Shonda Rhimes, creator of Bridgerton (plus Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and countless more TV hits), has responded to criticisms of the Netflix show as “woke”.
From the off, Bridgerton has always cast diversely, with Rhimes saying during a panel at the Edinburgh TV Festival: “I’m never going to write a show that doesn’t include me… I just I find it less interesting when I don’t see my own face.”
When host Mishal Husain asked how she felt about the show being described as “woke”, Rhimes responded: “I didn’t know anybody described it as ‘woke’.”
Husain added: “The Telegraph, for sure, called it like pandering to woke casting,” with Rhimes simply responding: “That’s so cute.”
Rhimes, who was being honoured with the inaugural Edinburgh Fellowship, went on to say that she avoids reading what people think about her shows, saying: “I learned a really long time ago that I don’t read things that are written about me or the shows.
Shonda Rhimes
“And the reason is because if you decide to believe the good things that are written about you, you also are obligated to believe the bad things that are written about you.
“So I’ve decided that none of it matters. It’s really important to stay out of that. How people react and take in the show is none of my business.”
Bridgerton season 4, which is set to premiere in 2026, is currently in post-production, with Rhimes confirming that the finale episode is currently being edited.
It’s set to focus on the love story between Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), with Rhimes not giving any plot details away at the panel.
She’s also not ruling out the idea of more prequels and spin-offs after Queen Charlotte, saying: “I think there’s a possibility for things like prequels.
“And [author] Julia Quinn has written other books that are sort of offshoots of Bridgerton, but the Bridgerton series is eight young people. It’s Violet Bridgerton getting all eight of her children married, and so every season’s a child.”
