One of this year’s biggest and most expensive British Original shows to be released on Disney+ (and on Hulu in the US) is “Rivals.” This adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s iconic book of the same name is packed full of romantic entanglements, dastardly deals, sex, and wit.

Without getting into spoilers, the show is set against the backdrop of the drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England. “Rivals” delves headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986, with Alex Hassell (‘The Boys’) playing the dashing ex-Olympian, Rupert Campbell-Black and David Tennant (‘Doctor Who’) plays the role of Lord Tony Baddingham.

The central storyline involves Lord Tony Baddingham trying to ensure he keeps his franchise license for an ITV local television station and brings in a hotshot presenter, Declan O’Hara, played by Aidan Turner (‘Poldark’), to try to get big ratings for a new chat show. 

Let’s get this out of the way: this is a very raunchy drama series; within seconds of the show starting, there’s a sex scene on the plane, and throughout the show, basically everyone is at it.  If you’re a fan of Jilly Cooper’s work, you’ll know her reputation, and this show keeps its end of the bargain, as there are multiple sex scenes per episode, though they are usually kept pretty short and used to highlight the excess of the characters.

This show reminds me of some other recent hits like “Pam & Tommy” and “Welcome To Chippendales,” where it just pushes the boundaries, especially those of what you’d “expect” from a Disney+ show. It’s very rude but also brilliantly done.  

“Rivals” features a fantastic cast, all of which bring their charisma to the screen in a big way.  Plus, there are plenty of other British actors, like  Emily Atack and Danny Dyer, who are here to keep the show grounded in Britishness.  “Rivals” feels like a mix of a “Carry On” film mixed with “Eastenders” and a hint of “Succession”.  It’s certainly a refreshing change of pace from recent original shows.  

As you might expect from a show set in the 1980s, the music featured in this show is a fantastic trip down memory lane, with lots of classic bangers from that era that keep viewers locked into that time period.   There are also many other little tricks, such as colour grading, costumes, hairstyles, props and even old commercials, that remind viewers that this was over forty years ago.

Overall:  “Rivals” is very quintessentially British.  It has a unique vibe that you’d only get from something made here in the UK, sometimes feeling like a soap opera, but with a much bigger budget. It’s not going to be for everyone, but I love that Disney has invested so much in a British drama series that delivers something with so many different levels and is so entertaining.   I’m sure this is going to be a lot of people’s “guilty pleasure” of something they don’t want to admit to watching, but will binge the entire series!    It’s completely over the top, funny, trashy and utterly ridiculous, but I loved it.

Rating: 4.5 Out Of 5

All eight episodes of “Rivals” will be released on October 18th 2024, on Hulu and Hulu On Disney+ in the United States and on Disney+ internationally.

Are you looking forward to watching “Rivals”?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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