Netflix announces ‘Bridgerton’ spinoff on young Queen Charlotte

Netflix has announced a spinoff series of Bridgerton about the character of Queen Charlotte. 

It's a prequel to the current Bridgerton timeline. The plot will revolve around three of the most iconic female characters in the show, including Lady Danbury, Violet Bridgerton, and it will place the strongest emphasis on the rise of Queen Charlotte.

Shonda Rhimes is set to write and executive produce, with Betsy Beers and Tom Verica also executive producing.

It's worth noting that Queen Charlotte was never in the Bridgerton series of novels (written by Julia Quinn). But the character's presence on the show has been so popular with fans that Netflix and Rhimes are taking a fairly safe gamble that a series about her rise to power will resonate well with their target audience.

Based on Julia Quinn's best-selling series of novels, "Bridgerton" is set in the lavish and competitive world of London high society. From the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair to the aristocratic palaces of Park Lane and beyond, the series unveils a "seductive, sumptuous world replete with intricate rules and dramatic power struggles, where no one is truly ever on steady ground," per Netflix. At the heart of the show is the powerful Bridgerton family: Comprised of eight close-knit siblings, the witty and daring group must navigate the 19th century marriage scene in search of romance, adventure and love.