Doctor Who writer reveals why they made Bridgerton’s events canon

Kayla Harrington
Millie Gibson, and Ncuti Gatwa in Doctor Who: Rogue

Doctor Who Episode 6 featured a ton of homages to Bridgerton, and writer Kate Herron has revealed why the events of Netflix’s smash hit series joined the show’s canon.

‘Rogue’, the newest episode of Doctor Who Season 14, was a blast from the past. The Doctor and Ruby Sunday traveled back to 1813, where they found Bridgerton-inspired clothing, orchestrated pop song covers, and attended a ball straight out of the series.

These similarities weren’t an accident. Some of the characters, especially Ruby, continuously reference the Netflix series. Now, the two shows have been confirmed to exist in the same universe.

During an interview with TV Insider, Herron explained why they decided to go all on in on the references, saying: “Look, I love Bridgerton, and I love costume drama and romance.

“I started writing because I used to write fanfiction. I think me and Briony were joking that we basically wrote a fanfic to this episode and we always thought they might tell us to take Bridgerton out, but it’s sustained and somehow has survived and it’s in there still.”

Ncuti Gatwa and Jonathan Groff as the Doctor and Rogue

She continued, “For us, honestly, it was just about having fun, right? The Chuldurs are meant to be massive fans of the show, so is Ruby.

“And just the idea of when you are time traveling, we see our way of seeing different historical periods, but often for us anyway it’s in television shows or books, things that we enjoy. And we were like, well, what is it like if you actually travel to this time period and you’re faced with the reality of the situation?”

Not only did Doctor Who lean on Bridgerton for its setting, clothing, and music, but they also used the Netflix show’s signature meet-cute location too.

While attending a ball thrown by a Duchess, the Doctor comes face to face with Rogue, a handsome bounty hunter who is looking for the mastermind behind the Chuldurs’ evil plans.

One of the most popular aspects of Bridgerton are the various balls thrown each episode and how most of the main characters meet their one true love at these parties.

Although Episode 6’s ending explains why Rogue and the Doctor won’t be riding off into the sunset just yet, the entire experience as a whole is an impressive showcase of how deep Herron’s Bridgerton knowledge runs.

For more, you can find out when the new episode of Doctor Who is out and check out our recaps for other episodes, including ‘73 Yards‘ and ‘Dot and Bubble‘. You can also catch up on all the biggest Doctor Who Season 14 theories.