"We'd go to Nicola if we had any fan questions." But she's very young and naive, and she's about to find out that the world isn't quite as she imagined it to be.". "They've been so lovely, when the casting got announced they couldn't be more sweet," she says. The new original series, "Bridgerton," produced by Shondaland and created by Chris Van Dusen, has taken Netflix by storm. [citation needed] With London as her new base, she studied Arabic at Damascus University in Syria in order to better seek out stories in the Middle East. And you can see why. And according to creator Chris Van Dusen, who adapted Julia Quinn’s best-selling romance novels about London society in the 1800s, tapping into … The first season, written by Shondaland veteran Chris Van Dusen (Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy), follows The Duke and I fairly closely — including … [citation needed], "The OxyContin Express" also received the 2010 Television Academy Honor, a Prism Award and an Emmy nomination. “Bridgerton,” the new series based on Julia Quinn’s romance novels and developed by hitmaker Shonda Rhimes and showrunner Chris Van Dusen for Netflix, is a … "The fitting process was a lot," admits Dynevor. Here's everything else you need to know: The eight-part drama has been adapted from Julia Quinn's series of Bridgerton novels. Video‘Time is of the essence’ to save our oceans. [citation needed] In 2005, she joined Current TV as a correspondent and producer for the Vanguard documentary series. What happens to your body in extreme heat? "I had 104 dresses, all handmade from scratch which is pretty unheard of, the costume department was incredible. Vanity Fair's Sonia Saraiya described it as "frothy, silly escapism - the perfect Christmas offering for a craptastic year". "We do, yes. She is also chief correspondent for Fusion and is a former correspondent for the Vanguard documentary series on the former Current TV. The year is 1813, and Daphne Bridgerton is making her debut in London in the hope of finding a suitable husband. Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise Bridgerton, and Nicola Coughlan, who plays her pal Penelope Featherington, are "friends in real life," according to showrunner Chris Van Dusen… Egypt's ancient rulers return in mummies' parade1, Jordan figures arrested for 'security reasons'2, WHAT?? But, she added: "If only the writing matched the production values.". Nearly every critic has noted that Bridgerton's release is well-timed, arriving at the end of a ghastly 2020. Read about our approach to external linking. Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn's Bridgerton Series, a set of eight romance novels.Like the books, the Netflix show will take place sometime in the early 1800s and center around the Bridgerton family. In July 2010, she gave birth to their first child, a son named Vasco. So, that's the premise. Bridgerton showrunner Chris Van Dusen has shared that he was largely influenced by this version of Queen Charlotte's history while seeking out actors … But there's a decent chance you've never heard of them, which could partly be due to a certain snobbery that exists towards the genre. You see the pressure on men to fulfil these stereotypical male roles within society and how people don't want to be part of that.". "I think that's a common thought, that people look down their noses at romance novels," says showrunner Chris Van Dusen. Coughlan notes today's audience may feel a new appreciation for how far society as come since the 19th Century. Many wondered if, after ending season 1 happily married, Simon and Daphne would still be a part of Bridgerton. LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX "We explore things like family, sexuality, dating, they had courtship in Regency times, and instead of those dating apps like Tinder, they were effectively swiping left and right in ballrooms all night. Things are made challenging by her older brother, whose discerning eye stops most male candidates from getting very far. She also wrote the Britney Spears film Crossroads, but nobody's perfect. "But it wasn't that long ago that young women still weren't told all of the facts of life. "Eloise and Penelope are virgins who can't drive," she points out. [1], She became an American citizen on March 17, 2015. Extraordinarily, the move came about because of a dispute Rhimes had with ABC's parent company Disney over some free family passes to Disneyland, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It's narrated by the mysterious Lady Whistledown, who writes regular newsletters full of tittle-tattle about the dating exploits of high society. You have the dancing, the costumes, the jewels, the country homes, the glittering ballrooms, and I think all of that works to provide us an escape. Video, ‘Time is of the essence’ to save our oceans, Jordan figures arrested for 'security reasons', Seven UK clotting deaths after AstraZeneca vaccine, Graffiti art accidentally defaced by spectators, 'Speedboat drug smugglers' arrested in Spain, Italy returns to strict lockdown for Easter, Suez traffic jam caused by stuck ship 'cleared', an exclusive deal worth a reported $150m (£110m), applauded by Vulture's Kathryn VanArendonk. Mariana van Zeller (born May 7, 1976 in Cascais, Portugal) is a Peabody Award-winning Portuguese journalist and correspondent for National Geographic Channel. It's clear from the first few minutes of Bridgerton that a lot of time and effort went into the costumes, hair and make-up. She also speaks some Arabic. Belgian police 'are supposed to protect us' Video, Belgian police 'are supposed to protect us', ‘Time is of the essence’ to save our oceans. "Prior to Bridgerton I was working on Scandal, and as that show was coming to an end, I was looking for what to do next. Dynevor, though, chose to avoid the forums ("for my own mental health"), adding: "There is quite a lot of pressure when there is already such a following.". But at the end of the day, these books are filled with compelling characters and interesting stories. She began working in the travel and international departments of the main networks channel and later joined SIC Notícias, the network's