'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAIBAAAgEDBAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDAAQGBRESIUFDcf/EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/xAAZEQEBAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgAREkH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AIEkVpd4wt87zwszuXWNARIEYDi3Y6O9ajBluliCMDFNI2Cj1A+PlKUF0yvGaTuBXm//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
If you’ve read Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series and then binged the Netflix adaptation, chances are you’ve done some double-takes. From character arcs to timelines, the transition from page to screen wasn’t just a direct copy-and-paste. While the core storylines remain recognizable, the showrunners took notable liberties to reimagine certain elements—some subtle, some sweeping.
So yes, while the tea still flows and the balls are as glittering as ever, the differences are hard to miss. These changes aren't necessarily bad—or good—they're just different. The TV show tried to bring the story into the modern era with its Regency-era charm intact. So what went wrong?
A version of Bridgerton that blends period drama with contemporary themes and re-mixes old-school storylines in the process.
Let's take a look at the most significant differences between the Bridgerton series and the book
1. Queen Charlotte: A new character with significant impact
The most apparent change might be Queen Charlotte, a character missing from the original Bridgerton novels. On the show, she is a major character, often commanding plot developments and acting as a social puppeteer. She introduces with her political machinations and race and status commentary—none of which appear in the novels.
The inclusion of Queen Charlotte also changes the tone of the series, which is more inclusive than the novel's romance-oriented plot.
2. The Featherington plots were bigger
Featheringtons in the novels are just a supporting cast. In the series, though, they are given much more of a much larger-scale plot. Lady Whistledown, Penelope's second personality, makes her on-screen appearance much earlier than she does in the novels—a development that completely recontextualizes her.
Lord Featherington's troubles and soap opera demise were also entirely made up for the show, creating an entirely new subplot with inheritance and scandal that is not present in the source material.
The Bridgerton series greatly expands the Featheringtons’ characterization by including original storylines, like Lord Featherington’s gambling decline and Penelope’s earliest reveal as Lady Whistledown, that add layers of drama and depth they lack in the novels.
3. Feminist tendencies of Eloise are more assertive in the TV series
The television series boosts Eloise Bridgerton's defiant and strong character. She may be described in the books as self-willed and intelligent, but the show goes to a whole new level. Her obsession with finding out who Lady Whistledown is, delaying her marriage, and going against society becomes something of a refrain.
These elements are briefly mentioned or nonexistent in the novels, since Eloise's trajectory exists on another plane, specifically in her devoted novel, To Sir Phillip, With Love.
4. Simon's backstory was darker
In The Duke and I, Simon's strained relationship with his dad is central, but the series makes the emotional trauma darker. The television series explores more of Simon's childhood stutter and his dad's rejection, and gets a much darker, emotionally richer backstory.
These scenes contribute to a darker mood, unlike the relatively lighter emotional beats of the book.
5. Anthony's storyline took a detour
Season 2, based on The Viscount Who Loved Me, has major deviations from Anthony's book storyline. The bee sting scene and slow-burning drama with Kate Sharma remain, but the rest is all different. Kate's last name is changed from Sheffield to Sharma, and her origins are redefined.
The TV show explores Anthony's inner conflict and has a greater family dynamics, which takes up more space on screen than in the novel.
6. Sibling roles are repositioned
Bridgerton siblings in the books have a relatively even share of attention, especially as every book is centered around one of them. The show repositions the limelight, however, with more screen time given to some characters like Daphne and Eloise at the beginning of the show, while others like Francesca are almost invisible.
Benedict's own career as an artist, which plays a more conventional role in the novels, is granted a more modern and open-ended voice on television, possibly prefiguring some eventual probing of identity.
7. Lady Danbury's role is more prominent
Lady Danbury does appear in the books and the series, but much more intensively in the TV show. She is both mentor and nemesis, troublemaker and voice of reason, appearing in most episodes.
In the books, while appearing intermittently, her on-screen counterpart is more multi-dimensional with a calculated presence in many key plots, particularly in Simon and Kate's.
8. Condensing the timeline and adjusting the pacing
The books are also written in chronological order, every book focusing on the romantic life of a different Bridgerton sibling. The series reverses, folding and collapsing timelines. The Lady Whistledown reveal for Penelope, for instance, happens much earlier, and Eloise's personal development starts before the book.
This reimagining of the story changes the way some characters are perceived and changes audience anticipation.
9. Contemporary music and cultural blending
This won't directly impact the story itself, but it's something that bears mentioning. The show incorporates modern instrumental covers of modern pop songs into dance numbers—a stylistic element not present in the books.
Additionally, the show's approach to race, casting, and culture injects an inclusive environment that reinterprets the period in a way the books never attempted.
10. More emphasis on scandal and intrigue
While Julia Quinn's novels primarily focus on the Bridgerton family's love life and emotional lives, the series generally tips more toward scandal, secrets, and politics.
The mystery of Whistledown, the Queen's arrival, and the deceit of the Featheringtons all add a twist of intrigue that brings the tone more toward drama and tension, a shift from the book's happier romantic tone.
You're team show or team book, but one thing is for sure: Bridgerton in print and on screen are two completely different experiences. They each offer a different spice of storytelling according to their mediums.
Trending
The show re-tells the story with a modern setting and stays true to Quinn's world. So long as readers don't expect deviation and instead of replication, they'll find a lot to enjoy in either form.
Reply
