Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Did You Know?

• Shonda Rhimes won the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Writing, Drama Series.
• Alicia Keys's song "If I Ain't Got You" was nominated at the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video for Good.

Production

Rhimes served as executive producer alongside Betsy Beers and director Tom Verica; Anna O'Malley was producer. Locations included Blenheim Palace, Belton House, Merton College, Hatfield House, Waddesdon Manor, and Hampton Court Palace. Cast members Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, and Hugh Sachs reprised their Bridgerton roles. New cast included India Amarteifio, Michelle Fairley, Corey Mylchreest, Arsema Thomas, Sam Clemmett, Richard Cunningham, Tunji Kasim, Rob Maloney, and Cyril Nri. Kris Bowers, who scored the first two Bridgerton seasons, worked on two original soundtrack projects through Sony Music: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Covers from the Netflix Series). The covers album reinterpreted pop songs by Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, SZA, Dolly Parton, and Whitney Houston in classical style. Keys's song "If I Ain't Got You" was recorded with Queen Charlotte's Global Orchestra, a 70-piece orchestra of women of colour.

Reception

Metacritic assigned a score of 76 out of 100 based on 30 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews. Time ranked the series among The 5 Best New TV Shows of May 2023. Judy Berman of Time noted the plot works thematically if not historically, describing the reimagined 18th century England as a multicultural society in painful transformation. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a gorgeous six-episode romp and a rare exception to prequel rules, praising Amarteifio's acting. Nicole Vassell of The Independent stated the series delivers everything a Bridgerton fan could want with refreshing social commentary.