Reality television series The Courtship has been moved from NBC to cable network USA after just two episodes. Being inspired by the hit Netflix original series Bridgerton, many expected The Courtship to attract a large viewing from that audience, but the ratings didn’t come close to the huge numbers of the Bridgerton audience.
The Courtship — which was originally ordered by NBC’s streaming service Peacock — combined elements of The Bachelor and Bridgerton, with the series made to look like Regency England while 16 suitors tried to impress not only the show’s “heroine” Nicole Rémy, but her “court” of family and friends. They didn’t impress viewers, though, so why did The Courtship fall short while Bridgerton is a smash hit?
So what went wrong? The marketing for The Courtship looked cheesy, but any reality television series is going to have its fair share of cringe-worthy moments. It seemed like the show would be right up the alley of The Bachelor fans, but The Courtship felt a little too crafted. The Regency-era backdrop, clothing, and customs seemed too over-the-top and procured to properly fit the 21st-century reality television style that Bachelor fans adore.
Bridgerton fans didn’t enjoy The Courtship either. Sure, Bridgerton takes its creative liberties with the Regency era, such as the music used in the show, but in a way that’s well-done and cinematic (like the Season 2 trailer recreating a Pride & Prejudice moment). Putting the Regency setting in a reality dating series felt more like a mockery of everything Bridgerton fans love than a celebration. The heroine’s court also picked her dates for her, which is an outdated part of Regency courting that’s enjoyable in fictional projects but not so great in the context of modern dating.
Regency-era courting revolves heavily around social decorum and polite behavior, which are almost the antithesis of modern reality dating series. Though many Bachelor fans might also love Bridgerton, it’s probably for separate reasons. The allure of Bridgerton and the Regency era is that viewers can enjoy it a fictional sense. There’s a reason lack of female autonomy and the marriage market have been left in the past where they belong; even in Bridgerton, Eloise represents a stronger female perspective. While creatives thought it was a stellar idea to combine The Bachelor and Bridgerton, especially in the gap between Bridgerton seasons, that did not pay off with The Courtship because it didn’t fulfill either audience.