If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the English upper crust goes rogue in a swirl of horse stables, designer suits, and scandals worthy of a soap opera, Rivals on Disney+ is here to satisfy your curiosity. Adapted from Jilly Cooper’s iconic 1988 novel, this series is a decadent romp through the Cotswolds of the 80s, complete with lust affairs, rivalries, and more backstabbing than a Shakespearean tragedy — but with better hair.
At its core, Rivals is a ‘bonkbuster’ in the truest sense: think glamour, excess, and a never-ending parade of bad decisions wrapped in a soundtrack of Wham!, Blondie and Depeche Mode. Grab a glass of bubbly and get ready for a show that’s equal parts deliciously shocking and irresistibly entertaining. You’ll never play tennis the same way again.
Set in the Cotswolds but with the vibe of Dynasty on steroids, Rivals is a wild ride through the scandalous world of the English elite, where horse people, TV executives, and journalists clash in the most outrageous ways possible. Our main man, ex- Show Jumper turned Thatcher MP, Rupert Campbell-Black, is the ultimate posh bad boy, strutting through the series like he owns it — which, let’s face it, he probably does. He’s got it all: wealth, charm, and zero shame. But there’s one thorn in his tweed-covered side: Tony Baddingham, a striving TV exec with a few skeletons of his own (and maybe a secret dungeon). Rupert starts the series off with an almighty bang – in a very cramped toilet on board an 80s wet dream, the Concord.
Enter Declan O’Hara, a serious BBC journalist, his ex-actress wife Maud, and their two young adult daughters, Taggie and Caitlin. Declan’s been lured to the countryside to work for Corinium, a private media company, and finds himself in the middle of all this glorious, champagne-soaked chaos.
It’s a battle royale of egos, with Rupert, Declan and Tony throwing barbs, dirty looks, and more than a few glasses of scotch at each other in between bouts of infidelity and party-hopping. The plot delivers all the high society drama of Jilly Cooper’s novel and is the perfect backdrop for a storyline filled with illicit affairs, backstabbing, and enough intrigue to keep the tabloids busy for a year.
The Cast
The cast plays this madness with impressive gusto, elevating the absurd to pure gold. Alex Hassell is pitch-perfect as Rupert, the quintessential privileged cad with the charisma of a Bond villain on vacation. Rupert is all tailored suits and devastating one-liners, and Hassell nails his over-the-top confidence — he’s the kind of guy who walks into a room and assumes the waitstaff are there solely to admire him. Aidan Turner, as Declan O’Hara, brings a much-needed “what am I doing here?” energy to the posh setting. He’s the outsider, the everyman trying to make sense of Rupert’s nonsense, and his low-key annoyance turns into TV ratings gold success as he’s sucked deeper into the madness.
Then there’s Victoria Smurfit as Maud, Declan’s ex-actress wife who knows exactly how to play the game of wealth and socialites, bringing equal parts zero care and sass. Smurfit adds a perfect touch of glamour while keeping her character delightfully unbothered by the aristocratic circus around her, and indulging in every single one of its pleasure – scoffing champagne out of tea cups during the day and eyeing up the unavailable men is her MO. A stellar supporting cast including Nafessa Williams and Danny Dyer rounds out the ensemble with even more deliciously bonkers characters. When you throw in the 1980s soundtrack, you’ve got a very un-PC throwback to the era of big hair, big personalities, and even bigger egos.
Will I Like It?
If you’re a fan of glamour, excess, and 80s music mixed with British accents and people behaving horribly while looking fantastic, Rivals is your show. The series captures everything gloriously over-the-top about Jilly Cooper’s novels and cranks it up. We’re talking mansion parties where everyone’s one martini away from a scandal, love triangles with more twists than a corkscrew, and the English upper class making bad decisions with such flair, you almost root for them.