news channel. The series was created by its showrunner Chris Van Dusen and is based on a Regency novel by Julia Quinn. But when showrunner Chris Van Dusen announced season 2 … Bridgerton fans mourn Regé-Jean Page's exit3, Seven UK clotting deaths after AstraZeneca vaccine4, Graffiti art accidentally defaced by spectators5, 'Speedboat drug smugglers' arrested in Spain6, Italy returns to strict lockdown for Easter7, Suez traffic jam caused by stuck ship 'cleared'8, Site boss bailed as Taiwan probes train crash9. [2], She applied for a master's degree at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism three times: her first application was rejected, and her second was wait-listed. ", Site boss bailed as Taiwan probes train crash. image caption Chris Van Dusen [L] previously worked with Shonda Rhimes on Scandal and Grey's Anatomy Coughlan notes today's audience may feel … Chris Van Dusen, who created the Shonda Rhimes-produced show, also wants to see the characters continue to develop on the small screen. All 8 episodes of the show arrived on Netflix on December 25. I worked in Shondaland pretty much my entire writing career, since Grey's Anatomy," explains Van Dusen. Read about our approach to external linking. ][better source needed] After graduation, she says she spent two years working at SIC, which was at that time the first and largest Portuguese private television network. Van Dusen concludes: "Underneath all the glamour and the lavishness, there is this running modern commentary on the show about how, in the last 200 years, everything has changed but nothing has changed, I think that's true for both men and women. According to van Zeller herself, after her third application, in 2001, she flew to New York City and knocked on the dean's door, explaining her dream of becoming a journalist in the United States. Rupert Young (Merlin) also has been tapped for a major new role on the series, created by Chris Van Dusen, I hear. But also having to be fitted into the costumes - whenever I wasn't filming I was in a fitting.". With 63 million households tuning in, people have been captured by the show's steamy plotline, character development, and, of course, the extravagant fashion. According to van Zeller, she studied international relations at the Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa.[1][when? You see the pressure upon women to get married, and that's still around. Indeed, Coughlan's forum-mining came in rather useful to the other cast members. However, as Daphne debuts onto London’s marriage market, viewers also feel the series creators Chris Van Dusen and Shonda Rhimes get a lot wrong. [2], Van Zeller is married to her former Columbia classmate Darren Foster, who is a series producer and director with National Geographic Channel. But that wasn't the only time-consuming thing the stars had to do in preparation for shooting. "It was over the top. "[3][4], After receiving her degree from Columbia, van Zeller moved to London to work for a documentary producer, with hopes of covering the Iraq War. They've sold more than 10 million copies in the US alone and been translated into 32 languages worldwide. "But there's a huge fandom behind the series." "I personally don't understand why that is. Finding those modern references was something we had a lot of fun with. "We don't need a drab, grey period drama," she says, "Bridgerton is in full technicolour, so I think that will be nice for people.". [citation needed], Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Learn how and when to remove this template message, International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Livingston Award winners for National Reporting, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mariana_van_Zeller&oldid=1008415609, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni, Articles with Portuguese-language sources (pt), Articles with unsourced statements from December 2020, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Articles lacking reliable references from December 2020, Articles needing additional references from December 2020, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 23 February 2021, at 05:37. I don't think that it's the same with other genres. But the show's diverse cast was applauded by Vulture's Kathryn VanArendonk, who wrote: "Bridgerton a beguiling example of what can happen when romance is allowed to belong to characters who aren't all straight and white, and a fanfare-and-confetti reminder of what the genre can be at its best.". © 2021 BBC. [2][better source needed], One month after she moved to New York City, the September 11 attacks took place. I knew I wanted to do something completely different to modern-day political intrigue in Washington DC, and that's when Shonda told me about Bridgerton.". The whole of Portugal is watching you. [1] The dean was impressed, according to her, and allowed her to enroll. Bridgerton fans mourn Regé-Jean Page's exit, The women fighting South Africa's 'infodemic', Loss, death and grieving in the public eye, Belgian police 'are supposed to protect us' VideoBelgian police 'are supposed to protect us', Why resurrecting the woolly mammoth could rescue our planet, ‘Time is of the essence’ to save our oceans. Aja Romano of Vox was more critical, saying the show "comes off like many of the aristocrats it's skewering: soulless and vapid". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Before going on air, she was told, "Prepare yourself. [citation needed], Van Zeller claims fluency in Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, and French. "But you had to throw yourself into it," she says. "She's the eldest daughter of the Bridgerton family," explains actress Phoebe Dynevor, "and she conforms to all these crazy social rules and expectations which are placed on women, but also men, in those times. The construction manager is investigated for negligence after a lorry slid onto the tracks. [citation needed] Over the next two years, her freelance documentaries from Syria appeared on PBS's Frontline/World, the CBC, and Channel 4 (United Kingdom). "It's fascinating to see, even though times have changed, how much human nature persists.