Did Bridgerton give you unrealistic expectations about love? Well, Peacock is working hard to make those expectations a reality with its new Bridgerton-inspired dating show, Pride & Prejudice: Experiment In Romance. (I know it has a Jane Austen reference in the title, but trust me, this show is more Lady Whistledown than Mr. Darcy.)
The show, announced Wednesday July 7, will put one lucky lady — called a "heroine," meh — in the middle of her own regency love story to "find her faithful duke." According to the official Pride & Prejudice: Experiment In Romance press release, written in Whistledown style, the heroine's "suitors" will be "invited to a land fit for a princess, with the prospect that one will ear the admiration of our fair maiden." The show synopsis also teases that the heroine will have help from "her court" to make her romantic decisions and warns, "Only noble suitors are encouraged to take on this profound and thrilling quest, should they have the vigour to out-romance the rest."
The show is expected to film on a castle in the countryside, all transformed to take the heroine and suitors back to Regency England. The heroine and her suitors will write letters to each other, go on carriage rides and, according to reports, old-school archery. Peacock even described the show as "a time-traveling quest for love."
Now, as you can imagine, I have many questions:
- Will everyone be speaking in Regency English?
- Just how committed are they to the time-travel idea — does this include no heat and/or air conditioning? What about bathrooms? Electricity?
- How exactly does cosplaying at Regency living translate into a relationship in the 21st century?
- Does Shonda know?
But my main question is: how do I sign up? Casting for Pride & Prejudice: An Experiment In Romance open right now. All you have to do is fill out this online form and you could be the next Duke of Hastings or Diamond of the First Water. The form states that the show is looking for people who "long for a night of romance, chariot rides, and balls" and "want to pursue love in a whimsical, international location." Questions include, "What is your current dating life?," "What are your thoughts on dating apps?" (Regency era dating is obviously a swipe-free zone), and, "When it comes to dating, is chivalry important to you?" Potential contestants are also asked about their citizenship and availability to travel internationally.
Well, put me in a corset and call me a lady, I'm ready to find love Bridgerton-style.
Image: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX