Dearest reader...Bridgerton is back! The new seriesof the Regency-era period drama has arrived on Netflix.
Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton and Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington season 3 of Bridgerton. (Image: Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2023)
From Shondaland and new showrunner, Jess Brownell, Bridgerton returnsfor its third seasonand finds Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging words about her last season.
She has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters.
But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly. Enter Colin to help outPenelope.
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in the episode one of the third season of Bridgerton. (Image: Laurence Cendrowicz/Netflix © 2024)
Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the new season of Bridgerton, with 25fascinating facts from the third series. From hair, makeup and clothing to what tea the cast drink,Lady Whistledownwould be proud of our backstage gossip from the Ton.
1. Penelope’s hair and makeup were carefully crafted to reflect her emotional journey this season. In past seasons, her makeup was designed to accentuate her face as childlike. This season, as she matures, her makeup is made to look more glamorous, elongated, and contoured — lifting her cheekbones and accentuating her eyes.
2. Penelope’s hair design, softer curls cascading down to one side, was inspired by old school Hollywood icons like Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe, with a touch of Jessica Rabbit. It contrasts with the tight pin curls Penelope has worn in the past.
3. For the big scene when Penelope comes down the stairs at the Four Seasons Ball, showcasing her new look, showrunner Jess Brownell used the 1999 film She's All Thatas a reference.The staircase Penelope descends is covered in cherry blossoms and other fresh blooms to represent her new growth.
4. This season, many of the hair and headpieces were more deconstructed than in previous seasons. Penelope’s headpiece for the Full Moon Ball in Episode 2 is composed of 15 small pieces all worked into her hair, each made of layers of pleated organza, tulle, sequins, gold foil, crystals, brooches, sequins, and mirrored ribbon.
5. The floral team created a huge moon-shaped flower arrangement for the Full Moon Ball, and also designed 16 various flower arrangements shaped like the different phases of the moon. The space is lit by roughly 500 LED candles.
6. Colin’s costuming incorporates blues this season, a nod to his Bridgerton roots, but it’s a deeper, stronger blue than the baby blues we’ve seen him wear in the past.
Simone Ashley as Kate and Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton. (Image: Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2023)
7. Anthony and Kate’s new apartments in the Bridgerton house are a combination of their twochampagnes — with the richer, more sunset colours that defined the Sharma colour palette in season two. If you look closely, you’ll also spot a portrait of Kate’s beloved dog Newton in their space.
8. The Cowpers’ home, set in Pitzhanger Manor, which was Sir John Soane's country manor, is all period accurate. The space is meant to give a very masculine, foreboding, austere, oppressive feeling. And because Cressida is usually dressed in very pale pink tones, and very heavily ornamented, the team wanted her to look like a caged bird in this very horrible, dark, foreboding
space that stands apart in the Bridgertonworld.
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper in Bridgerton. (Image: Laurence Cendrowicz/Netflix)
9. Theteam was also inspired by communist architecture, which is all about very tall imposing buildings, and making the people inside them feel very small. The production design lifted the ceilings, narrowed the space, and put big columns up the walls, all with the intention of making the characters feel smaller. Fans can also keep an eye out for ominous details across the Cowper settings, including a couch with a Medusa motif.
10. Colour always plays a key role in Bridgerton. Lady Tilley Arnold’s settings are very feminine, with a huge red bed and a dark red dining room to showcase her power. Will and Alice’s spaces reflect Will’s club colours, with burnt oranges and smoky greens. The Cowpers’ spaces are full of dark greys, ochres, and olive greens. The Bridgertons retain their soft palette of light creams, pinks, and blues, and the Featherington spaces are still full of their signature acidic citrus hues.
11. At Adjoa Andoh’s request, Lady Danbury’s jewellery this season includes references to Andoh’s own heritage. You can see Lady Danbury wearing an adinkra, which is a symbol meaning “to go and come back” in Ghanaian culture, and is in specific reference to Andoh’s grandmother.
Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton and Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton in Bridgerton. (Image: Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2024)
12. Francesca Bridgerton’s costuming is very reflective of her older sister, Daphne, and the team drew inspiration from simple, classic designs and fashion icons such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.
13. Francesca’s piano in the Bridgerton home is an original 17th century piano, and had to be tuned every time it was played.
Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton in Bridgerton. (Image: Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2024)
14. To reflect her growing independence from her family and her new romantic arc this season, Violet Bridgerton’s costuming and overall look is a little looser and youthful, with more sparkle and some added violet colours as a nod to her name.
15. Alice’s costuming is full of tasteful gold accents and romantic swirls this season, to showcase her new money and status in the Ton.
16. Roughly 45,000 yards of fabric were used this season to make the costumes across all eight episodes.
17. Queen Charlotte’s Swan Lake wig in Episode 4 — complete with swimming swans and bespoke cherry trees — actually has a working motor, and had to be hooked up to a battery.
18. When Benedict and Lady Tilley first dance in Episode 3, the choreography has strong tango influences, and they swap traditional dance roles to show how little Tilley cares for society etiquette and regulations.
19. Sam Phillips, who plays Lord Debling, made a 'Team Debling'T-shirt for co-star Nicola Coughlan during production.
20. Technically, the first ballet was not performed in London until 1835. But the Eros and Psyche ballet in Episode 4 speaks to the key themes about trust and mistrust threaded through this season. Choreographer Jack Murphy describes the ballet choreography as an homage to Matthew Bourne, and that it’s a “modern ballet in the style of the shows Swan Lake, Car Man, and The Nutcracker.” The lead dancers are Cira Robinson and Max Westwell.
21. The foods across this season are brighter than ever before. The team used papayas, prickly pears, plums, peaches, wild strawberries, oranges, and blush grapes to give the food rich pops of colour.
22. As in past seasons, the team still makes gallons of PG Tips or Tetley tea so that all of the tea seen in the show is real and enjoyable for actors to sip. They also made madeleines, lavender and rose biscuits, and other snacks to munch during scenes.
23. Butterflies are an important visual motif this season, signifying Penelope’s journey and transformation. You can spot butterfly embossments on her journal, in the grand staircase in the Featherington home, and elsewhere throughout the costuming and sets — all culminating in a key visual moment at the end of the season
24. Mirrors are also important visually, highlighting the idea of two selves, and are frequently used throughout Penelope’s spaces and scenes — including one key scene adapted from the book.
25. Shadows and light also play a key role this season. Penelope has spent a lot of time in the shadows, and we see her slowly come, literally, into light over the course of the story.
The first four episodes of season three of Bridgerton are available to stream now, with the second part of the series released on June 13.
