Rivals is hailed by critics as Jilly Cooper’s 80s romp is branded ‘a vivacious bonkbuster’ that will leave viewers blushing and cackling

Rivals has been hailed by critics as a ‘bonkbuster’ as the first reviews for Jilly Cooper’s sexy TV adaptation have flooded in.

The saucy drama, based on the bestselling novel, focuses on the tense rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant).

And, during a series of parties and luncheons in Lord Baddingham’s country pile, steamy affairs and star-crossed yearnings are explored. 

Critics have all agreed that the ‘vivacious’ new show from Disney+ will leave viewers blushing, cackling and rewinding.    

Carol Midgley wrote in The Times that the hilarious new show ‘is one of the most kitsch, vivacious, knowingly corny’ series to have aired in recent months. 

The saucy drama, based on the bestseller novel focuses on the tense rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell, pictured) and Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant)

During a series of parties and luncheon’s in Lord Baddingham’s country pile, steamy affairs and star-crossed yearnings are given into (David Tennant pictured)

She added that the series, which airs on October 18, is a ‘highly entertaining watch’, full of the excesses of the 1980s as she praised the lavish costume, set and soundtrack.

Carol added: ‘This is a big pink Anglo bubblegum of a production and a splash of retro-escapism. Lord knows we all need a bit of that right now.’

Digital Spy‘s Rebecca Cook described the new drama as a ‘soap shagathon’ and praised the ensemble cast for their over-the-top characters. 

Particular attention was given to Danny Dyer‘s character Freddie who ‘forms the emotional core of the show’, with a slow-burn romance that ends in a delightful al fresco romp.

Rebecca added that Danny is world’s away from his EastEnders hard man act and described his and Katherine Parkinson’s story line as the high point of the series. 

She had some reservation about the momentum of the series, noting that the final few episodes struggled to pack the same punch as the first.

The Telegraph‘s Anita Singh gave David Tennant’s new drama five stars, calling the rom-com ‘riotously OTT’.

The critic praised the production for remaining faithful to Jilly’s masterpiece, writing: ‘There are no concessions to the times in which we live. Everyone commits adultery and smokes like a chimney. They hunt and shoot. 

The show has been hailed as a ‘soap shagathon’ and the ensemble cast have been prais for their over-the-top characters including Aiden as TV show host Declan O’Hara (Aidan pictured)

‘People tell off-colour jokes and nobody pulls them up on it with a po-faced lecture.’

But Anita did appreciate one modern update  – the promise that for every shot of naked female breasts, there is male nudity that will leave fans of the show wearing out their rewind buttons. 

The critic also noted that the momentum ‘sags’ towards the end of the show as the script turns away from the hot and steamy sex scenes and more towards the story at hand. 

But, she concluded that it’s a perfect form of escapism. 

Nick Curtis wrote for The Evening Standard that the latest ‘bonkbuster’ is full of talent and opens with a bang on to the screen with Alex Hassell’s Rupert Campbell-Black’s sex-scapade in the toilet of a plane.

Nick described the series as ‘gloriously trashy and arch’ and the ‘epitome of guilty-pleasure TV’.

He also praised the change in tone with the show leaning in to the lack of political correctness of the 80s rather than trying to update it.

The Mail‘s Jane Fryer gave the eight-part series five stars and revealed the show ‘kicks off with so much sex and swearing and nudity and ridiculously brilliant, tongue-in-cheek fun’ that viewers won’t want to tear their eyes away. 

‘Everyone seems to be at it – noisily, enthusiastically, indoors in cramped spaces, outdoors in the blazing sunshine, invariably with someone other than their husband or wife.’

And while Jane was impressed with the set, the costumes, the casting, and the use of not one but two intimacy coaches, she was most impressed by the soundtrack. 

Danny Dyer is world’s away from his EastEnder’s hard man act and has been praised for acting as the emotional core (pictured with Lisa McGrillis) 

His and Katherine Parkinson’s story line has also been described as ‘the high point of the series’ with their slow-burn love story ending in a riotous al-fresco romp

‘The Eighties deserves a special mention, too. The soundtrack bursting with Robert Palmer, the Eurythmics, Haircut 100, Hall & Oates. The brilliantly bad hair. The prawn-laden buffets. The shoulder pads, eyeshadow, taffeta, double-breasted suits and social climbing. It’s all so vivid you can almost smell the fag smoke and hairspray, wet dogs and sex.’

She added: ‘Lord knows what Generation Z will make of it all. How they’ll cope with the sexism, the smoking, the relentless drinking and the suddenly very shocking moment when Rupert gropes poor Taggie as she tries to serve him a portion of her pavlova.

Maybe Rivals should come with a health warning: ‘This is a bit of fun. Do not take it too seriously.’

But do watch it, ideally with a glass of wine in your hand. Because it is a funny, glossy, joyful bit of sexy silliness, with some surprisingly moving moments. And, when everything else in 2024 begins to feel a bit grey and dreary and restricted, it will perk you up no end.

Rivals REVIEW: Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire is all so vivid you can almost smell the fag smoke and hairspray, wet dogs – and sex! JANE FRYER 

The long, long-awaited TV adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s best-selling book Rivals was always going to start with a bang.

