Bridgerton showrunner explains decision to break from the books and focus on Penelope and Colin in season 3

‘I really feel like it’s Colin and Penelope’s time,’ Jess Brownell said

Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell has expanded upon the announcement that the next series of the beloved Netflix period drama will focus on the relationship between Colin and Penelope.

The third series will break away from Julia Quinn’s series of romance novels, the third of which focuses on Benedict (Luke Thompson), and instead dive into the characters played by Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton.

“I really feel like it’s Colin and Penelope’s time,” Brownel told Variety.

Brownell is now overseeing the series after the show’s creator, Chris Van Dusen, stepped down after season two,

She continued: “Because we’ve been watching both of these actors on our screens since season one we’ve already invested in them a little bit. We know who they are as people.

“I feel like, especially in the last season, there are these moments of tension between them where it’s like, Colin walks up to the line of almost realising that Penelope has feelings for him but doesn’t quite get there. Instead of treading water on that dynamic, we wanted to push it into their season. It really felt like the perfect moment to tee it up.”

Though the third season will not focus on Benedict, as many fans expected, Brownell stipulated that Thompson’s character “will be a vital part of season three”.

With Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) (LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)

In her announcement of the news on Monday, Coughlan wrote on Instagram: “Like Lady Whistledown I’ve been keeping quite a big secret for quite a long time… but I can finally tell you that @bridgertonnetflix Season Three is Colin and Penelope’s Story [heart emoji].”

In an interview with The Independent, Newton discussed his on-set relationship with Coughlan, whose character has harboured romantic feelings for Colin since season one.

Newton said the pair clicked “from day one” and would often meet up for “a little gossip” between scenes.

Last week, it was reported that Anatomy of a Scandal cast member Hannah Dodd will join the Bridgerton cast as Francesca Bridgerton, after Ruby Stokes’ departure from the role.