Bawdy. Saucy. Wickedly delicious. Hulu’s “Rivals,” the eight-episode adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s popular Rutshire Chronicles series novel of the same name — dubbed a “bonkbuster” in the UK thanks to its depiction of rampant randiness in the lush English countryside — has won over critics since its October release. But more tongues should be wagging Stateside over its Dynasty meets Mad Men audaciousness, especially if we want to see a second season (and we do!).
All eight episodes of 'Rivals' are streaming now on Hulu
Set in 1986, “Rivals” introduces us to cigar-chomping and scenery-chewing Lord Tony Baddingham (the always wonderful David Tennant), who’ll do whatever it takes to keep his Cotswolds-based television studio, Corinium, from losing its regional broadcasting contract.
To boost ratings, he poaches pot-stirring Irish journalist Declan O'Hara (an equally stellar Aidan Turner) from the BBC, promising to air his serious gotcha chat show live and uncensored. Tony partners Declan with a hot-shot producer from New York, Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams, as sharp as the character’s wardrobe), who’s already worked her magic sexing up Corinium’s farmer drama “Four Men Went to Mow.”
That series may seem like a clever homage to Turner’s memorable shirtless scything scene in the Cotswolds-set “Poldark,” but it is actually from Cooper’s 1988 page-turner. (And note: Turner bares more in the first episode of “Rivals” than he did in that field.)
Tony also makes time to battle with his personal nemesis, human Ken doll Rupert Campbell-Black (an effortlessly dashing and deplorable Alex Hassell). We meet the retired Olympic show jumper turned Tory member of Parliament when he’s bare-bum in the mile-high bathroom of the Concorde while Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” pounds away on the soundtrack.
The music is bangin’ throughout the season with a parade of perfectly-placed ‘80s hits in the background (cue the 1986 singles “The Lady in Red” and “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off” for episode 2’s eventful New Year’s Eve party), not to mention jazzy on-screen covers of “Karma Chameleon” and “Love is a Battlefield.”
Nearly every woman fancies Rupert, from the married blonde (Emily Atack’s Sarah) with whom he’s caught playing tennis, naked, later in the premiere to Declan’s neglected wife, actress Maud (Victoria Smurfit), who’s thrilled to learn they’re now neighbors.
Declan’s eldest daughter, 20-year-old Taggie (Bella Maclean), meanwhile, has the gumption to call Rupert out when he’s a man behaving badly and the faith that he’s capable of doing better once he displays the slightest bit of decency.
All’s fair in love and television?
As the show’s title suggests, half the fun of “Rivals” is choosing your side. Do you support Tony’s vendetta against Rupert, which reaches a fever pitch in episode 4 when Declan tries to eviscerate Mr. Campbell-Black on air? We’ll tease only that Declan’s riveting interviews rarely turn out as expected.
Do you change allegiances after episode 5, when Tony has an unforgivable, era-realistic response to a crime worthy of a trigger warning (and possibly too much of a tonal jolt for this satire, even if that’s the point)?
Some choices will be easy to make, such as: Backing the unlikely bedfellows who join forces to compete for Corinium’s contract in the second half of the season. Rooting for the two kindest, quietly cleverest adults in the room — romance novelist Lizzie Vereker (Katherine Parkinson) and self-made tech magnate Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer) — to cheat on their vapid, overbearing spouses (played by Oliver Chris and Lisa McGrillis, respectively). And picking who you want to win the shocking fight that closes the finale. (That’s just one of the juicy cliffhangers that makes a second-season order imperative).
Other decisions could prove more difficult: Can we really trust Cameron, who, as an ambitious Black woman in a white man’s world, needs to think of herself first? Are Rupert’s entertaining sexpionage tactics in episode 6 acceptable if his target is a formidable foe?
Bottom line: “Rivals” is as cheeky as its two multi-couple sex montages. So feel free to put however much (or little) thought into your viewing experience as you’d like. Just make sure you get a friend to watch, too, so we can all escape back to Rutshire and find out what happens next and, to invoke a 1985 Aretha Franklin single, who’s zoomin’ who.
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