Rivals (TV series)

Last updated

Rivals
Rivals, Disney plus, original series.jpg
Promotional poster
Genre
Based on Rivals
by Jilly Cooper
Directed by Elliot Hegarty
Dee Koppang O'Leary
Alexandra Brodski
Starring
Composers
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
ProducerEliza Mellor
Cinematography
  • John Lynch
  • Carlos Catalán
  • Mark Nutkins
Editors
  • Oliver Parker
  • Matthew Gray
  • Adam Moss
  • Vicky Tooms
Running time48-62 minutes
Production company Happy Prince
Original release
Network Disney+
Release18 October 2024 (2024-10-18) –
present

Rivals is a television series made for Disney+. It is an adaptation of the 1988 Jilly Cooper novel of the same name. It stars an ensemble cast including David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Victoria Smurfit, Alex Hassell, Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, Emily Atack and Danny Dyer. The first series was released on 18 October 2024. The show was recommissioned for a second series in December 2024. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

In 1986, British nobleman, old money MP Rupert Campbell-Black and, coming from the bourgeoisie nouveau riche (though married into old money), Tony, Lord Baddingham, have a rivalry that seeps into the world of Baddingham's Corinium independent commercial television station, located in the (fictional) county of Rutshire, in the Cotswolds region of southwest England. [2] Lord Baddingham brings American producer Cameron Cook to help strengthen Corinium's programming, and hires dynamic Irish newsman Declan O'Hara, husband of actress Maud, away from the BBC.

Cast

Main Cast

Supporting Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Episode 1" Elliot Hegarty Dominic Treadwell-Collins 18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)
To bolster his television company, Corinium, Lord Tony Baddingham recruits renowned journalist Declan O'Hara and ambitious American producer Cameron Cook. As Declan and his family relocate to the countryside, he faces unexpected challenges on his inaugural day at Corinium.
2"Episode 2"Elliot Hegarty Laura Wade 18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)
Under pressure to deliver a successful new show, Declan collaborates with Cameron, despite their differing approaches. Tony, aiming to secure businessman Freddie Jones for Corinium's board, attends a dinner party where unexpected guests lead to unforeseen complications.
3"Episode 3"Elliot HegartySophie Goodhart18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)
During the festive season, Declan is concerned about his wife Maud's extravagant plans for their son's upcoming 21st birthday celebration. Meanwhile, Taggie O'Hara seeks to reconnect with a past love, orchestrating what she hopes will be a memorable evening.
4"Episode 4"Elliot HegartyMarek Horn18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)
Preparing for a live television interview, Declan aims to challenge Rupert Campbell-Black. Tony invites Freddie to an exclusive pheasant shoot, hoping to persuade him to join Corinium's board. Encouraged by Rupert, Taggie begins to assert her independence.
5"Episode 5"Dee Koppang O'LearyClare Naylor & Mimi Hare18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)
Corinium Studios is abuzz as preparations are underway for its inaugural beauty pageant and an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Declan's confidence grows with each successful broadcast, yet he remains driven by a desire for journalistic excellence.
6"Episode 6"Alexandra BrodskiDare Aiyegbayo18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)
Attending an awards ceremony in Spain solo, Cameron unexpectedly encounters Rupert at the same venue. Rupert takes a strategic risk to support Venturer, a new company poised to challenge Tony's Corinium.
7"Episode 7"Dee Koppang O'LearyKefi Chadwick18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)
Upon discovering that Rupert, Declan, and Freddie have established Venturer to compete against his bid for the television franchise, Tony is incensed. However, morale at Corinium lifts when the company receives a prestigious award nomination. Taggie offers her assistance in campaigning for Venturer.
8"Episode 8"Alexandra BrodskiLaura Wade18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)
A paranoid Tony demands unwavering loyalty from his team. As Corinium and Venturer gear up for a pivotal public meeting to determine the franchise's future, both sides employ every tactic to win over the local community.

Production

In August 2022, it was reported that Disney+ were planning an eight-part adaptation of the Jilly Cooper novel Rivals. [4] Dominic Treadwell-Collins was on the writing and production team, whilst Cooper and Felicity Blunt, Cooper's literary agent, would serve as executive producers on the show. [5] [6] It was reported that the 1980s novel would be given a "contemporary skew". [7]

The lead director is Elliot Hegarty, who is also credited as an executive producer for episodes 1 through 3. Eliza Mellor is a series producer. The project is produced by Happy Prince with Alexander Lamb, Laura Wade, and Lee Mason also as executive producers. Wade is also co-writer with Treadwell-Collins; the writers' room includes Sophie Goodhart, Marek Horn, Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor, Dare Aiyegbayo, Kefi Chadwick, Tray Agyeman, and Sorcha Kurien Walsh. [8]

Casting

Casting in lead roles was announced in March 2023, with David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Katherine Parkinson, and Alex Hassell amongst those cast. [9] That same month, Victoria Smurfit and Aidan Turner were added to the cast. [10] In May 2023, the cast was rounded out with Lara Peake and David Calder revealed to be joining the series. [11]

Filming

The series, which started filming in March 2023, was one of the initial productions to use TBY2, a newly completed facility at The Bottle Yard Studios in Hengrove, Bristol. [12] Filming also took place in Tetbury in Gloucestershire in March 2023. [13]

Release

The series was released in the UK and internationally, including Australia, on Disney+ and in the United States on Hulu on 18 October 2024. [14]

Reception

Viewership

The streaming aggregator Reelgood, which tracks 20 million monthly viewing decisions across all streaming platforms in the U.S., reported that Rivals was the tenth most-streamed series in the U.S. during the week of October 10. [15] [16] It remained in tenth place for the weeks ending November 6 and November 13. [17] [18]

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 94% approval rating with an average rating of 7.7/10, based on 17 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A caustic comedy with swagger, Rivals makes class warfare and catty behavior addictive viewing." [19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 84 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [20]

Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic asserted Rivals captures Jilly Cooper's indulgent world of romantic intrigue and class satire. She praised the adaptation's blend of absurdity and serious pleasure, calling Alex Hassell's portrayal of Rupert both excessive and sympathetic. She found the clash between the '80s TV industry and the pastoral Cotswolds setting unified by rampant sexuality, adding a campy charm. Gilbert stated that the show balances humor with affection for Cooper's era and that its joy and lightheartedness offer a welcome contrast to recent, darker TV series. [21] Rachel Cooke of the New Statesman said that Rivals exudes “sheer, unadulterated perkiness,” celebrating Jilly Cooper's Rutshire Chronicles as an unapologetic romp through 1980s British life. She praised the adaptation's treatment as a period piece, reminiscent of Vanity Fair and The Forsyte Saga , praising its humor and satirical edge while avoiding self-consciousness. She found the ensemble cast, particularly Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black and Tennant as Lord Baddingham, delivered standout performances. Cooke described the show as deeply satisfying and entertaining, full of double entendres and cliffhangers, inviting viewers to enjoy humor in the absurdities of social pretensions. [22]

Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave Rivals five out of five stars. She said the series launches with bold energy and adherence to Jilly Cooper's original, unapologetically scandalous style. Mangan appreciated that Disney+ preserved the novel's essential elements—sex, excess, and Cooper's sharp social observations—without toning them down. She found the adaptation adept at balancing the over-the-top 1980s attitudes with modern sensibilities, noting its "light touch" and genuine commitment to bringing Rutshire to life. Mangan stated that the adaptation's rambunctious joy, coupled with smart humor and a sense of escapism, remains true to Cooper's spirit and offers an exuberant viewing experience. [23] David Opie of Empire rated Rivals four out of five stars. He praised the adaptation for preserving the scandalous and addictive appeal of Jilly Cooper's novels, attributing this to Dominic Treadwell-Collins's expertise in soapy melodrama. He found that the show captures the indulgent spirit of 1980s primetime soaps like Dallas and Dynasty , complimenting the lavish budget and the cast's self-aware performances, especially David Tennant, Aidan Turner, and Katherine Parkinson. Opie stated that the series delivers a “hedonistic riot” and is a confident, nostalgic escape that’s both explosive and endlessly enjoyable. [24]

Accolades

The series was nominated at the 2025 Broadcast Awards with "Agatha is shocked to discover Rupert and Sarah playing tennis in the nude" nominated for TV Moment of the Year. [25] Aidan Turner was nominated for Best Actor and Victoria Smurfit for Best Supporting Actress at the Irish Film and Television Awards in January 2025. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jilly Cooper</span> English author (born 1937)

Dame Jilly Cooper, is an English author. She began her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. Cooper is most famous for writing the Rutshire Chronicles.

The Rutshire Chronicles is a series of romantic novels by Dame Jilly Cooper. The stories tell tales of mainly British upper-class families, as well as the show-jumping and polo crowd, in numerous different sexually charged scenarios, often laced with adultery, illegitimate children, scandal, and sometimes death. They are linked by several recurring characters, chiefly Rupert Campbell-Black, and are set in the fictional English county of Rutshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Tennant</span> Scottish actor (born 1971)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Hassell</span> English actor

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Rupert Edward Algernon Campbell-Black is a fictional character in the Rutshire Chronicles series of romance novels written by Dame Jilly Cooper. He is the eighth-generation descendant of Rupert Black. Campbell-Black's first appearance is in the novel Riders, which follows the lives and loves of a group of horse riders and show-jumpers. Although initially portrayed as a brutish, womanizing, adulterous cad, Campbell-Black's character is later somewhat redeemed through his triumphant winning of an Olympic gold medal for Great Britain. His loyalty is also highlighted through his friendships with Billy Lloyd-Foxe, Ricky France-Lynch and Declan O'Hara, as well as his gentle courtship of his second wife Agatha 'Taggie' O'Hara. He has five children: Marcus and Tabitha from his marriage with Helen Macaulay, adopted children Xavier and Bianca with Taggie, and the illegitimate Perdita.

Luca Giuseppe "Luke" Pasqualino is a British actor. He is best known for portraying Freddie McClair in the television series Skins (2009–2010), d'Artagnan in the television series The Musketeers (2014–2016) and Elvis Harte in Our Girl (2016–2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aidan Turner</span> Irish actor

Aidan Turner is an Irish actor. He began his career in the RTÉ medical drama The Clinic (2008–2009) and the BBC series Desperate Romantics (2009). He later gained attention for co-starring as one of the main leads in the popular BBC Three series Being Human (2009–2011), and for playing the dwarf Kíli in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014), before starring as the eponymous character in the BBC adaptation of Winston Graham's Poldark (2015–2019).

<i>Rivals</i> (novel) 1988 novel by Jilly Cooper

Rivals is a 1988 novel by English author Jilly Cooper. It is the second of the Rutshire Chronicles, a series of books set in the fictional English county of Rutshire. In 2018, Sherry Baines narrated the audiobook; Georgia Tennant subsequently recorded another version in 2024.

Claire Louise Rushbrook is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Roxanne in the film Secrets & Lies (1996), and for playing Linda Earl-Bouchtat in My Mad Fat Diary (2013–2015).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa McGrillis</span> British actress (born 1982)

Lisa McGrillis is a British actress.

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Bella Maclean is a British actress. On television, she appeared in the fourth season of the Netflix series Sex Education (2023) and the Disney+ series Rivals (2024). She is also known for portraying Martha in the 2021 London revival of Spring Awakening.

References

  1. ↑ Yossman, K. J. (4 December 2024). "'Rivals' Renewed for Season 2 at Disney+ and Hulu". Variety . Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  2. ↑ Cormack, Morgan (21 March 2023). "David Tennant and Aidan Turner to star in Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals". Radio Times . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Catriona Chandler:
  4. ↑ Shaffi, Sarah (25 August 2022). "Jilly Cooper bestseller Rivals set for eight-part TV adaptation". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  5. ↑ Rose, Hilary (22 March 2022). "Can Jilly Cooper's Rivals survive a 21st-century makeover?" . The Times . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  6. ↑ Elder, Lucy (21 March 2023). "Hunt for Rupert Campbell-Black concludes! Cast confirmed for Jilly Cooper's Rivals" . Horse & Hound . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  7. ↑ de Semelyan, Phil (22 March 2023). "People are losing their minds over Disney's 'Rivals' cast". Time Out . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  8. ↑ Goddard, Lauren (21 March 2023). "Star-Studded "Rivals" Cast Unveiled For Disney+" (Press release). Disney+ . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  9. ↑ Goldbart, Max; Petski, Denise (21 March 2023). "David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Aidan Turner & Alex Hassell Board Disney+'s Jilly Cooper Adaptation 'Rivals'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Victoria Smurfit and Aidan Turner star in adaptation of racy Jilly Cooper novel". Entertainment. Irish Independent . 21 March 2023.
  11. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (15 May 2023). "Jilly Cooper's 'Rivals': Power Packed British Cast Join David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner and Danny Dyer on Disney+ Show (Exclusive)". Variety . Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  12. ↑ Streeting, Louise (23 March 2023). "Disney+ confirms David Tennant and Danny Dyer for new series being filmed in Bristol". TV. Bristol Post . Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Adam, Bertie (20 March 2022). "Rivals: Danny Dyer and David Tennant spotted in Gloucestershire filming new Disney+ series". Celebs & TV. Gloucestershire Live . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  14. ↑ Kanter, Jake (21 August 2024). "Disney+ Sets Premiere Date For Jilly Cooper Adaptation 'Rivals'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  15. ↑ Gruenwedel, Erik (1 November 2024). "Reelgood: Netflix's 'Woman of the Hour' Tops Weekly Streaming Through Oct. 17". Media Play News . Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  16. ↑ Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah (1 November 2024). "David Tennant's New Drama With A Near-Perfect RT Score Becomes Streaming Hit". Screen Rant . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  17. ↑ Meek, Andy (9 November 2024). "A certain Netflix political thriller is one of the biggest streaming TV shows at the moment". Boy Genius Report . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  18. ↑ Meek, Andy (16 November 2024). "TV you can't skip: The 10 hottest shows right now on Paramount, Netflix, Max, Apple TV+, and more". Boy Genius Report . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  19. ↑ "Rivals: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  20. ↑ "Rivals: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  21. ↑ Gilbert, Sophie (1 November 2024). "The Silliest, Sexiest Show of the Year". The Atlantic . Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  22. ↑ Cooke, Rachel (15 October 2024). "The unadulterated pleasures of Rivals". New Statesman . Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  23. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (18 October 2024). "Rivals review – even the naked tennis scene is a triumph". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  24. ↑ Opie, David (23 October 2024). "Rivals Review". Empire . Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  25. ↑ "Shortlist 2025". Broadcastawards.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  26. ↑ "Kneecap and Say Nothing lead IFTA Awards nominations". RTE. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
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