Rivals review: David Tennant's sumptuously soapy drama is a reminder of how fun TV can be

Across eight episodes, we're taken on a sex-filled jaunt through the '80s as we're propelled into the world of independent television. Sure, most people who don't work within that industry won't know the ins and outs of what it takes to be a big broadcaster but, like any good series, Rivals chucks us headfirst into the world of TV by way of more relatable themes such as loyalty, power and greed.

In a world quite as obsessed with monetary value and male-dominated workplaces like ours, Rivals creates this shiny fictional world that isn't actually too far off the mark of reality.

But back to the fun!

When it was announced that Jilly Cooper's hit 1988 novel of the same name was being adapted for television, loyal fans of the Rutshire Chronicles were both excited and trepidatious over how her beloved characters would be brought to life on screen. I won't pretend to be a reader of the novels but it goes without saying that you'd be hard pressed not to find someone in the UK who hasn't heard of Cooper's novels.

Things started to get positively barmy, though, when the cast was revealed for the Disney Plus adaptation. Former Doctor Who star David Tennant, Poldark lothario Aidan Turner, EastEnders' Danny Dyer and Emily Atack of The Inbetweeners fame? 'Who isn't in this cast?', many thought.

While it has been advertised that Turner, Hassell and Tennant are the leading trio of this series – and their characters are certainly at the centre of the drama – this is truly an ensemble piece. Let's face it, we're a nosy nation and nothing quite beats having a litany of three-dimensional characters all in one drama and getting a peek into their lives behind closed doors. Rather selfishly, though, we just want more!

From the powerhouse that is Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams) to the perplexing relationship between Sarah (Emily Atack) and Paul Stratton (Rufus Jones), and the strange mother-daughter dynamic with Taggie (Bella Maclean) and Maud (Victoria Smurfit), this is as much a character-based drama as it is a hilarious romp.

With such a vast number of characters to tackle, there's always the fear that Rivals could have felt rushed or not as considerate over some stories versus others. While I do selfishly wish that we spent more time fleshing out certain characters, the series does an excellent job of ensuring we know everything we need to about the people within this high society Rutshire circle.

Immediately when watching, many will be thinking back to shows like original American primetime soap Dynasty, or even if EastEnders was set in the Cotswolds. For a long time, many non-soap watchers have remained snobby about the format, but what's so refreshing about Rivals is that it's hard to separate it from its unashamedly raucous soapy roots. Rather, it embraces them.

After all, Rivals showrunner Dominic Treadwell-Collins is of course known for his work on Albert Square and Channel 5 throwback Family Affairs, so the soap opera essence of Rivals runs through its very core.

I mean, in what series am I going to get a scene of someone sensually eating a jam roly-poly, another riding into a dinner party on a camel, and Tennant smashing up a TV set with his bare hands? Rivals is the answer – and you know what? It's the drama we all deserve.

The series reminds us how fun TV can actually be – it’s glamorous, lively and light-hearted while also being terribly (read: joyously) soapy in all the right places. But behind the (bad) wigs, the infectious soundtrack and the barrage of orgasm faces, Rivals is actually a show with a lot to say.

It’s a series that doesn’t take itself too seriously but when it does, it does so very well. Across the episodes, Rivals deals with issues around misogyny within the media, prejudice and sexuality, to name a few. The show manages to touch on these important themes while never feeling weighed down or as if it’s trying to do too much in too casual a way, retaining its comedic value but having surprisingly darker moments that make it a series you never quite want to tear your eyes away from.

A special shoutout has to go to Tennant who really does deliver on being the resident Rivals villain, pulling on the chilling darkness he has already so superbly demonstrated in series like Deadwater Fell, Inside Man and Des.

Read more:

• Emily Atack defends racy Rivals role: "You can't win whatever you do"
• Aidan Turner doesn't think Rivals fans will be disappointed with Disney Plus adaptation

There are many great things about this series but the best part, in my opinion, are the women that prop up Rivals. Sure, we're focusing on Declan, Tony and Rupert a lot of the time, but having such an array of multi-dimensional female characters in one drama is like spotting a shooting star these days. From Sarah's unashamed pursuit of her career goals, Lizzie's (Katherine Parkinson) hopeless romanticism and Taggie's own coming-of-age tale, there's just so much to love about the women at the heart of Rivals.

Rivals is a true gem within Disney Plus’s original UK content crown, living up to the understandable buzz around it. Prudes step aside because the rest of us will patiently be counting down the days till Rivals gets the season renewal it rightly deserves.

Rivals will be released on Disney Plus on 18th October 2024. Sign up to Disney Plus now for £4.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year.

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