What Would Danbury Do?

In this bonus episode Kate interviews Dr Javaria Farooqui, an assistant professor at COMSATS University, Lahore. She recently wrote an article about the nuanced reception of the television series Bridgerton. In this episode, we talk about what British Imperialism is, and how the history of Britain in South Asia affects the second season of Bridgerton. Please note: this discussion contains discussi...

The Queen names her diamond, and your hosts are mostly just confused as to the whats, hows, and whys of diamond status. Meanwhile, Kate and Anthony continue to clash and it’s honestly the best foreplay we’ve seen on screen in a long time. It’s Bridgerton Season 2, episode 2 and listeners, we are off to the races! This episode is brought to you by Kensington Books author Kat Martin and her new seri...

In this bonus episode we welcome back friend of the pod Dr Jodi McAlister, who sits down with Kate to discuss how romance novel serialisation works, and what that means for this and future seasons of Bridgerton on Netflix. Features: - Vampires and werewolves and sports teams, oh my! - Genre as defined by ‘vibes’ - HEA…and post-HEA - The benefits of time travel - The benefits of sex scenes - Penelo...

Kate [f26] and Edwina [f21] Sharma are freshly arrived from India to launch Edwina into society and land her a wealthy and doting husband. Just so happens that Anthony [m30ish] is both wealthy and wanting - though the ‘doting’ will have to take a backseat to the practical, pleasant marriage that he has planned. Still, no reason why he and Edwina can’t make a real go of it…if only Kate will offer h...

Our quartet is coming to a close with the straight-talking, pale-looking, wallflower-being, cello-playing Iris [f21] who is sceptical but pleased to be focus of the attention of Sir Richard Kensworthy [m??]. However, after a whirlwind courtship, a little planned compromising, and a quick marriage, Iris arrives at Sir Richard’s estate to find that things are not all that they seem, and love at firs...

Sarah [21] and Hugh [29ish] are not what one might call sympatico, but when they are thrown together in close contact at two weddings in a row (oh hello fan service!), things get a little confusing. Sure Hugh ruined Sarah’s cousin’s life for awhile there, and sure Hugh prefers his dramatics in the theatre and not in the drawing room, but they have people they love and loyalties to uphold and fine,...

Anne [24] made some bad choices when she was 16 (whomst among us?) but as this is the Regency period, the consequences for her bad choices are exile and a lifetime of service as a governess. But she is content in her position for the Smythe-Smiths and her quiet life, even if it wasn’t what she was raised to expect for herself. Then the oldest Smythe-Smith son, Daniel [29ish], returns from his own...

Honoria [21ish] is a very bad violinist but a very good cousin and member of the Smythe-Smith family. Every year, she and her unmarried cousins play in a musicale that corrupts Mozart to a spectacular degree, but it’s tradition and tradition is nice and Honoria loves her family and their traditions. But that doesn’t mean she wants to play in the musicale again. Enter Marcus [29ish], a very reticen...

Welcome to the final episode of What Would Danbury Do? Season Three. In this very special episode, we delve into that most delightful of rabbit holes: your questions! Thanks so much to everyone who reached out during the season and shared your thoughts, feelings, and comments with us. We had such a good time revisiting Bridgerton on Netflix, Season One, and hearing from all of you. Shout outs for...

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but how much is it worth if it hangs in Bridgerton House? Kate spoke with Art Historian, writer and youtuber Nancy Langham-Hooper about portraits, statuary, and a surprising amount of subtext - if you know how to read a room. Featuring: - Hierarchies of art - 18th Century Instagram filters - Decorating tips - Exhibitions and exhibitionism - Wild, wild horse...

Like a debutante in her first corset, direct us to the nearest fainting couch, because we have made it to the end. The last episode of Bridgerton ties up loose ends in some very pretty bows, starts off some new threads, and leaves others dangling tantalisingly into season two. And then there’s THE reveal… This is a super-sized episode as we dissect the last episode, all the things that were and th...

It’s the morning after the night before, and Colin and Marina’s scandal brings everyone back to London and together for the first time since Daphne and Simon’s wedding. But this is not an episode for happy families - everyone is tense AF. At least there’s always ladies’ night... This episode is brought to you by Vanessa Riley’s new novel An Earl, The Girl, and a Toddler, a sweeping, soapy, and utt...

Welcome to Season Three of What Would Danbury Do... All Bridgerton. All the time. This episode of What Would Danbury Do is brought to you by Ella Quinn’s latest novel The Most Eligible Viscount in London, a regency romance about what happens when you think too much with your head...and not enough with your heart. With a whole host of quirky secondary characters, The Most Eligible Viscount in Londo...

In this bonus episode Dr Jodi McAlister joins Adele to talk power, purity, and (un)punctured hymens -- that’s right it’s time to talk virginity and virginity loss. Jodi is an author and academic whose work focuses on the history of love, sex, women and girls, popular culture and fiction. Is it any wonder we love her? Features: - A (brief) history of female virginity - The dangers of virginity - Co...

After the intensity of An Affair of Honour, this episode (1x05) has a lot of feelings: Simon feels guilty, the Queen feels annoyed, Violet feels flustered, Marina feels triumphant, and by the end, Daphne is left feeling the burn. Do we? Find out.  This episode of What Would Danbury Do is brought to you by Love at First, the new novel from Kate Clayborn. Our Kate read this novel and has this to say...

If you’re anything like us, watching that duelling scene had you mentally checking off the Ten Duel Commandments from Hamilton but how accurate is it?  And when it comes to affairs of honour what’s really at stake? Writer and philosopher Damon Young met Kate at dawn to talk about pistols, swords, honour and the patriarchy.  Features: - Family matters - A very bad hand - class and gender  - Paid fi...

Welcome to Season Three of What Would Danbury Do... All Bridgerton. All the time. Our characters spring into action in this episode, with boxing, running, horseback riding, kissing, yelling, and duelling. We get to hang out with Alice and Will (the best couple), dissect a very expensive piece of jewellery, and find out who is #TeamSimon - and who is not. Poor Prince Friedrich is really going about...

From gowns and gloves to tiaras and tailcoats - the first season of Bridgerton reportedly featured 7,500 costume pieces. In this bonus episode we welcome Hilary Davidson -- dress, textiles and fashion historian and curator and the author of Dress in the Age of Jane Austen. Features: - The corset myth - A really bosommy time - Tasteful bad taste - Traffic cones, but make it fashion - The logistics...

Welcome to Season Three of What Would Danbury Do... All Bridgerton. All the time. This episode, (1x03 The Art of the Swoon) we find out just how many masturbation jokes the writers can squeeze into one script as Daphne learns important things about her body, courtesy of a very informative conversation with Simon. Also everyone ends up heartbroken at the end. It’s The Art of the Swoon, and we’re al...

In this bonus episode we welcome Aotearoa (New Zealand) academic Rebecca Trelease to the podcast to gossip about gossip, and the role it plays in our societies and our lives. Features: - All the judgement - Complicated power dynamics - Complicated power structures - Keeping Up with the Featheringtons - (who lives who dies) Who tells your story? - Celebration gossip versus negative gossip Books and...

In Episode Two: Shock and Delight, we are both shocked and delighted by the antics of our favourite alphabetically named siblings and their aristocratic co-hort. There are balls, picnics, drawing rooms, and bedrooms. There are punches, threats, ultimatums, and desperate plans. There are big life questions and small moments of pleasure. All in all, just another day in the Season in Regency London. ...

We welcome expert choir nerd Vanessa Hughes to WWDDpod to discuss classical music and help to demystify the genre. Features: - An unwarranted attack on The Knight’s Tale - What exactly is a string quartet? - Smythe-Smiths, please? - Searching for Maroon 5 lyrical value - Flipping the bird to ‘the rules’ - Simon and Daphne’s theme - Popular songs of the 19th century We’ve put together a recommendat...

Welcome to Season Three of What Would Danbury Do... All Bridgerton. All the time. Bridgerton: The Show hits the ground running with a requisite corset tightening scene, introductions to all the expected major players, and some new faces bringing their own plotlines, conflicts, and romantic entanglements. It’s a bonnet-free zone, and we are 100% here for it.  Featuring: - The Bridgerton/Featheringt...

Welcome to Season Three of What Would Danbury Do... All Bridgerton. All the time. In Season One, Rudi, Adele, and Kate took you through the original eight, the O.G. alphabetically named siblings, the Bridgertons from Anthony to Hyacinth. In Season Two, we worked through the Happily Ever After Second Epilogues. Originally, these second epilogues were published separately, but it turns out that thes...

In this, the final episode of Season Two, we get some back story to everyone’s favourite matriarch as we follow her from a young girl through a whirlwind courtship all the way to the beloved grandmother of an indeterminate number of grandchildren. More a montage than a full story, it’s nonetheless an insight into who Violet is outside of her role as a mother.  Featuring:  A rather heartl...