I wonder if you are aware that Bridgerton is not a Shonda Rimes invention, but a re-working of a popular romance series about the Bridgerton Family, and its children, who are named alphabetically from A through H. The series has no characters of color at all. Rimes has incorporated black characters into a British family saga in order to shake up the dominant romance paradigm. I wouldn't expect you to know this, as I'm pretty sure that black men don't read Regency romances! She has done that not only with non-traditional casting, but also with music. Listen to the debut scene in Season 2, where you will hear Madonna's "Material Girl" rendered as a stately minuet.

While your observations may be accurate about what it takes for a white audience to view a drama with black characters, Rimes is not making the inclusion of black love more acceptable. In fact, she has probably pissed off a lot of white people by portraying some of their beloved characters as non-white.

Excellent thought and observations in what is obviously a well-researched and heartfelt piece.