---
title: "Rivals"
year: 2024
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/rivals"
fi1m_id: "rivals"
imdb_id: "tt21906238"
tmdb_id: 208921
wikidata_id: "Q117462119"
fi1m_score: 80
critics_score: 74
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-11"
updated: "2026-10-06T12:12:35.326207+00:00"
region: "TH"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Rivals (2024)

Created by Elliot Hegarty, Jamie Jay Johnson, Dee Koppang O'Leary, Alexandra Brodski · Drama

## Identity

Rivals

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/rivals
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** rivals
- **IMDb ID:** tt21906238
- **TMDB ID:** 208921
- **Wikidata ID:** Q117462119
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21906238/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/208921, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q117462119

**Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 74 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* The naked tennis looks almost sensible once the fully dressed people start talking

> *Rivals* is a funny, unabashedly adult soap, carried by actors who understand how seriously to take its nonsense. The crowded plotting sometimes gets tiresome, but David Tennant and the ensemble make the indulgence worthwhile.

## Synopsis

In the 1980s, television work, sex and the pursuit of power bring an ensemble of competing personalities into one another’s lives. David Tennant plays Tony Baddingham, Aidan Turner is Declan O’Hara and Alex Hassell is Rupert Campbell-Black in this series adapted from Jilly Cooper’s novel. Around them are Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams), Taggie O’Hara (Bella Maclean) and Lizzie Vereker (Katherine Parkinson), alongside Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer). Professional ambitions and private desires overlap as relationships become entangled with questions of status and control.

## Review

*Rivals* is an entertaining, cheerfully indecent soap that occasionally lets its crowded plot get in the way of its pleasures. The adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel understands that sex, social advantage and professional ambition can occupy the same conversation, and that none becomes more interesting merely by being treated solemnly. Its television-business setting gives the characters plenty of reasons to compete. We recommend it for the performances and the willingness to be ridiculous, with a warning that the plotting can become a chore.

David Tennant’s Tony Baddingham is the strongest reason to stay: his villainy is funny without becoming harmless. Tennant makes the excess feel purposeful, so that a broad performance still carries a threat. Aidan Turner, as Declan O’Hara, gives him substantial competition for our attention, while Alex Hassell’s Rupert Campbell-Black supplies the sort of charm this material needs to keep dubious behaviour watchable. None needs the programme to stop and explain why we are watching them.

The women are given motives and tempers of their own. Katherine Parkinson’s Lizzie Vereker, Nafessa Williams’s Cameron Cook and Bella Maclean’s Taggie O’Hara help make the emotional stakes worth following amid the commotion. We wanted the programme to spend longer with them, rather than keep finding another strand to service. There is room here for irritation, vanity and hurt, as well as the obvious opportunities to flirt.

Dominic Hyman’s production design makes the 1980s conspicuous and inviting. Ashley Barron’s cinematography gives that display a glossy finish; the glamour helps explain why anyone would stay in such disagreeable company. The music by Jack Halama and Natalie Holt suits the scale of the performances, supporting emotions that are seldom expressed discreetly. These choices work for a soap whose characters feel everything strongly and would prefer everyone else to notice.

We laughed at the naked tennis, because the scene treats a plainly absurd combination of sport and nudity as something worth committing to. The joke survives being played out, without an embarrassed rush to move on to something more respectable. Directors Alexandra Brodski, Elliot Hegarty, Jamie Jay Johnson and Dee Koppang O’Leary deserve credit for sustaining that confidence across the series. The sexual comedy gives the actors room to play broadly, and the programme is generally happier when it lets them.

The difficulties come when the television-production drama, the sexual escapades and the more serious treatment of power all demand attention at once. Writers including Laura Wade and Dominic Treadwell-Collins have plenty to work with, but some stretches feel overstocked with people and short of a clear priority. The editing does not always help us feel which thread matters most. Our attention wandered when another shift of emphasis interrupted something already worth watching, and the performers then had to win it back.

