The Bridgerton craze is spreading from Netflix to Peacock. Are you ready to find your own Duke?
Peacock has ordered Pride & Prejudice: An Experiment in Romance, a reality dating show that places contestants squarely in the romantic confines and expectations of Regency-era England. Similar to Bridgerton, one woman–described as the series’ heroine–is on the hunt for her duke.
According to the official description, the heroine will be swept off her feet in a true Regency fantasy as she is courted by possible matches to find true love.
“Transported to a Regency-style England, a group of eligible hopeful suitors will have to win the heart of our heroine, and her court,” states the description. “Housed in a castle on the countryside, set on a beautiful backdrop of rolling hills, the heroine and suitors will experience that with wich dreams are made of. From carriage rides and boat rides on the lake to archery and handwritten letters to communicate, they will be immersed in a time-traveling quest for love. In the end, our heroine and her suitors will discover if the ultimate romantic experience will find them true love.”
The specificity of using “duke” to describe the suitors has to be a reference to Regé-Jean Page’s Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset. Page became the heartthrob of the first season and catapulted the series to cultish success. The series became the most-watched Netflix series in the streamer’s history, reigning as number one in multiple countries. With Page being the draw of Bridgerton, it’s worth wondering if Pride & Prejudice: An Experiment in Romance will cast multiple Black suitors to capitalize on Page’s appeal.
Page’s career has catapulted since his role on Bridgerton, leading to him to leave the series and taking many ardent fans with him. But the second, third and fourth seasons of the series have already been greenlit, with casting for the second season already taking shape.