Move Over, Bridgerton: Sanditon's Regency Romance is Way More Progressive

When it premiered in 2020, Bridgerton earned a lot of praise for its inclusion of people of colour in a genre traditionally filled by all-white casts.

In this Regency romance, the colour of one's skin has no impact on one's social standing or place in society, and the results are refreshing and praiseworthy.

But while Bridgerton has been racking up millions of views on Netflix, a different Regency story is quietly going about its business – and actually managing to be the more progressive show.

Bridgerton & Race:

Bridgerton's producers point out that theirs isn't 'colourblind' casting: race exists in this world, it just doesn't cause any problems. Why? A few decades ago the King married a Black woman, and their love was so powerful it erased racism from all the land. It's a nice sentiment, but the idea that the effects of racism are so superficial they could disappear in less than a generation is ultimately a bit shallow.

Sanditon & Race:

There are far fewer characters of colour in Sanditon, but they deal with (and triumph over) the very real issues present at the time. Georgiana Lambe is a Black heiress whose fortune comes from her slave-owning father; men exoticize her even while trying to marry into her money.

Georgiana truly came into her own during the 'soft reboot' that was Sanditon Season 2. In the face of daily prejudice, she leads a sugar boycott, dismisses the fortune hunters, and takes charge of her own destiny.

Sanditon is a lighthearted romance (particularly after S1), and none of the issues facing Georgiana detract from that. But the show still manages to give weight and respect to the real experiences of people of colour in the Regency era, and that's something Bridgerton has never even attempted.

Bridgerton & Queerness

Bridgerton came under a lot of fire for queerbaiting when Season 1 came out. Trailers prominently showed two men kissing, but the scene in question happens in the blink of an eye – we never spend any real time with queer characters.

Sanditon & Queerness

Arthur Parker came out as gently as could be in S1, and for a long time not much more was said about his sexuality. His (major) presence on the show doesn't deal in stereotypes, and the fact that he is gay has never been the 'point' of his character.

This season Arthur has met the Duke of Montrose, another gay man. As much as we appreciate queer characters having storylines outside of their sexuality, it is still a pleasure to watch these two navigate the world of Regency England – where homosexuality was a hanging offense – on their way to what we hope will be a loving and 'grouse-positive' happily-ever-after.

No Hate, Bridgerton!

Of course, none of this takes away from Bridgerton's incredibly positive effect on the world of Regency romance. But if you're interested in seeing how another show can be progressive in a period setting, Sanditon is an excellent place to start.