If you haven’t yet dived into the sheer, unadulterated chaos of the 1980s Cotswolds, honestly, what are you doing with your weekends? We’re talking about the Disney+ (and Hulu) adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s iconic 1988 novel, which is basically a masterclass in how to do "bonkers" correctly. It’s loud. It’s bright. It’s deeply, deeply messy. But the real reason it works—the reason we aren't all just cringing into our cushions—is the Rivals TV series cast. They didn't just show up to play characters; they showed up to chew on the scenery like it was a five-course meal.
Let’s be real for a second. Period dramas usually involve a lot of polite pining and maybe a hand brush in a ballroom. Rivals is the exact opposite of that. It’s a ruthless, sun-drenched, champagne-soaked look at the independent television wars of the mid-eighties. To pull that off, you need actors who can handle the "Rutshire" lifestyle without winking too hard at the camera.
Alex Hassell as the Infamous Rupert Campbell-Black
Rupert Campbell-Black is a name that carries a lot of weight for anyone who grew up reading Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles. He’s the quintessential alpha. He’s a Tory MP, an Olympic show jumper, and a man who treats fidelity as a suggestion rather than a rule.
Alex Hassell had a massive mountain to climb here.
Playing a character who is described as the most handsome man in England is a bit of a trap. If you’re too soft, he’s boring. If you’re too aggressive, he’s irredeemable. Hassell finds this weird, magnetic middle ground. You might remember him from The Boys or The Tragedy of Macbeth, but this is a totally different beast. He brings this sort of languid, predator-like energy to the role that makes you understand why everyone in the show is either trying to sleep with him or ruin his career. Often both.
David Tennant’s Masterclass in Being Absolutely Despicable
Then there is Tony Baddingham.
Lord Tony Baddingham, the controller of Corinium Television, is played by David Tennant. If you're expecting the whimsical charm of Doctor Who or the weary kindness of Broadchurch, you're in for a shock. Tennant plays Tony as a man whose ego has its own zip code. He is Rupert’s primary antagonist, and the friction between them is the engine that drives the entire plot.
It’s actually quite fun to watch Tennant lean into being a villain who isn't a "supervillain." He’s just a deeply insecure, incredibly powerful man who hates that he can’t buy the effortless grace Rupert was born with. His performance is all about the twitching eyes and the fake smiles. It’s exhausting to watch in the best possible way.
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The Women Who Actually Run the Show
While the men are busy measuring their... let’s call it "influence"... the women in the Rivals TV series cast are the ones actually navigating the minefield.
Aidan Turner (yes, Poldark himself) plays Declan O'Hara, a fiercely intellectual Irish journalist who gets lured into Tony’s orbit. But the real heart of that family unit is his daughter, Taggie O'Hara, played by Bella Maclean. Taggie is one of the few genuinely "good" people in this world. Maclean plays her with a groundedness that prevents the show from floating off into total absurdity. She’s the moral compass, even when the compass is spinning wildly.
Katherine Parkinson and the Art of the Slow Burn
Lizzie Vereker is, in my humble opinion, the most relatable character for anyone who has ever felt like the smartest person in a room full of idiots. Katherine Parkinson (of The IT Crowd fame) is brilliant here. She’s a romantic novelist married to a man who clearly doesn't appreciate her.
Parkinson has this way of delivering lines that feel like a sigh and a slap at the same time. Her chemistry with the rest of the ensemble—specifically the way she handles the chaos of the local social scene—adds a layer of pathos that the book sometimes skimmed over.
Nafessa Williams and the American Perspective
Bringing in Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook was a stroke of genius. As an American producer brought in to shake up the UK television landscape, she provides the "outsider" lens we need. She’s sharp. She’s professional. And she has to deal with the rampant sexism of the 1980s British media landscape. Williams plays Cameron with a spine of steel, making her more than just a love interest or a plot device.
Why This Specific Ensemble Works Better Than Expected
Usually, when you pack this many "names" into one show, they fight for airtime. You get what I call the "ensemble bloat," where nobody gets enough development.
