#Gay pride colors pastel series
Smithsonian magazine: Where do series like “The Courtship” and “Bridgerton” fit in with other Regency-era period dramas? Responses have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. But why are the novelist and this particular era of history so synonymous with romance in contemporary pop culture? And what sets the current crop of Austen-influenced shows apart from their predecessors? Read on to learn what Amanda-Rae Prescott, a Black journalist who covers period dramas and advocates for the inclusion of people of color in “Austen and Regency spaces,” and Juliette Wells, an expert on English literature at Goucher College and the author of Everybody’s Jane: Austen in the Popular Imagination, each have to say about the enduring appeal of the Regency. The streaming giant has also ordered a spinoff series about the life of Queen Charlotte, whom “Bridgerton” presents as England’s first Black royal (a creative choice with some basis in history) and the catalyst for the show’s integrated aristocracy.Ī promotional image of the Queen's Ball, which promises contemporary ticketholders a dramatized taste of the Regency period.Īusten adaptations are nothing new. They can curtsy to a bewigged actress portraying the queen, watch choreographed performances set to string covers of pop hits, sip champagne, see costumes from the show, pose for a "portrait," and buy tiaras, teacups or other "Bridgerton"-branded souvenirs. Held in four North American cities, the experience promises to transport dressed-up attendees to 1813. The appetite for the Regency is such that Netflix is even selling tickets to an event called the Queen’s Ball. Your carriage awaits,” Rémy proclaims to spurned men dressed like they’re Cinderella’s footmen.) “Bridgerton” and “The Courtship” even share a set the same estate that serves as the site of a long montage of Daphne Bridgerton and her new husband, the Duke of Hastings, in, ahem, marital bliss, is the location where Rémy’s suitors woo her. On “The Courtship,” where everyone is formally referred to by title and last name, would-be-husbands write “Miss Rémy” handwritten letters, and episodes end with choreographed dances that double as dismissal ceremonies. The season premiered March 20 on Masterpiece PBS.Īll three series revel in the trappings audiences associate with Austen novels: soirees where eligible singles swan about, horse-drawn carriages, the watchful eyes of rivals and family on a couple as they twirl around a ballroom, conversations over tea, ample opportunities for dramatic speeches about undying love. Similarly, the second season of “ Sanditon,” a lower-profile import from the United Kingdom that uses Austen’s unfinished novel of the same name as a point of departure, features the writer’s only prominent Black character, an heiress from the West Indies. The Regency-set series broke Netflix viewership records and made representational strides by imagining protagonists of color as British royalty and aristocrats. Another spun-sugar springtime television release clearly shares the belief: season two of “ Bridgerton,” Netflix’s pastel-hued, racy adaptation of contemporary author Julia Quinn’s romance novels. “The Courtship” takes its cue from the Regency period-“the most romantic era of history,” as the host informs the audience in a crisp British accent.
Her novels were published during the Regency, an 1811 to 1820 window in which George, Prince of Wales, ruled as regent in lieu of his father, whom Parliament had deemed mentally unfit to rule. The author lived and wrote during the reign of George III (1760 to 1820), also known as the Georgian Period. The show frequently references Austen and the time period she chronicled: the turn of the 19th century. In “The Courtship,” Nicole Rémy, a Black cheerleader–turned–software engineer from Seattle, seeks love in a format best described as “The Bachelorette” meets casual Regency cosplay. The “probably” appears a moment later, as a glib afterthought. –Jane Austen, probably,” the words on the screen read. The opening of “ The Courtship,” USA Network’s newest foray into the canon of high-concept reality dating shows, ends with a cheekily revised quote from a beloved author: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in search of a husband must go to Regency-era England and live in a castle with sixteen eligible suitors.