David Tennant’s latest drama, Rivals, has been met with a flurry of positive reviews ahead of its release, with critics describing it as ‘supremely enjoyable’. The eight-part series, based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel, is said to offer a blend of ‘romantic entanglements, dastardly deals, sex and wit’.
According to the official synopsis, Rivals delves into the cutthroat world of independent television in 1986, set against the backdrop of the dramatic, excessive and scandalous antics of England’s power-hungry social elite of the 1980s. Deals are made in boardrooms and bedrooms alike, but with everyone out for themselves, it’s uncertain who will emerge victorious.
From Friday, October 18, all episodes of Rivals will be available to stream on Disney+, with memberships starting at £4.99 a month for the Standard with Ads plan. By paying for a year upfront on the Standard or Premium plan, members can save up to £25.98, effectively getting 12 months for the price of 10.
The Standard plan now costs £89.90, while the Premium plan is £129.90 and offers higher video quality up to 4K UHD and HDR, as well as the ability to stream on four devices simultaneously. A Disney+ membership provides access to popular shows and films like Only Murders in the Building, The Bear and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, along with numerous titles from the Marvel and Star Wars franchises.
Rivals features a star-studded cast including former Doctor Who Tennant, The Boys actor Alex Hassell and Poldark’s Aidan Turner. They share the screen with Bella Maclean, Emily Atack and Danny Dyer, while Katherine Parkinson, Nafessa Williams and Victoria Smurfit complete the ensemble, reports the Mirror.
The series has garnered numerous positive reviews ahead of its premiere and currently holds a 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Guardian likened it to a ‘perfect cross between Carry On and Eurotrash’, delivering a ‘supremely fun time’, and suggested that watching the series is ‘like drinking the very essence of Cooper, distilled and concentrated’.
In a glowing five-star review, The Telegraph praised the ‘gloriously un-PC romp’ for staying true to Jilly Cooper’s spirit, noting that the ‘steamy novel has not been Disneyfied in the slightest’. Empire lauded Rivals as a ‘hedonistic riot’ that’s ‘explosive in more ways than one’, resulting in ‘supremely confident, endlessly enjoyable’ viewing.
Meanwhile, Radio Times described the drama as ‘glamorous, lively and light-hearted’ yet ‘terribly soapy in all the right places’. It added: “A special shoutout has to go to Tennant who really does deliver on being the resident Rivals villain, pulling on the chilling darkness he has already so superbly demonstrated in series like Deadwater Fell, Inside Man and Des.”
Alternatively, television enthusiasts can enjoy a plethora of new and upcoming films and shows on Amazon’s Prime Video at no cost with a 30-day free trial. The second season of the gripping Amazon thriller, The Devil’s Hour, is set to premiere on October 18, joining popular titles such as The Boys, The Rings of Power, and Challengers.