Wikipedia

Rivals (TV series)

For the 2010 Philippine series, see Magkaribal.

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, Lisa McGrillis, Alex Hassell, Nafessa Williams, Emily Atack and Danny Dyer.

Rivals
Based onRivals
by Jilly Cooper
Screenplay by
Directed byElliot Hegarty
Starring
Composers
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Jilly Cooper
  • Dominic Treadwell-Collins
  • Felicity Blunt
  • Alexander Lamb
  • Lee Mason
ProducerEliza Mellor
Cinematography
  • John Lynch
  • Carlos Catalán
  • Mark Nutkins
Editors
  • Oliver Parker
  • Matthew Gray
  • Adam Moss
  • Vicky Tooms
Production companyHappy Prince
Original release
NetworkDisney+
Release18 October 2024 (2024-10-18) –
present

Synopsis

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Set in 1986, old money MP Rupert Campbell-Black and nouveau riche (though married into old money) Lord Tony 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.[1] Baddingham brings American producer Cameron Cook to help stengthen Corinium's programming, and hires dynamic Irish newsman Declan O'Hara, husband of actress Maude, away from the BBC.

Cast

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Production

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In August 2022, it was reported that Disney+ were planning an eight-part adaptation of the Jilly Cooper novel Rivals.[3] 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.[4][5] It was reported that the 1980s novel would be given a "contemporary skew".[6]

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.[7]

Casting

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Casting in lead roles was announced in March 2023, with David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Katherine Parkinson & Alex Hassell amongst those cast.[8] That same month, Victoria Smurfit and Aidan Turner were added to the cast.[9] In May 2023, the cast was rounded out with Lara Peake and David Calder revealed to be joining the series.[10]

Filming

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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.[11] Filming also took place in Tetbury in Gloucestershire in March 2023.[12]

Release

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The series was released in the UK and internationally, including Australia, on Disney+ and in the United States on Hulu on 18 October 2024.[13]

Reception

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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."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 84 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[15]

References

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  1. ^ Cormack, Morgan (21 March 2023). "David Tennant and Aidan Turner to star in Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals". Radio Times. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  2. ^
  3. ^ Shaffi, Sarah (25 August 2022). "Jilly Cooper bestseller Rivals set for eight-part TV adaptation". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  4. ^ Rose, Hilary (22 March 2022). "Can Jilly Cooper's Rivals survive a 21st-century makeover?". The Times. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  5. ^ Elder, Lucy (21 March 2023). "Hunt for Rupert Campbell-Black concludes! Cast confirmed for Jilly Cooper's Rivals". Horse & Hound. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  6. ^ de Semelyan, Phil (22 March 2023). "People are losing their minds over Disney's 'Rivals' cast". Time Out. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  7. ^ Goddard, Lauren (21 March 2023). "Star-Studded "Rivals" Cast Unveiled For Disney+" (Press release). Disney+. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "Victoria Smurfit and Aidan Turner star in adaptation of racy Jilly Cooper novel". Entertainment. Irish Independent. 21 March 2023.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ Kanter, Jake (21 August 2024). "Disney+ Sets Premiere Date For Jilly Cooper Adaptation 'Rivals'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Rivals: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Rivals: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
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