And so it does. In a teeny loo on board Concorde, with serial philanderer Rupert Campbell-Black’s naked bottom hard at it.

Bang, bang, bang, thuds the cubicle door as journalist Beattie Johnson’s scarlet stilettoed foot braces against the wall and her red nails dig deep for purchase. Both going at it with such greedy gusto that it’s a wonder the plane doesn’t veer off course.

And for the viewer – or me, at least – a big sigh of relief that, finally, something has not been so sanitised and sterilised that all the joy has been scoured clean away.

In fact, Disney’s new eight-part TV adaptation of the second book in Dame Jilly’s multimillion-selling Rutshire Chronicles kicks off with so much sex and swearing and nudity and ridiculously brilliant, tongue-in-cheek fun that it almost feels as if, instead of chopping out some of Jilly’s joy, executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins and his brilliant team of writers have added even more in.

The long, long-awaited TV adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s best-selling book Rivals was always going to start with a bang

Everyone seems to be at it – noisily, enthusiastically, indoors in cramped spaces, outdoors in the blazing sunshine, invariably with someone other than their husband or wife.

And everything ‘Jilly’ feels vamped up. The huge, sprawling honey-stoned Cotswolds mansion with croquet lawns, ha-has and herbaceous borders to die for. The dogs, everywhere. The endless boozing on champagne. The gigantic 80s hair. The non-stop smoking – in cars, in bed, post-coital on Concorde. But most of all, the razor-sharp humour and endless witty puns.

According to the Disney press puff, the series, which is all about sex, power, money and a battle over a regional TV station, promises to bring a ‘2020s lens to the 1980s’. Not an easy task, squaring today’s delicate sensitivities with naughty Jilly’s obsession with bonking, boozing, groping and relentless political incorrectness.

Not forgetting, of course, the central romance between super-stud Rupert, a former Olympic show jumper and Tory MP, and sweet Taggie O’Hara, who is kind, virginal, dyslexic and just 18 years old. Bloody hell – 18! How did we forget that?

Which, presumably, is why – other than a 1993 film of Riders (the first book in the series) which was so awful and anodyne that most people pretend it doesn’t exist – no one in TV has dared tackle vintage Jilly.

Treadwell-Collins seems to have adopted a rather more robust approach. Shove it all in.

So much so that there were not one, but two, intimacy coaches on set – ever ready to help with angles and advice. Plus an emotional support dog and a very strict policy decreeing that everyone had to behave nicely. Along with ‘scrupulous equality’ on nudity – very 2024. Which means that, for every appendage, we are treated to a pair of naked bosoms.

And we start with Rupert’s. In a scene straight from Jilly’s 1988 book, he is naked, on a tennis court, bickering with an equally naked Emily Atack about who won the point.

Casting Rupert – whose character was supposedly partly inspired by the Queen’s former husband, Andrew Parker Bowles – must have been a nightmare.

It kicks off with so much sex and swearing and nudity that it almost feels as if, instead of chopping out some of Jilly’s joy, executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins and his brilliant team of writers have added even more in

Everyone who has read Jilly’s books has cast him in their heads already. And quite possibly done a few other things to him, too. But Alex Hassell is surprisingly perfect. Sneering. Cruel. Beautiful. Sexy and funny. He’d never read the books, but apparently his mother was a huge fan and actually blushed when he got the part.

The whole cast is top notch.

David Tennant fizzes with fury, chippiness and raw, rabid jealousy as Lord Tony Baddington. Claire Rushbrook is wonderful as his matronly wife. Aidan Turner – playing celebrity TV interviewer, Declan O’Hara – should never again be seen without his porn star moustache. Katherine Parkinson is superbly moving. The list goes on and on.

But the Eighties deserves a special mention, too. The soundtrack bursting with Robert Palmer, the Eurythmics, Haircut 100, Hall & Oates. The brilliantly bad hair. The prawn-laden buffets. The shoulder pads, eyeshadow, taffeta, double-breasted suits and social climbing. It’s all so vivid you can almost smell the fag smoke and hairspray, wet dogs and sex.

‘Real’ men are rich, powerful, caddish and take what they can grab. Women put up with it. And casual infidelity and opportunistic groping are par for the course. Many of us can remember that time – the very good bits and the appallingly bad and perhaps wish we couldn’t.

The Eighties deserves a special mention, too. The soundtrack bursting with Robert Palmer, the Eurythmics, Haircut 100, Hall & Oates

Lord knows what Generation Z will make of it all. How they’ll cope with the sexism, the smoking, the relentless drinking and the suddenly very shocking moment when Rupert gropes poor Taggie as she tries to serve him a portion of her pavlova.

Maybe Rivals should come with a health warning: ‘This is a bit of fun. Do not take it too seriously.’

But do watch it, ideally with a glass of wine in your hand. Because it is a funny, glossy, joyful bit of sexy silliness, with some surprisingly moving moments. And, when everything else in 2024 begins to feel a bit grey and dreary and restricted, it will perk you up no end.