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Wolf Hall producer comments on Disney+ hit Rivals: 'Not something I would make'
"The fact that something is successful is not necessarily the sole criteria by which I would judge whether it’s something I would want to make or not."
As Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light comes to screens, nearly a decade after the first season aired, executive producer Colin Callender has given his thoughts on another recent show, Disney Plus hit series Rivals.
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While speaking with journalists at a Broadcasting Press Guild event in London, as was first reported by The Times, Callendar said: "The fact that something is successful is not necessarily the sole criteria by which I would judge whether it’s something I would want to make or not.
"What are the things that I look for in a show? Is there a big idea that underpins it, that makes it relevant and interesting to a contemporary audience? Does it have something to say?
"Are the emotions expressed and the situations dramatised truthful? Are they entertaining? Or do they trade in clichés? All the sorts of questions I would ask of a show are such that [Rivals] is not a show I would make."
Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damian Lewis as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. BBC/Playground Entertainment/Jay Brooks
When asked why he thinks the show has been so successful, Callendar said: "I’m not sure anything is surprising anymore. I don’t dismiss [looking away from troubling events] as an ambition."
While both Wolf Hall and Rivals are historical dramas and based on books, that's about where the comparisons end. Wolf Hall deals with the political machinations of Thomas Cromwell during the Tudor period and stars Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis.
Meanwhile, Rivals stars David Tennant, Alex Hassell and Aidan Turner, amongst others, and follows a personal rivalry which turns into a professional one, focusing on the TV industry in the 1980s.
Both shows have seen a rapt reception from critics, and while Wolf Hall seems set to come to an end with this second run, with all three of Hilary Mantel's books having now been adapted, fans are hoping Rivals will continue, after it ended on a dramatic cliffhanger.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light comes to BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 10th November. Rivals is available to stream now on Disney Plus.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
