Why Jane Austen Lovers Will Love Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’

If you have been craving a new period piece to watch, then the wait is almost over. Netflix’s new Bridgerton series is set to drop on December 25, and is brought to you by the creative genius of Shonda Rhimes.

That means you can expect plenty of scandal, intrigue, and plot twists, all packaged in a Regency-era backdrop that takes place in London. Jane Austen fans will especially love Netflix’s Bridgerton series, because it shares a lot of themes with Austen’s iconic, early 19th-century books.

The series is based on the courtship season of the social elite in London. New debutantes attend ball after ball in the hopes of finding their upper-class match. But one family in particular, the Bridgertons, want something more than just a lucrative match. The daughters and sons want love. The first season follows the eldest daughter of the Bridgerton family, Daphne, and her quest to navigate her patriarchal society. She hopes to land something more exciting than just a tedious husband with a fat purse string. Sounds just like Austen, right? Well, the similarities don’t end there.

Scroll down for all the ways Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix series Bridgerton is like a Jane Austen novel. Period piece lovers won’t be disappointed.

1. It Blends Three Genres Into One

According to Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page who plays the Duke of Hastings, the new Netflix series is like three popular genres wrapped into one spicy show. “It’s a little bit of Jane Austen meets Gossip Girl with maybe 49 Shades [of Grey],” the actor told TheWrap in a recent interview.

2. It’s Based Off Of A Series Of Romance Novels

Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling series of romance novels, which are “about the moneyed marriage market of 19th century England,” according to The New York Times. That means you will get the same breathless regency love scenes that you expect from your Jane Austen books. Just in Bridgerton, they will be a little more… forward.

There won’t just be long, pining stares and passionate notes passed, like in Austen’s books. There will also be actual embraces, so make sure you have the smelling salts near by.

3. The Show Is All About Courtship

The original Julia Quinn book series has a grand total of eight books in the collection, one following each of the Bridgerton children in their courtship adventures through London. That means if the first season of Netflix’s Bridgerton does well, fans can expect at least eight seasons.