Bridgerton returned to our screens with its long-awaited fourth season in January, which follows the Cinderella-style love story between Benedict Bridgerton and maid Sophie Baek.
While fans are loving the slow-burn romance between the second Bridgerton son and a member of the Ton's servant class, some took issue with the show's visual quality and pointed out the obvious use of green screen in certain scenes.
What have viewers said about the show?
Taking to social media, viewers criticised the "green screen editing", with one person writing: "I understand the convenience of building the Mayfair set, but then we are left with these cgi shots?? oh bridgerton," while another penned: "Did they green screen a street? Because it doesn't look right."
A third viewer penned: "Is Bridgerton s4 filled with awful green screen editing or am I blind?"
Are green screens used to film Bridgerton?
Yes, green scenes and computer graphics are used during filming for certain scenes, including outside the Bridgerton house.
In 2022, VFX Supervisor Victor Tomi explained how lavish backgrounds were created using computer graphics. "It was a challenge to match the quality of all the beautiful images shot on set with the digital glam we recreated," he told British Cinematographer. "There's a lot of consideration in the garden design, with CG flowers and bushes planted right next to the real thing. But it worked immensely well."
Meanwhile, green screens were also installed behind Queen's House in Greenwich, which was used in season one as a location for one of the balls and doubled up as Somerset House.
Sophie Linin, the Senior Business Development Manager at Royal Museums Greenwich, told Film London in 2021: "We were able to accommodate an 80ft x 20ft green screen on the lawns at the front of the house as well to mask the modern City skyline and make it look like the house went straight down to the river."
What is season 4 about?
In season four, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) takes centre stage. The bohemian second Bridgerton son is reluctant to settle down until he meets the enchanting Lady in Silver at his mother's masquerade ball and sets out to uncover her identity.
The synopsis continues: "But in fact, his heart's desire is not in society at all — she is a resourceful maid called Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), working for the formidable Lady of the house, Araminta Gun (Katie Leung).
"When fate brings Benedict and Sophie back together, Benedict wrestles between the reality of his affection for this intriguing maid and the fantasy of the Lady in Silver — unaware that they are the same person. Will Benedict’s inability to see these women as one and the same derail the undeniable spark between him and Sophie? And can love truly conquer anything?"
The series also delves into the lives of the downstairs staff for the first time. Showrunner Jess Brownell told HELLO! and other press at Bridgerton's season of love event last year: "We've spent the first three seasons really digging into the upstairs world and getting to know the rules of the Ton, so it felt right that after three seasons of doing that, we could expand on the world and go downstairs.
"It broadens our world, but also, we know how difficult a pairing between a gentleman and a maid will be."
Bridgerton season four, part 2 will be released on Netflix on 26 February.