The Emmys won’t burn for “Bridgerton” this year.
The third season of Netflix‘s immensely popular period drama “Bridgerton” will be divided into two parts. Part 1, consisting of four episodes, will premiere on May 16, followed by the release of Part 2’s final four episodes on June 13. While the eligibility calendar for Emmy consideration runs from June 1 to May 31 each year,.a show must have a minimum of six episodes to compete in the top drama and comedy series races.
In the past, shows like “Bridgerton” could submit for awards consideration after the deadline thanks to the “hangover rule,” which would allow any series concluding its season after the May 31 deadline to still submit for Emmy nominations, as long as it was wrapped before the start of the nomination-round voting. We’ve seen shows like “The Handmaid’s Tale” take advantage of the rule, which was abolished by the Television Academy in July 2022.
As per the current rules, the Shonda Rhimes period drama will have to wait until the 2025 Emmy Awards to compete for recognition.
The television landscape seems wide open this year for dramas, with a combination of the six-month Hollywood strikes, which caused production delays, and several favorite Emmy contenders concluding their runs, such as “Succession.” A show like “Bridgerton” could have been an easy lay-up. Nonetheless, Netflix doesn’t have a shortage of drama contenders on its roster. They’ll enter the TV awards season with the conclusion of “The Crown,” the upcoming live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and the new sci-fi outing “3 Body Problem” from “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Adapted from Julia Quinn’s best-selling novels, this upcoming third season will deviate from the book series, focusing on world-traveler Colin Bridgerton (from Quinn’s fourth novel “Romancing Mister Bridgerton”) and the admiring wallflower Penelope Featherington. Stars Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan will reprise their roles. Other series regulars returning include Adjoa Andoh, Golda Rosheuvel, Simone Ashley, Jonathan Bailey and Julie Andrews. In addition, joining this season of the romantic tale include Daniel Francis, James Phoon and Sam Phillips. “Bridgerton” writer Jess Brownell will be serving as showrunner.
The first season of “Bridgerton” received 12 Emmy nominations, including outstanding drama series and lead drama actor for Regé-Jean Page, the breakout star. The sophomore season did not achieve the same level of success, earning three nods for voice-over (Julie Andrews), costumes, and period and character hairstyling, with a win in the latter category during both of its Emmy appearances.
Netflix earned 103 Emmy nominations, claiming 22 statuettes during the delayed 75th ceremony in January, including the award for outstanding limited series for the dark comedy “Beef.”
