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The cast of ‘Rivals’ just got even bigger. Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett are officially joining Season 2 of the Disney+ drama, based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s beloved novel.

Atwell will play Helen Gordon, Rupert Campbell-Black’s ex-wife and mother to his children, Marcus and Tabitha. Everett takes on Malise Gordon, Helen’s husband and Campbell-Black’s former show-jumping coach and mentor.

They’re not the only new faces in the mix. Maxim Ays, Holly Cattle, Oliver Dench, Amanda Lawrence, Bobby Lockwood, Eliot Salt, and Jonny Weldon have also signed on for the upcoming season.

Also in news – Netflix renews Dept. Q for season 2: Matthew Goode returns in Edinburgh-set...

If there is one thing that was never part of the original plan for Disney+ - at least for those who believe Disney to produce nothing but jolly, child-safe animated movies and the like – it was a raunchy bonk-busting adaptation of a Jilly Cooper novel starring the likes of David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Aiden Turner, and Nafessa Williams among others. But it happened, and Rivals bonked all over the Disney+ chart when it released its first season, so it is only right that it is returning for Season 2 and bringing some new stars to the party.

According to Deadline, two new names that have just been added to the cast...

Hayley Atwell (Mission: Impossible) and Rupert Everett (My Policeman) are set to join the second season of the Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals on Disney+. The drama, produced by Happy Prince, is currently filming in the UK. The two will play a pivotal pair from the novels. Atwell has been cast as Helen Gordon, the ex-wife […]

Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett to Guest Star in ‘Rivals’ Season 2...

The latest casting news for Rivals Season 2, which is currently filming in the U.K., bodes well for learning more about Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell). Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett are set to guest star in the new season of the show based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s best-selling novel of the same name. Atwell will play Helen Gordon, Rupert’s ex-wife and the mother of his two children, Marcus and Tabitha. (Anastasia Griffith played the role in Season 1.) We cannot wait to see her interactions with his current slow burn love interest, Taggie (Bella Maclean). Everett will play her husband, Malise Gordon, who is also Rupert’s former show-jumping coach and mentor. “Rivals is a landmark series for Disney+, quickly becoming one of our most beloved British UK Original dramas. I’m delighted to welcome Hayley and Rupert to our extraordinary family of actors,” Lee Mason, executive director of scripted originals,...

Back in late May, it was announced that the second season of the hugely successful Disney+ series Rivals had begun production. Now halfway through filming, the heat has been turned up as the upper-class debauchery and filthy-rich feuding just took an exciting new turn with the arrival of two major stars. Already featuring the likes of David Tennant, Aidan Turner, and more, the ensemble has now added another British acting icon as well as an MCU star, in Rupert Everett and Agent Carterherself, Hayley Atwell.

According to a report, Mission: Impossible alum Atwell "has joined the cast as Helen Gordon, the ex-wife of Alex Hassell’s Rupert Campbell-Black and the mother of his two children,...

Hold onto your champagne, Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett are joining the cast of Rivals.

Disney+ unveiled on Wednesday that MCU and Mission Impossible star Atwell, as well as beloved British actor Everett have boarded season two of the Jilly Cooper adaptation as guest stars. Principal photography on the drama, produced by Happy Prince (part of ITV Studios), is underway in the U.K.

Atwell will be playing Helen Gordon, Rupert Campbell-Black’s ex-wife and mother of his two children, Marcus and Tabitha. Everett is set to take on the role of her husband Malise Gordon, Campbell-Black’s former show-jumping coach and mentor.

Further talent joining the ensemble have also been announced: Maxim Ays (Boarders), Holly Cattle (Young Sherlock) Oliver Dench (Hotel Portofino), Amanda Lawrence (Malory Towers), Bobby Lockwood (Wolfblood), Eliot Salt (Slow Horses), and Jonny Weldon (‘One Day’, ‘Brassic’).

The new additions join the all-star lineup from season one including David Tennant,...

Disney+ has unveiled new casting additions for the second season of “Rivals,” with Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett joining the ensemble as guest stars in the drama based on Jilly Cooper’s bestselling novel.

Atwell, known for “Mission Impossible” and “Agent Carter,” will portray Helen Gordon, the ex-wife of Rupert Campbell-Black and mother to his children Marcus and Tabitha. Everett, whose credits include “Napoleon” and “My Policeman,” takes on the role of Malise Gordon, Helen’s husband and Campbell-Black’s former show-jumping coach and mentor.

The Happy Prince production, part of ITV Studios, is currently shooting in the U.K.. Season 2 will expand to 12 episodes, building on the success of the first season which became one of Disney+’s most popular British original dramas.

Additional new cast members announced include Maxim Ays, Holly Cattle, Oliver Dench, Amanda Lawrence, Bobby Lockwood, Eliot Salt, and Jonny Weldon.

The series brings back its...

Disney+ is nearly halfway through the Season 2 shoot on Rivals — and the racy Jilly Cooper adaptation has added two new guest cast members to its ensemble.

Mission: Impossible star Hayley Atwell has joined the cast as Helen Gordon, the ex-wife of Alex Hassell’s Rupert Campbell-Black and the mother of his two children, Marcus and Tabitha.

Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding) is set to take on the role of Gordon’s husband, Malise Gordon, Campbell Black’s former show-jumping coach and mentor.

The casting was announced by showrunner Dominic Treadwell-Collins at the Edinburgh TV Festival, where he said that Rivals has filmed six of an extended 12-part second season.

Further casting includes Maxim Ays (Boarders), Holly Cattle (Young Sherlock), Oliver Dench (Hotel Portofino), Amanda Lawrence (Malory Towers), Bobby Lockwood (Wolfblood), Eliot Salt (Slow Horses), and Jonny Weldon (One Day).

