Bridezillas
Encyclopedia
Bridezillas is a reality television show produced by DCD Media
-owned September Films
and airing on the WE
cable-television network. It follows the lives of women engaged
to be married, casting their busy schedules in an emphatic and sometimes humorous fashion. It was rated TV-14 from WE
television networks for some bad, rude language, a little bit of violence or some suggestive dialogue. The word "bridezilla
" is a portmanteau for a difficult bride
, combined with "Godzilla
."
's ITV
, and later began screening on New York City
's MetroTV in 2003. The Fox Network aired a one-hour Bridezillas special culled from Season One in January 2004. In the summer of 2004, the show began airing on WE, which has since aired eight seasons. Since the second season, it has been the highest-rated original program on the WE Network.
In the first season, the majority of the subjects were young, white
, spoiled, wealthy residents of New York. In subsequent seasons, the show has included a more diverse range of subjects, including older, African-American, and working class
couples; couples from California
, Texas
, and Wisconsin
. While the show is predominantly about female brides, the third season featured the show's first male bride - referred to as "Gayzilla" - Jon Taylor Carter, who was planning a wedding for he and his partner Isaac.
While the first season was in production, the show was tentatively titled "Manhattan Brides". It was only after taping was finished that the name was changed to "Bridezillas" and the footage was edited to emphasize the bad behavior of the subjects. One bride, Julia Swinton-Williamson, sued the producers for misleading her about the nature of the project. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2008.
Episodes are intended to run in sequence, as a single bride's story is told over two episodes. For example, the start of Bride B's story will be presented in tandem with the conclusion of Bride A's story. On the next sequential episode, Bride B's story concludes while Bride C's story begins.
DCD Media
DCD Media plc is a large independent UK and US based group specialising in the production and distribution of factual, entertainment, drama, music and arts programming for television DVD and new media worldwide....
-owned September Films
September Films
September Films, a UK independent television and film production company, is a division of UK independent production and distribution group DCD Media...
and airing on the WE
We
We is the first-person, plural personal pronoun in Modern English.- Atypical uses of we : A nosism is the use of 'we' to refer to oneself....
cable-television network. It follows the lives of women engaged
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
to be married, casting their busy schedules in an emphatic and sometimes humorous fashion. It was rated TV-14 from WE
We
We is the first-person, plural personal pronoun in Modern English.- Atypical uses of we : A nosism is the use of 'we' to refer to oneself....
television networks for some bad, rude language, a little bit of violence or some suggestive dialogue. The word "bridezilla
Bridezilla
A bridezilla is a difficult, unpleasant, perfectionist bride.The first known citation was in The Boston Globe, June 29, 1995....
" is a portmanteau for a difficult bride
Bride
A bride is a woman about to be married or newlywed.The word may come from the Proto-Germanic verb root *brū-, meaning 'to cook, brew, or make a broth' which was the role of the daughter-in-law in primitive families...
, combined with "Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
."
Production history
Bridezillas began production in 2001 and first aired on the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, and later began screening on New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's MetroTV in 2003. The Fox Network aired a one-hour Bridezillas special culled from Season One in January 2004. In the summer of 2004, the show began airing on WE, which has since aired eight seasons. Since the second season, it has been the highest-rated original program on the WE Network.
In the first season, the majority of the subjects were young, white
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
, spoiled, wealthy residents of New York. In subsequent seasons, the show has included a more diverse range of subjects, including older, African-American, and working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
couples; couples from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. While the show is predominantly about female brides, the third season featured the show's first male bride - referred to as "Gayzilla" - Jon Taylor Carter, who was planning a wedding for he and his partner Isaac.
While the first season was in production, the show was tentatively titled "Manhattan Brides". It was only after taping was finished that the name was changed to "Bridezillas" and the footage was edited to emphasize the bad behavior of the subjects. One bride, Julia Swinton-Williamson, sued the producers for misleading her about the nature of the project. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2008.
List of seasons
- Season 1 (June-July 2004) - 8 episodes
- Season 2 (June-July 2005) - 8 episodes
- Season 3 (June-October 2006) - 18 episodes
- Season 4 (June-October 2007) - 18 episodes
- Season 5 (June-October 2008) - 22 episodes
- Season 6 (June-November 2009) - 21 episodes
- Season 7 (June-November 2010) - 23 episodes
- Season 8 (June-November 2011) - 22 episodes
Episode structure
A typical episode presents the stories of two brides-to-be, splitting time between both brides. The story begins as the bride and groom are introduced, and they describe how they first met and fell in love. The bride then explains what she has envisioned for her wedding. The remainder of the story shows the events leading up to the wedding, centering primarily on the bride's interactions with members of her family, her groom's family, members of the wedding party and even the wedding's various service providers (wedding planners, caterers, etc.). The interactions are generally negative, exposing the featured bride-to-be as uncontrollable, bullying, emotional and using whatever means necessary to get what she wants. The story ends with the wedding, the reception and a final concluding interview with the now-wedded couple.Episodes are intended to run in sequence, as a single bride's story is told over two episodes. For example, the start of Bride B's story will be presented in tandem with the conclusion of Bride A's story. On the next sequential episode, Bride B's story concludes while Bride C's story begins.