Netflix releases first images for Bridgerton season three

Images from the new season of runaway Regency-era hit, Bridgerton, have been released ahead of the popular Shonda Rhimes’ show screening on Netflix.

While fans of the romantic series - which follows the eight Bridgerton sons and daughters as they search for love - have been partially placated by the prequel series, Queen Charlotte, new pictures of Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton) have viewers thrilled.

“They look so perfect. I am ready for the Polin era.” quipped one fan as another added the hashtag #polin to their tweet.

Another wrote: “The last photo is so beautiful.”

And another clearly has it in for Colin, tweeting: “I better see him crying and groveling on his knees begging for forgiveness for a minimum of 8 episodes [sic].”

But amid the delight over the set of pictures, fans appear to still have one burning question unanswered: the new season’s release date.

“But have we got a date yet though? Come on @netflix, don’t be shy.. Christmas?? Or sooner..??” asked one impatient fan.

“Okay we need the date and time!” wrote another.

In January, it was announced that the show had been delayed following the decision to axe a key storyline for season three.

According to The Sun, filming has been stalled because executive producer Shonda Rhimes disagreed with the direction of the show’s storyline.

For now, fans will have to wait to see how Rhimes tackles the love story of Colin and Penelope, who at the end of season one was revealed as Lady Whistledown, the mastermind behind a tiny but mightily scandalous rag detailing the dramas of a set of tight-knit, well-to-do families.

The season will also play out the added challenge in this romance of Penelope’s friendship with Colin’s sister, Lady Eloise, who was highly unimpressed when she learned the gossip about her family was being penned by her bestie.

Like the previous seasons which brought drama and the intensity of navigating new love, it is expected the next Bridgerton offering will uphold the show’s standout viewing records to date.

Adapted from Julia Quinn’s novels, Bridgerton premiered on Netflix in December 2020 and was an instant hit.

In the first season’s first month, the streaming giant recorded 625 million hours of Bridgerton viewing. The second season brought in 656 million hours.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.