Bridgerton

— Every time I venture into “Shondaland,” I can’t seem to get out, and “Bridgerton” is no exception. Heck, just hearing Julie Andrews as the gossipy narrator sucks you into this romantic comedy set in the early 1800s. It’s kind of a high-brow soap opera, centering on the 1813 debutant season in London, but with more sex that you’d expect in a period piece, and greater emphasis on the status of women in 19th Century British society than you’d expect from a soap opera. It comes with great costumes and sets too, and moves at a pace that makes it hard to resist “binge watching”. What can I say? I fell for it and enjoyed it, glad for the mindless entertainment while avoiding outside contact. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2020. Season 1: 8 episodes, each approx. 60 min. Starring Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter, Florence Hunt, Ben Miller, and Luke Thompson.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/bridgerton-is-a-scintillating-but-somewhat-shallow-regency-fantasy