Rivals review: Disney's raunchiest-ever series is ludicrously fun - but here's one thing that must be fixed before season 2

Disney Plus subscribers are in for a real treat tomorrow, as they will finally be able to stream Dame Jilly Cooper’s unapologetically raunchy new series, Rivals.

Rivals doesn’t waste any time in setting the tone for its audiences, introducing its characters with an opening scene that starts with the popping of champagne corks on a concord as they join the mile-high club.

If that isn’t enough to immediately pique your interest, perhaps the show’s ridiculously famous cast will.

With the power of Disney behind it, Rivals has brought together one of the most star-studded casts ever to hit the small screen, with Doctor Who's David Tennant, legend Danny Dyer and Poldark actor Aidan Turner taking on lead roles.

Other stars include Alex Hassell, Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, Katherine Parkinson, Victoria Smurfit, Lisa McGrillis, , Luke Pasqualino, Catriona Chandler, Gabriel Tierney, Gary Lamont and Lara Peake.

A synposis for the steamy series reads: "Set in England 1986, Rivals is an adaptation of Jilly Cooper's second book in the Rutshire Chronicles that follows Rupert Campbell-Black (Hassell), a notorious rake and famous showjumper before he quit for a career in politics, as he joins forces with his new neighbour Declan O'Hara (Turner) to overthrow local unscrupulous television magnate Lord Tony Baddingham (Tennant) by bidding for his Cotswolds based independent television franchise.

"But Rupert and Declan’s plans are disrupted by a blossoming romance between the famously womanising Rupert and Declan’s innocent daughter Taggie O’Hara (Maclean), a love triangle between Rupert, Tony and his right-hand woman, the brilliant American producer Cameron Cook (Williams) and Declan’s stormy relationship with his wife, the dazzling actress Maud (Victoria Smurfit).

"In the backstabbing of television where it is every man and woman for themselves, can true love really blossom?"

Packed with melodrama, 80s nostalgia, fabulous multi-colour sets and, well… a lot of sex, Rivals has definitely cemented itself as one of this year’s much-watch shows.

Cooper’s flare for escapism and romance shines throughout and - without giving too much away - its ending certainly packs an unexpected punch.

Stand-out performances are delivered by Turner, Tennant and Williams, who give greater depth and nuance to characters that could have easily succumbed to dull stereotyping.

Turner is fantastic as the hot-tempered but brilliant journalist Declan, who commands attention in every scene.

Tennant also gives a powerful, layered performance as the charismatic but conniving TV boss Lord Tony Baddingham, proving once more that he can play an excellent villain.

Williams also holds her own as a lesser-known star among several British heavyweights, bringing confidence, vulnerability and a heavy dose of reality to the table.

It feels almost redundant to ask if Rivals will have a second season. Between the stellar cast, Disney’s backing, the enduring appeal of national treasure Dame Jilly Cooper and that ending, cancellation is surely out of the question.

That said, there is one aspect of the show that didn’t quite work - and it’s something that other critics have picked up on, too. It’s difficult to care sufficiently about the central romance.

Make no mistake: the iconic love story between Rupert Campbell-Black and Taggie O’Hara from Cooper’s novels should not be erased.

However, the show seems to desperately want you to root for them to get together, and this is where the story shows its age.

As we are constantly reminded throughout the series, the 80s were a very different time, and Rivals is very self-aware of that fact.

Nonetheless, watching the story through a modern lens makes it much harder to forgive behaviour that might have been dismissed as “caddish” and then quickly forgotten about 40 years ago.

Despite the show’s best efforts to make Rupert a complex and sympathetic character, whose vulnerability softens his edges, the fact is that his behaviour is too abhorrent for anyone to actually hope he becomes romantically involved with a girl young enough to be his daughter.

It goes without saying that every relationship in the show is problematic - that’s kind of part of the point - but it's also just not that interesting because it’s fairly clear where this train is headed.

That said, other relationship dynamics on the show were captivating to behold, including the ones concerning Tony and Cameron and their various partners, as well as the sweet will-they-won’t-they between another couple (although, his poor wife).

Moving forward into season 2, it would be great to see more of these dynamics explored - and less about an ageing ex-showjumper looking endlessly woe-begotten because he’s not allowed to sleep with his pal’s 20-year-old daughter.

That aside, the next season of Rivals cannot come soon enough; it is truly one of the most unique, enthralling and masterfully entertaining shows to come out of 2025. Watch your back, Bridgerton, there’s a new ‘sexiest show in town’ - and it looks like it’s here to stay.

Catch up with the first season of Rivals now, exclusively on Disney Plus.