5 Major Changes Bridgerton Went Through for Books to Still Hold Up 20 Years Later

While many people love the Bridgerton novels for what they are, it's hard to deny how easy it is to recognize when they were written. Julia Quinn's book series is a true product of the 2000s, and as much as everyone loves the premise, some changes had to be made for the show to be accepted by modern viewers 20 years later.

Here are 5 things Shondaland and Netflix did differently on the show than Julia Quinn did in the books.

Blind Casting and Racism Explanation

Given that historically people of color weren’t a large part of the aristocracy in Regency London, all Julia Quinn’s leads were supposed to be white. However, since their race had no importance for the story, Shondaland implemented ‘blind casting’ and made the story that much more inclusive.

Though many people weren’t happy about the explanation of the lack of racism within the universe, it was refreshing to see a diverse cast in a period setting.

Introducing More Cultural Background

Staying on the same topic of a variety of cultures, Bridgerton made a change to Kate Sheffield’s book character and introduced Anthony Bridgerton’s love interest Kate Sharma, who was portrayed by Simone Ashley.

The Sharma sisters traveled to London from India alongside their mother, so the elements of their culture were included in their behavior and appearance as well as in the scenery around them.

LGBTQ+ Characters

In the past 20 years, humanity seems to have come to an acceptance of the fact that queer people have existed throughout history.

Although all 8 of Julia Quinn's love stories feature heterosexual couples, and Shonda Rhimes promised not to change the main characters' romantic interests too much, Bridgerton explored themes of sexuality through supporting characters like Benedict’s painting mentor Sir Henry Granville.

Girl Power to the Max

In all fairness to Julia Quinn, the second Bridgerton daughter was never a woman who could be married off as easily as other young ladies. Eloise became an old maid by her own choice, but Shondaland went even further and made her a vessel for all modern feminist ideas.

While this makes Eloise's journey on the show even more difficult, her refusal to give in to societal norms is admirable and makes her such a relatable character.

More Stage for Supporting Characters

In order to make Bridgeton a true ensemble show, Shonda Rhimes and the writing staff introduced some new characters and gave more screen time to some of the characters who didn't get much background in the books.

Characters such as Lady Danbury, Marina Thompson, and even Queen Charlotte herself were mentioned in the novels, but never had quite as interesting of a story.