Netflix Returns to Dominate Streaming Charts With Season 2 Launch of Fan-Favorite Series

Netflix has been in the headlines for a number of reasons in recent days, with the streaming service catching attention for having lost 200,000 subscribers in Q4, and announcing plans to crack down on password sharing and even unveil a cheaper, ad-supported option of its service. Nevertheless, it looks like the recent return of one of Netflix’s hit series has pulled impressive numbers, with the first two seasons of Bridgerton being streamed for a total of 2.547 billion minutes during the week of March 21st through March 27th. Netflix’s movie The Adam Project became the second most-streamed project of that week, with 1.119 billion minutes streamed.

Bridgerton adapts Julia Quinn’s series of novels following interconnected characters living in a fictionalized version of Regency-era England’s high society. Each of the series’ books focuses on a different set of characters, and the Netflix adaptation follows a similar format. The sophomore success of Bridgerton was speculated about prior to its debut, especially following the departure of breakout star Rege-Jean Page.

“I don’t think I fully expected or understood what releasing all eight episodes around the globe at once was going to do,” Bridgerton producer Shonda Rhimes said in an interview last May. “And yeah, I was like, ‘I’ve killed many a man that people adore.’ I’m so surprised that everybody is [losing it over a character we’ve watched] for eight episodes leaving. But obviously, Regé is an amazing actor and he did an amazing thing and people responded. I also was surprised because the nature of this series is simply, this year it’s this couple, this year it’s [that] couple.”

“I was just excited about the idea of being able to tell a complete romantic tale that has an end, where you’re not finding 14 other reasons why the couple can’t be together or frankly having Regé stand in the background of somebody else’s romance,” Rhimes added. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Luckily, it has already been confirmed that Season 2 stars Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley will be returning for Season 3.

“We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started,” Ashley revealed in a report late last month. “We have the amazing Jess Brownell who is taking the lead as showrunner in Season 3. In Season 2, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other towards the end. I think everything is just starting. I’d like to see Kate just let go a bit more and play more in Season 3 and kind of swim in that circle of love together. I think they both deserve it.”

What do you think of the newest news surrounding Bridgerton Season 3? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The first two seasons of Bridgerton are available to stream exclusively on Netflix.

h/t: Deadline