Rivals avoids this because the casting directors (shout out to Kelly Valentine Hendry) understood the archetypes. You have:
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- Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones. Yes, Danny Dyer. And he is unironically fantastic. He plays a self-made electronics millionaire who is desperately trying to fit in with the "old money" crowd. It’s the most vulnerable I’ve ever seen him.
- Claire Rushbrook as Lady Monica Baddingham. She plays Tony's wife with a quiet, devastating understanding of her husband’s flaws.
- Victoria Smurfit as Maud O'Hara. She’s the former actress and Declan’s wife, bringing all the drama and glamour you’d expect from a Jilly Cooper matriarch.
- Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton. She captures that specific brand of 80s social climber perfectly.
The Production Design vs. The Cast
You can't talk about the cast without talking about the hair. The hair is practically a character itself. The perms are structural. The shoulder pads are lethal.
There was a real risk that the actors would be swallowed up by the costume design. I mean, when you’re wearing that much polyester and blue eyeshadow, it’s hard to be taken seriously. But the Rivals TV series cast leans into the aesthetic. They don’t act like they’re in a period piece; they act like it’s Tuesday in 1986. That’s the secret sauce. If the actors looked uncomfortable in those suits, the whole thing would feel like a costume party. Instead, it feels lived-in.
The Declan O'Hara Factor
We need to circle back to Aidan Turner. For years, he was the brooding hero. In Rivals, he’s still brooding, but it’s different. It’s an intellectual brood. He’s playing a man who is constantly disgusted by the world he’s forced to inhabit.
His mustache alone deserves its own IMDb entry.
But seriously, Turner’s Declan provides the necessary friction. Without him, the battle between Rupert and Tony would just be two rich guys shouting at each other. Declan is the one who actually cares about the craft of television, which makes the corporate backstabbing feel like it actually has stakes.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Show
A lot of critics initially dismissed Rivals as "trashy." And sure, it’s based on a "bonkbuster." But the cast treats the material with a level of sincerity that elevates it. They aren't playing it for laughs, even when the situations are hilarious.
When Tony Baddingham is trying to screw over a business rival, Tennant plays it with the intensity of a Shakespearean tragedy. When Taggie is dealing with her feelings for Rupert, Maclean plays it with genuine heartache. That’s why it’s ranking so well and why people are talking about it—it’s "prestige trash." It’s high-budget, high-talent, and zero-shame.
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The Legacy of Jilly Cooper on Screen
It’s been a long time since we had a proper Cooper adaptation. The 1993 The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous was... fine. But this version of Rivals feels like the first time a production has had the budget and the guts to match the scale of the books.
The cast is a huge part of that. They managed to capture the "Rutshire" vibe—that specific mix of high-society elegance and absolute moral bankruptcy. It’s a world where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and the Rivals TV series cast plays that familiarity perfectly. They look like people who have been drinking at the same clubs and stabbing each other in the back for decades.
How to Approach the Series if You’re a Newcomer
If you’re going into this fresh, forget everything you know about modern corporate dramas like Succession. Rivals is much more colorful and significantly more horny.
- Watch the chemistry. Specifically keep an eye on Hassell and Maclean. Their dynamic is the "will-they-won't-they" that anchors the more chaotic subplots.
- Look for the cameos. The world of Rutshire is dense, and the show does a great job of populating the background with characters who feel like they have their own stories going on.
- Appreciate the dialogue. It’s snappy, it’s rude, and it’s very British.
The casting of Rivals is a lesson in how to respect source material while modernizing the "vibe" for a 2020s audience. It’s not just a show about the 80s; it’s a show about power, ego, and the ridiculous things people do when they have too much money and not enough to do.
Next Steps for the Rutshire Obsessed:
To truly appreciate the performances, you should check out the original 1988 novel by Jilly Cooper after finishing the season. It provides a lot of the internal monologue for characters like Lizzie and Rupert that the show hints at through performance. Additionally, look up Alex Hassell’s previous stage work; seeing his range makes his portrayal of Rupert Campbell-Black even more impressive. Finally, if you're interested in the real-world history of the "Franchise Wars" in British TV, look into the 1980 ITV franchise renewals—it’s the real-life drama that inspired the fictional battle for Corinium.