Disney+ out to beat Rivals
TRAILER: Alex Hassell, David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Bella Maclean lead a starry cast in Rivals, an adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel coming to Disney+ and Hulu in the US on October 18.
Set against the backdrop of the drama, excess and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England, the eight-part series delves headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986.
Hassell stars as Rupert Campbell-Black, Tennant as Lord Tony Baddingham, Turner as Declan O’Hara and Maclean as Taggie O’Hara, alongside Danny Dyer, Katherine Parkinson, Nafessa Williams, Emily Atack and Victoria Smurfit.
The cast also includes Catriona Chandler, Oliver Chris, Rufus Jones, Lisa McGrillis, Luke Pasqualino, Claire Rushbrook and Gary Lamont.
Rivals is executive produced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins (A Very English Scandal), Alexander Lamb (Ackley Bridge), Felicity Blunt, Laura Wade (The Riot Club), Dame Jilly Cooper and Lee Mason. It is produced by Happy Prince.
The series is written by Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Laura Wade alongside the series episodic writers room which includes Sophie Goodhart (The Baby), Marek Horn (Wild Swimming), Mimi Hare & Clare Naylor (The Accidental Husband), Dare Aiyegbayo (The Dumping Ground) and Kefi Chadwick (Looted). Tray Agyeman is a shadow writer on episode six, and Sorcha Kurien Walsh (The Pink Pill) is staff writer in the room. The casting director is Kelly Valentine Hendry (Bridgerton).
The lead director is Elliot Hegarty (Ted Lasso), who is also an executive producer on episodes 1-4. Eliza Mellor (The Midwich Cuckoos) is the series roducer. Dee Koppang O’Leary (The Crown) and Alexandra Brodski (Somewhere Boy) also direct episodes.
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