Rivals

Synopsis

In the first series, set in 1986, the rivalry between British nobleman and Member of Parliament Rupert Campbell-Black and nouveau riche Tony, Lord Baddingham, seeps into the (fictional) county of Rutshire, in the Cotswolds region of south-west England. Tony 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. After falling out with Tony, Declan begins his own company, Venturer, with Rupert and tech tycoon Freddie Jones.

The second series is set in 1987, at the time of the general election and the Great Storm, and follows Cameron joining Venturer with Declan and Rupert, with Tony seeking revenge on all three.

Cast and characters

Main

Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black, a retired Olympian show jumper, notorious womaniser, and a Tory MP and sports minister. Despite his outward charm and facility with people, he lives a lonely life with his many dogs. Rupert joins Venturer with Declan and Freddie and develops feelings for Agatha (Taggie). In series 2, he retires as an MP and minister, and is in a relationship with Cameron, further complicating his feelings for Taggie.

Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook, an American TV producer from New York who works for Corinium and has an affair with Tony during series 1. In series 2, she is in a relationship with Rupert.

Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton, the second wife and former mistress of Conservative MP Paul Stratton, with aspirations of being a television presenter.

Catriona Chandler as Caitlin O'Hara, Declan and Maud's youngest child who is attending boarding school.

Oliver Chris as James Vereker, a TV host and actor at Corinium and Lizzie's self-absorbed husband.

Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones, a self-made successful electronics businessman and resident in Rutshire in a loveless marriage. He is attracted to Lizzie.

Rufus Jones as Paul Stratton, a Conservative MP going through a mid-life crisis who is embroiled in an adultery scandal at the beginning of the series.

Bella Maclean as Agatha "Taggie" O'Hara, Declan and Maud's overlooked middle child with aspirations of opening her own catering company. She has several poor first impressions of Rupert, but gradually develops a crush on him as they spend more time together.

Lisa McGrillis as Valerie Jones, Freddie's wife, a notorious social climber who runs a clothing boutique in town. She is often mocked for her bourgeois lack of taste.

Supporting

Rich Keeble as Brian Hetherington, a director at Corinium.

Milo Callaghan (series 1) as Seb Burrows, a journalist at Corinium. He offers to be a spy for Venturer and is fired by Tony as a result. In series 1 he dates Taggie.

Lara Peake as Daysee Butler, a production assistant at Corinium.

Denise Black as Joyce Madden, Tony's assistant.

Antony Byrne as Ginger Baines, Tony's unscrupulous enforcer.

David Calder as Reverend Fergus Penney, Lady Gosling's right-hand man.

Brendan Patricks as Henry Hampshire, a member of the local Rutshire aristocracy.

Olivia Poulet as Hermione Hampshire, wife of Henry.

Guy Siner as Bishop Hubert Brenton, a clergyman.

Selina Griffiths as Dame Enid Spink, a classical musician.

Gilbert Kyem Jnr as Wesley Emerson, a cricketer and minor sports celebrity.

Wendy Albiston as Mrs Makepiece, a housekeeper and help hired by multiple residents of Rutshire.

Emma Shipp and Jamie Bisping as Shelley and Kevin Makepiece, Mrs Makepiece's children

Georgia Mack and Ryan Baker as Sharon and Wayne Jones, Freddie and Valerie's children

Maggie Steed as Lady Gosling, the steely no-nonsense chair of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA).

Episodes

Series 1 (2024)

The first series is based on Rivals (1988).

Production

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

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.

In December 2024, it was renewed for a second series. In June 2026, it was renewed for a third series.

Casting

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

In August 2025, Rupert Everett and Hayley Atwell joined the cast for series 2 alongside Maxim Ays, Holly Cattle, Oliver Dench, Amanda Lawrence, Bobby Lockwood, Eliot Salt and Jonny Weldon. Other new cast members included Olive Tennant and Amelie Child Villiers.

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. Filming also took place in Tetbury in Gloucestershire in March 2023. Filming for the second series began on 21 May 2025. Filming locations included Clevedon, Somerset and Corsham, Wiltshire.

Release

The first series was released in the UK and internationally, including Australia, on Disney+ and in the United States on Hulu on 18 October 2024. In October 2025, Hulu was integrated into the Disney+ platform and Star original programming such as Rivals had become Hulu programming worldwide. The second series is set to be released in two six-episode batches, with the first six episodes released from 15 May to 5 June and the last six episodes set to be released in November.

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 10 October 2024. It remained in tenth place for the weeks ending 6 and 13 November.

Critical response

For the first series, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 95% approval rating, based on 40 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A caustic comedy with swagger, Rivals makes class warfare and catty behavior addictive viewing." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 84 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

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. 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.

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 keeps the "rambunctious joy" of Cooper's original, treating escapism as a necessary pleasure rather than a sin. 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.

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. That scene was also nominated for Most Memorable moment at the 2025 British Academy Television Awards. Aidan Turner was nominated for Best Actor and Victoria Smurfit for Best Supporting Actress at the Irish Film and Television Awards in January 2025. The series was nominated for New Drama at the National Television Awards.