Fans of streaming shows are used to long waits. Gone are the days when we get new shows at least once a year. Bridgerton fans are more than used to the wait considering how long it took for Season 3 to arrive.
However, the wait for Season 3 was somewhat understandable due to the strike action in the summer of 2023. The wait for Bridgerton Season 4 is set to be around two years, and that’s without strike action. So, what’s going on? Why is the wait for seasons so long?
Filming and post-production take time for Bridgerton
Some of this is due to the length of time it takes to get shows ready to air on Netflix. Streaming is different to broadcast TV. With the weekly releases on broadcast, it means that filming and post-production can happen while the episodes air. There are breaks in the schedule to allow for filming to get back ahead as the release of episodes catch up to where the filming process is.
Netflix (and other streamers) releases content as a binge. This means everything needs to be fully ready before the release. If you want a binge-watch release, you need to accept the wait for episodes.
It takes around eight months for all episodes of Bridgerton to film. It then takes around the same amount of time for the post-production stage. While there aren’t as many graphics to add in compared to the likes of Marvel shows and Doctor Who, there is still some work to be done in the CGI department. Those gutters need to be removed from buildings—The White Queen fans were quick to point out modern-day items spotted in costuming and sets!
That means around 16 months. A little longer when you factor in the writing, but the renewal for Season 4 came back in 2021, so there’s been plenty of time to get some writing and other pre-production work done. So, 16 months for Bridgerton Season 4. Why does the show need longer?
Dubbing in other languages for Netflix takes time
With Netflix being an international streamer, dubbing work needs to happen. A show needs to have voice actors translate the content so people can watch and not have to read subtitles. Even just adding in the subtitles in different languages will take time.
This is the reason Netflix claims it takes so long to get the work done for all shows. It delays the releases by a few months, so it leads to around two years we’ll have to wait for Bridgerton Season 4.