Thought Bridgerton Season 3 Takes Too Long to Premiere? Brace Yourself For What's Next
The gap between Bridgerton Seasons 3 and 4 might be longer than ever.
Bridgerton fans are getting tired of waiting. While the interval between Seasons 1 and 2 was one year and three months, it has already been longer than that since the Season 2 premiere, with the Season 3 release date still shrouded in mystery. Unverified rumours circulated after Netflix's Tudum event suggesting that the new episodes would debut on the platform on 14 December, extending the ongoing hiatus to almost 21 months.
However, the pause before Bridgerton Season 4 might end up being even longer. Here's why:
Creative Freedom
Streaming productions don't follow the traditional network TV model, where a new season must be released every year with minimal breaks between seasons. Streaming shows have less demanding schedules for the cast and production crew. Therefore, Shondaland will take as long as necessary to deliver a high-quality Season 4 that satisfies all parties involved. Seeing how production reportedly hasn't even started yet, it could be years before the season is dropped.
The Netflix Schedule
Bridgerton is among the most important recurring projects for Netflix, along with Stranger Things, The Witcher, and Squid Game, which regularly attract millions of subscribers. Consequently, the platform strategically spaces out hit shows like these to maintain subscriptions and generate social media buzz for each series. By the time Bridgerton Season 4 is ready for release, slotting it into Netflix's schedule of popular premieres could take additional months, expanding the hiatus even further.
The WGA Strike
The main reason why Bridgerton fans should brace themselves for a long pause after Season 3 is the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. Until Hollywood writers and studios reach an agreement, work on Season 4 is unlikely to begin.
Shooting Season 3 alone took approximately eight months. Add in the writing and post-production stages, plus potential rewrites and reshoots, and we could be looking at a 1.5-2 year turnaround for Season 4. Furthermore, the writers' strike may prompt Netflix to schedule their hit releases with even more time between them, given the possible scarcity of content the strike may result in.
Possible Spinoffs
Season 3 was delayed due to the production of the prequel series Queen Charlotte. As part of the Bridgerton universe, it was granted its own slot and opportunity to attract viewers, which was probably why Netflix postponed the premier of the original series by several weeks or even months.
There's no official word yet on whether Shonda Rhimes will greenlight a second season of Queen Charlotte or produce another Bridgerton spinoff. However, the creator has hinted at a possible interest in exploring Violet Bridgerton's story, which, if produced before Season 4, would require its own slot in the Netflix schedule.