Shonda Rhimes has revealed the real reason why Bridgerton season three was so delayed

Bridgerton season three has officially been released, with the first instalment of four episodes landing this week on Netflix.

The highly-anticipated third season follows another generation of eligible young men and women making their grand debuts in society. But its main focus promises to be the popular love story between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington (Lady Whistledown herself). 

The new season has unsurprisingly been dominating the headlines, from the resurgence of regency core and Francesca Bridgerton’s surprise recasting, to Nicola Coughlan’s empowering words about her nude scenes. 

It was show creator Shonda Rhimes and producer Betsy Beers’ words about the new season that made headlines today, as they revealed the real reason why season three was so delayed. 

2023 strike action by SAG-AFTRA (the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) would undoubtedly have delayed filming, and pushed back the release date. But according to Rhimes and Beers, there was a more simple explanation behind the scenes.

“The weird thing is I think we both have strike amnesia,” Beers explained in a cover interview with Variety, going on to cite the show’s complexities for Bridgerton’s season three delay. 

“There are a lot of characters, there are a lot of complications and it’s a very complex story to weave,” she reflected. “The writing and the meticulousness of the process obviously takes time. And every single aspect of a show in this period takes more time.

“It’s a lot of costumes, it’s a lot of learning to dance, it’s a lot of weaving in old and new. It’s a gigantic kind of military puzzle.”

“[Netflix wants] to write everything, and then they want to shoot everything, which is very counterintuitive to the way I learned to make television,” added Rhimes. “Now I think that’s just how it is. 

Well, that’s that. 

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 is available to watch now on Netflix, and Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 lands next month on June 13.