The Gist
Rivals centres on the intense and glamorous rivalry between the powerful figures in the 1980s British television industry. Amidst the glitz and drama, the show delves into ambition, loyalty, sex and the high-stakes world of media moguls fighting for control.
The Review
Disney+ has certainly surprised audiences with Rivals. Gloriously out of character for the streaming platform, Rivals is a gem of a show. Based on the Dame Jilly Cooper book from her best-selling ‘Rutshire Chronicles’, it would have been easy to turn your nose up at Rivals for being a female-targeted superficial take on Cooper’s ‘bonkbuster.’
Make no mistake though, there is a lot of sex, a lot. The show begins with a literal climax, as we meet Rubert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) renewing his mile-high-club credentials in a Concorde toilet while Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted To Love’ plays.
Underneath the gratuitous sex scenes, loose morals, 80s soundtrack and frankly, offensive number of shoulder pads, show-runner Dominic Treadwell-Collins has managed to keep the central feud between Campbell-Black and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) just as watchable.
While never taking itself too seriously, many themes are still being dealt with here. Power, privilege, betrayal. Who’d have thought that regional TV franchises could be so interesting?
The lavish Disney+ budget is on the screen, no more apparent than in the excellent cast. Hassel’s portrayal of aristocratic, former Olympian turned Thatcher golden boy is oddly appealing. Even though he’s what posh people would call a ‘rake’, he manages to keep just the right side of awful (he loves dogs, so he can’t be all bad). Aidan Turner’s dogged journalist is a nice touch as lazier casting directors would have dropped him into the Campbell-Black role to capitalise on his popularity with the female audience. David Tennant’s social climbing media-mogul Baddingham is also gloriously over-the-top in his quest for power and taking down his enemy Campbell-Black. Special mentions also need to be given to Danny Dyer, Nafessa Williams and Katherine Parkinson, who are the surprise standouts of the supporting cast.
The Verdict
Revel in the hedonistic world of the 80s entertainment industry. Rivals hit the screens with a tongue-in-cheek confidence and raunchy glamour that’s hard to resist.
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