They’ve got glamorous clothes and swoon-worthy romances – but there’s more to period dramas than just escapism, as Prudence Wade explores. With its scandals, dramas and opulent outfits, the second season of Bridgerton lands on Netflix today.
There’s a lot to live up to – season one was watched by a record-breaking 82 million households in 28 days. But there’s also plenty look forward to in round two – we now know Nicola Coughlan’s character is the anonymous gossip writer, Lady Whistledown, and the main storyline is expected to be a romance between Anthony Bridgerton (played by Jonathan Bailey) and newcomer Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).
It’s not hugely surprising the first season of Bridgerton was so popular – it streamed during lockdown, so we were all at home and desperate for entertainment – and it also comes as part of a trend: an obsession with period dramas. Nicola Coughlan plays Penelope Featherington in the show, and she completely understands why it’s been so popular. “The world has been a very stressful place for the last number of years, so it just feels like an escape, it feels like a simpler time,” says Coughlan, 35. “And then you’ve got relatable issues of the real world – it’s a show about love at the core of it, so I think there’s something really deeply comforting and nice about that.”
With all the opulent outfits and extravagant sets, Bridgerton, like many period dramas, is perfect for a bit of escapism – but that doesn’t mean it’s not about the human condition in general. While we might not wear quite so many corsets today, there’s still plenty to relate to.
Talking of which, have a say in our survey below on who your favourite character is. And also sign up for free updates from our Diamonds of the First Water newsletter.
