her husband".

Jess added: “I feel like she has more of a journey to go on.

"She’s got some kids to see through, making sure that they get off on their way and debut before she’s ready to really do what she wants to really do. We’ll get there.”

Meanwhile, Julia Quinn - who penned the Bridgerton books which have inspired the show - admitted despite writing novella Violet in Bloom about the character's life from childhood and exploring her meeting Edmund, and his death, she isn't expecting to explore the story further.

In the FAQ section of her website, she said: "I’ve thought about writing about Violet and Edmund, but I think it would be too bittersweet. We all know that Edmund dies at the age of 39.

"Or even worse, what about the readers who might be trying my books for the first time? They wouldn’t know that he dies young.

"Think how furious they would be when they started reading the Bridgerton series and found out I’d killed off one of my heroes.

"But I can’t even begin to say how touched I am that so many readers want Violet to get her own (second) happy ending, but I’m afraid I just don’t see writing her story.

"I used to think it was because she was so devoted to Edmund, but after exploring the issue of second loves in When He Was Wicked, I realized that really wasn’t the reason.

"I’ve thought about it a while, and in all honesty, I don’t think I could come up with anyone good enough for her. Seriously. I just adore her."

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