If soaps usually exhaust our patience, this is unlikely to convert us. Its pleasure depends on enjoying people who behave excessively and being willing to follow them through the occasional unnecessary complication. We think the cast earns that latitude. Give it an evening when a naked tennis match sounds like a reasonable place to start

*Fi1m score 80, published 11 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find Rivals an entertaining embrace of 1980s soap excess, with praise clustering around its ensemble, period production and willingness to take sex and pleasure seriously enough to make them funny. David Tennant draws particular notice, while the female characters and the wider cast give the glamour something to work with. The favourable reviews broadly agree that the camp tone is confident rather than apologetic, and that the mix of lust, money and power sustains the fun.

Reservations concern focus and consistency: some find the competing plots distracting or the opening slow. The spread is wide, though approval predominates. The AV Club finds the series caught between soap, television-industry drama and sexual escapades; The i Paper is more firmly opposed, arguing that the overcrowded plotting and uneven tone prevent it from committing fully to its trashier pleasures. Even these sceptical reviews acknowledge the performances.

## Straight answers

**Is Rivals worth watching?**

*Rivals* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys an unabashedly adult soap with actors who know how seriously to take its nonsense, and we scored it 80. David Tennant's funny, threatening Tony Baddingham is the strongest reason to stay. The crowded plotting can become a chore, so viewers who find soaps exhausting are unlikely to be converted.

**Where can I watch Rivals in Thailand?**

*Rivals* is not on any streaming or rental service in Thailand at the moment. It is available in 46 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Rivals, and is it suitable for children?**

*Rivals* carries a UK 18 certificate for its frank sexual content rather than for violence or fear, and it is not suitable for children. The programme is cheerfully indecent, with a naked tennis match among its set pieces and sex treated as comedy throughout. Anyone uncomfortable with nudity and adult humour should look elsewhere.

**How does Rivals compare to The Player?**

*Rivals* and [*The Player*](https://film.one/film/the-player) both follow an entertainment business full of appetites, but the Altman film is the tighter and more efficiently plotted of the two. *Rivals* is a broad, indecent 1980s soap that sprawls across many strands; *The Player* is a compact Hollywood satire led by Tim Robbins. Choose *Rivals* for excess and ensemble pleasure, *The Player* for discipline.

**Is Rivals based on a true story or a book?**

*Rivals* is based on Jilly Cooper's novel of the same name, not on a true story. The adaptation keeps the book's mix of sex, social advantage and television-industry ambition, with a large ensemble competing for attention. You do not need to have read Cooper to follow it, though the crowded plotting may be easier to track if you have.

