Has ‘Bridgerton’ lost its bite?

The spicy Netflix series Bridgerton is currently the most-watched show globally on Netflix, after the first half of season three dropped this month. The period drama, produced by Shonda Rhimes, came out in 2020 with some wink-to-camera self- awareness. But this season feels more earnest. Why is the show so popular, and what are we craving from period dramas now? Lilah is joined by the FT’s US financial editor and historical romance expert Brooke Masters and work and careers writer/TV buff Emma Jacobs, to chat through it. 

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): 

– The first 4 episodes of Bridgerton season 3 are available now on Netflix. The next four will air on June 13.

– The FT’s review of Bridgerton is here: https://on.ft.com/452Gs45 

– Listen to our episode with Brooke Masters on Jane Austen here, or by searching ‘Jane Austen, forever’ wherever you listen.

– Brooke Masters is on X @brookeamasters. Emma Jacobs is @emmavj

More or Less: 

– Emma wants to see fewer recipes with maple syrup on Instagram. Read more on the ‘maple-pocalypse’ here

– Brooke wants fewer musicals based on classic films. Our Mean Girls episode is here

– Lilah wants more cooking with eggplant 🍆. Her eggplant dip recipe: grill the eggplant whole, to an inch of its life (no tautness!). Grill some garlic, too. Peel the eggplant, chop it into cubes, add the garlic (minced), chopped fresh white onion, lots of salt, too much lemon, good olive oil, and some parsley. Let it sit for a bit, then eat!

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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