The Cotswolds here are less “quaint countryside” and more “set of an 80s music video” with luxury estates, horses galore, and a wardrobe budget that would make a Kardashian blush. It’s indulgent, it’s campy, and if you’re in the mood for pure escapism with a side of scandal, Rivals is your next binge. Five stars and a bottle of your finest champagne to Disney+ for delivering this delicious drama.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the English upper crust goes rogue in a swirl of horse stables, designer suits, and scandals worthy of a soap opera, Rivals on Disney+ is here to satisfy your curiosity. Adapted from Jilly Cooper’s iconic 1988 novel, this series is a decadent romp through the Cotswolds of the 80s, complete with lust affairs, rivalries, and more backstabbing than a Shakespearean tragedy — but with better hair.
At its core, Rivals is a ‘bonkbuster’ in the truest sense: think glamour, excess, and a never-ending parade of bad decisions wrapped in a soundtrack of Wham!, Blondie and Depeche Mode. Grab a glass of bubbly and get ready for a show that’s equal parts deliciously shocking and irresistibly entertaining. You’ll never play tennis the same way again.
The Plot
Set in the Cotswolds but with the vibe of Dynasty on steroids, Rivals is a wild ride through the scandalous world of the English elite, where horse people, TV executives, and journalists clash in the most outrageous ways possible. Our main man, ex- Show Jumper turned Thatcher MP, Rupert Campbell-Black, is the ultimate posh bad boy, strutting through the series like he owns it — which, let’s face it, he probably does. He’s got it all: wealth, charm, and zero shame. But there’s one thorn in his tweed-covered side: Tony Baddingham, a striving TV exec with a few skeletons of his own (and maybe a secret dungeon). Rupert starts the series off with an almighty bang – in a very cramped toilet on board an 80s wet dream, the Concord.
Enter Declan O’Hara, a serious BBC journalist, his ex-actress wife Maud, and their two young adult daughters, Taggie and Caitlin. Declan’s been lured to the countryside to work for Corinium, a private media company, and finds himself in the middle of all this glorious, champagne-soaked chaos.
It’s a battle royale of egos, with Rupert, Declan and Tony throwing barbs, dirty looks, and more than a few glasses of scotch at each other in between bouts of infidelity and party-hopping. The plot delivers all the high society drama of Jilly Cooper’s novel and is the perfect backdrop for a storyline filled with illicit affairs, backstabbing, and enough intrigue to keep the tabloids busy for a year.
The Cast
The cast plays this madness with impressive gusto, elevating the absurd to pure gold. Alex Hassell is pitch-perfect as Rupert, the quintessential privileged cad with the charisma of a Bond villain on vacation. Rupert is all tailored suits and devastating one-liners, and Hassell nails his over-the-top confidence — he’s the kind of guy who walks into a room and assumes the waitstaff are there solely to admire him. Aidan Turner, as Declan O’Hara, brings a much-needed “what am I doing here?” energy to the posh setting. He’s the outsider, the everyman trying to make sense of Rupert’s nonsense, and his low-key annoyance turns into TV ratings gold success as he’s sucked deeper into the madness.
Then there’s Victoria Smurfit as Maud, Declan’s ex-actress wife who knows exactly how to play the game of wealth and socialites, bringing equal parts zero care and sass. Smurfit adds a perfect touch of glamour while keeping her character delightfully unbothered by the aristocratic circus around her, and indulging in every single one of its pleasure – scoffing champagne out of tea cups during the day and eyeing up the unavailable men is her MO. A stellar supporting cast including Nafessa Williams and Danny Dyer rounds out the ensemble with even more deliciously bonkers characters. When you throw in the 1980s soundtrack, you’ve got a very un-PC throwback to the era of big hair, big personalities, and even bigger egos.
Will I Like It?
If you’re a fan of glamour, excess, and 80s music mixed with British accents and people behaving horribly while looking fantastic, Rivals is your show. The series captures everything gloriously over-the-top about Jilly Cooper’s novels and cranks it up. We’re talking mansion parties where everyone’s one martini away from a scandal, love triangles with more twists than a corkscrew, and the English upper class making bad decisions with such flair, you almost root for them.
The Cotswolds here are less “quaint countryside” and more “set of an 80s music video” with luxury estates, horses galore, and a wardrobe budget that would make a Kardashian blush. It’s indulgent, it’s campy, and if you’re in the mood for pure escapism with a side of scandal, Rivals is your next binge. Five stars and a bottle of your finest champagne to Disney+ for delivering this delicious drama.
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