Thoughts On Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Trailer

When we think of Kings and Queens, we think of fairy tales and happy endings. The truth is that under the finery and the fancy titles are complications based on tradition and rules.

The trailer to the Bridgerton prequel, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story was released earlier this week. The series takes the viewer back to the early years of Queen Charlotte‘s (Golda Rosheuvel) marriage to King George III (James Fleet).

Chosen sight unseen to marry the then-22-year-old King (Corey Mylchreest), 17-year-old Charlotte (India Amarteifio), she is initially resistant to the match. Though it appears that their marriage is based on love, there are a few obstacles that stand in the way of that happiness.

I am looking forward to the series. Queen Charlotte, though an important character in the world of Bridgerton, is peripheral to the original narrative. Given her place in history, I am curious to see where the story will go.

Am I looking forward to it? Absolutely.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton story will be released on Netflix on May 4th.

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Death Comes to Pemberley- A Good Sequel

There are a lot fanfiction writers out there. Very few are lucky enough to not only see their work in print, but also see it on screen.

PD James’s sequel to Pride and Prejudice, Death Comes to Pemberley aired the UK over the past few days.  I was lucky enough to see it before my American IP address prevented me from seeing it. 

The 1995 Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle minieries is not only the best filmed adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, but the best of the filmed adaptations of any Austen novel.   Any adaptations will always bring comparisons, but this adaptations stands on its own.

Ms. James’s novel starts 6 years after the original novel ends. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are happily married with a young son.  On the eve of the annual Lady Anne Ball, Lydia arrives in hysterics that Captain Denny has been murdered and her husband is in the woods surrounding Pemberley.  During investigation and trial, Georgiana must  choose between duty and marry her cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam or choose her heart and marry Mr. Alveston.

I enjoyed it. Ms. James keeps the language and humor of the original novel, utilizing many of the leading characters while keeping the reader engaged in the mystery.

Taking the reins from Colin Firth, Matthew Rhys is a more mature Darcy who is deeply in love with his wife and aware of the responsibility of his station. Anna Maxwell Martin as Elizabeth is a lively and outgoing as she is in the original novel, but with the experience of marriage, motherhood, as well as sharing the responsibility of running the estate.  Lydia (Jenna Coleman) and Wickham (Matthew Goode), as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet (James Fleet and Rebecca Front) are as they are in original novel.

I enjoyed both the book and the miniseries and I look forward to seeing it when it airs on PBS next month.