**What should I watch after Rivals?**

After *Rivals*, try [*The Player*](https://film.one/film/the-player) (1992, Fi1m 85): Another entertainment business full of appetites, with rather more efficient plotting. Then [*The Rules of the Game*](https://film.one/film/the-rules-of-the-game) (1939, Fi1m 91): Country-house desire and class manners, handled with rather less forgiveness; and [*Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown*](https://film.one/film/women-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown) (1988, Fi1m 84): For desire, deceit and a farce that keeps its crowded cast moving.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **Empire**, David Opie (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the series a supremely confident and endlessly enjoyable 1980s time capsule of soapy excess and hedonistic fun. They single out the self-aware tone, lavish production, and strong ensemble cast performances, especially from David Tennant and Aidan Turner. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/rivals/)
- **Radio Times**, Morgan Cormack (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the series as a gloriously fun, glamorous and soapy reminder of how entertaining TV can be, embracing its raucous roots while touching on themes like power and misogyny. They single out the strong ensemble of complex female characters and David Tennant's villainous performance. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/rivals-disney-plus-review/)
- **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): The critic recommends the show as a fun, horny '80s romp full of sex and pleasure, praising its earnest embrace of campy entertainment and 1980s aesthetics. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/rivals-hulu-review.html)
- **The AV Club**, Caroline Siede (C+): The series struggles to settle on a consistent tone, blending soap opera elements with TV production drama and steamy escapades but not fully committing to any. It is redeemed somewhat by strong performances and handsome production values from the British cast and crew. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/rivals-tv-review)
- **The i Paper**, Julia Raeside (40/100, inferred): The critic views it as a campy bonk-fest that's pure panto with fun performances, but criticizes the tonal inconsistency due to Disney's influence, overcrowded plot, and lack of focus, suggesting it should have been more trashy. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/jilly-cooper-rivals-review-disney-3326381)
- **The Guardian**: The critic praises the Disney+ adaptation for preserving the sex, excess and rambunctious joy of Jilly Cooper’s 1980s bonkbuster without sanitising it. They single out that even the naked tennis scene works perfectly. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/oct/18/rivals-review-even-the-naked-tennis-scene-is-a-triumph)
- **The Times**, Carol Midgley: The critic calls the series a daft but highly entertaining watch that does everything to excess in the spirit of the 1980s book. They highlight the kitsch, vivacious tone and the immediate plunge into bonking and naked tennis. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/rivals-review-big-hair-red-stilettos-naked-tennis-3tmtrll37)
- **Paste**, Lacy Baugher Milas (8.9/10): The critic praises Rivals as a fun, scandalous throwback to primetime soaps, full of excess, sex, and entertainment, succeeding as an unabashedly enjoyable guilty pleasure. They single out the strong ensemble cast and the show's confident embrace of its soapy identity for praise. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/hulu/rivals-review)
- **Collider**, Jeff Ewing (8/10): The review calls it a vibrant, stylish showcase of 1980s lust and ambition driven by charismatic performances, especially from David Tennant and Alex Hassell, making for a fun, thrilling watch despite a slow start. It highlights the excess and ensemble as strengths. [Read](https://collider.com/rivals-tv-show-review/)
- **Den of Geek**, Louisa Mellor (4/5): The critic praises the show's witty take on Jilly Cooper's bonkbuster, highlighting its unapologetic adult content and fun. They single out the ensemble cast and the balance of sex, power, and nostalgia for praise. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/rivals-review-all-aboard-the-toff-sex-safari/)
- **Digital Spy**, Rebecca Cook (75/100, inferred): The series delivers campy, tongue-in-cheek soapy fun as a bawdy shagathon adapted from the bonkbuster novel, with strong ensemble performances. It singles out the sex, money, and chicanery as the highlights when the show stays focused on them rather than straying into other plot elements. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a62529999/rivals-review/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Elliot Hegarty, Jamie Jay Johnson, Dee Koppang O'Leary, Alexandra Brodski
- **Director:** Elliot Hegarty, Jamie Jay Johnson, Dee Koppang O'Leary, Alexandra Brodski
- **Writer:** Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Laura Wade, Laura Wade, Marek Horn, Kefi Chadwick, Mimi Hare, Dare Aiyegbayo, Sophie Goodhart, Clare Naylor
- **Novel:** Jilly Cooper
- **Cinematography:** Ashley Barron
- **Music:** Jack Halama, Natalie Holt
- **Production design:** Dominic Hyman
- **Cast:** David Tennant as Tony Baddingham; Aidan Turner as Declan O'Hara; Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones; Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black; Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook; Bella Maclean as Taggie O'Hara; Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker; Victoria Smurfit as Maud O'Hara
- **Release (Thailand):** 18 October 2024
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnoFk7f-Oeo

## Where to watch in Thailand

Not streaming, renting or buying in Thailand at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Abigail's Party* (1977): For social climbing, sexual resentment and a gathering nobody should have agreed to attend.
- *The Player* (1992), Fi1m 85: Another entertainment business full of appetites, with rather more efficient plotting. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-player.md)
- *The Rules of the Game* (1939), Fi1m 91: Country-house desire and class manners, handled with rather less forgiveness. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-rules-of-the-game.md)
- *Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown* (1988), Fi1m 84: For desire, deceit and a farce that keeps its crowded cast moving. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/women-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown.md)
- *The Hour* (2011): Television work and private entanglements, with sharper attention to the broadcasting itself.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/rivals