Treadwell-Collins said he wanted to add greater depth to Season...

Rivals pair Danny Dyer and Emily Atack are fronting an ITV gameshow in which contestants fool each other over how well they are performing.

Launching next year, Nobody’s Fool is the first ITV commission for U.S. indie Nobody’s Hero, which is making the reality series with Love Island producer Lifted Entertainment.

Nobody’s Fool will see 10 contestants from across the UK selected to stay in a ‘Smart House’. They will take part in daily individual quizzes that will test different areas of intelligence in order to build a group prize pot. But the twist is that only the contestants themselves will know how well they have done, and what information they choose to share with their competitors is down to them.

The show represents ITV’s dive into the guessing game format genre made famous by the BBC and NBC’s The Traitors, while Channel 4’s effort, The Inheritance,...

British actress Bella Maclean, best known to audiences for her role in the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals, has landed a lead role in Ray Panthaki’s new indie, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

In Starland follows a middle-aged man, played by Sing Sing breakout Clarence Maclin, struggling to break free from the confines of his small town. That is, until, he meets a group of bold young artists — Maclean among them — that transform his perspective. Black-ish actor Marcus Scribner and Top Dog‘s Maxwell Cunningham will also star.

Maclean made her television debut in BBC One’s Silent Witness before joining the cast of season four of Netflix‘s Sex Education as school student Jem.

In 2024, the young actress portrayed Agatha ‘Taggie’ O’Hara in Disney+ series Rivals, the overlooked daughter of Declan (Aidan Turner) and Maud (Victoria Smurfit) who struggles with dyslexia while trying to pursue culinary dreams.

Do you ever open your television and channel surf wistfully because you can’t find any show as good as Game of Thrones? We do so, too, but the good news is that we’ve found three amazing series that are available on Disney+, and they are all reminiscent of Westeros in some way.

These series may not be set during medieval times, but they all carry the same elements that made the hit HBO show thrilling to watch. If you dig political games, dark fantasy, and swashbuckling adventures, then look no further—we got you covered!

‘Rivals’ Is a Gritty, High-Society Power Struggle Set in 1980s Britain David Tennant in Rivals / Credits: Happy Prince

The line between old money and new money blurs when the rivalry between two powerful and influential noblemen takes center stage. Based on Jilly Cooper’s 1988 novel, Rivals follows members of England’s power-hungry social...

Rivals author Jilly Cooper has provided some forthright views on intimacy coordinators.

The writer was questioned about their role following comments made by Rivals actor Danny Dyer, who quipped “every intimacy coach in the land” had worked on the show.

Cooper had a withering response to the profession in an interview with The Times of London, saying: “In my day when people were acting, they just used to jump on each other and roll around without having anyone telling them what to do. I suppose the world’s changed, hasn’t it?”

Cooper added she would not have been comfortable with intimacy coordinators had she been an actress rather than a writer. “I’d be very embarrassed,” she said. “I wouldn’t like it myself, but then no one has any fun any more, do they?”

She was asked about intimacy coaches’ roles in choreographing sex scenes after BAFTA winner Dyer,...

Finally, an update on the raunchy Hulu drama Rivals season 2. The saucy adaptation of the Jilly Cooper novel started filming in May 2025 after its December renewal. The 12-episode season 2 started filming a few weeks ago and is expected to premiere in 2026. It’s a long wait until we see Tony, Taggie, Rupert and co., but hopefully it will be worth the wait!

On May 21, Disney+ confirmed that the series had started filming with a series of behind the scenes photographs. The photos showed the cast in their 1980s costumes frolicking around the fictional Rutshire.

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What to know about Rivals season 2 on Hulu

The television show follows the rivalry between TV studio owner Tony Baddingham and Olympic show jumper-turned-Tory politician Rupert Campbell-Black. Caught in the crossfire is an Irish TV presenter, Declan O’Hara, his wife Maude and his teenage daughters.

It’s been months since this David Tennant-starring period drama was renewed for a sophomore season, which was no surprise given the debut season’s impressive viewership records and critics’ ratings. Inspired by Jilly Cooper’s 1988 novel, the second of the Rutshire Chronicles, Rivals debuted on October 18, 2024 with eight episodes, and months later in December, a second season was ordered. At the time, no premiere date was revealed for the new chapter, but we finally have an update courtesy of TVLine’s Matt’s Inside Line.

Unfortunately, it appears that the Hulu series won’t be back anytime soon, as Rivals Season 2 is “on track to premiere on Hulu in 2026.” Not to mention, filming began only a few days ago, and it will comprise twelve episodes — four more than its predecessor. Also, most of the show’s main cast will return in the new season, including Tennant (reprising his...

Hulu and Disney+ just released new behind-the-scenes photos revealing that David Tennant's hit series Rivals has begun filming its second season. A Disney+ original, Rivals became a runaway hit after its first season premiered in October 2024. Based on the 1988 Jilly Cooper novel of the same name, Rivals follows the heated rivalry between British nobleman Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Tony, Lord Baddingham (David Tennant) at the Corinium television station.

Set in the mid-1980s, this British period drama features plenty of scandal and humor as its characters engage in affairs and catty, but entertaining behavior.Rivals quickly developed a fan following, receiving critical acclaim and landing a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. On May 21, 2025, Hulu offered fans a glimpse at Rivals' upcoming second season, sharing three behind-the-scenes photos on their official X page.

Back on set and ready for more action. 🎬 Season 2 of #Rivals is now in production.

The juicy, scandalous, oh-so-good, can’t-stop-watching Rivals will be back for a second season, and there’s still plenty of source material in Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel of the same name it can pull. And on Friday, May 9, Hulu announced that it’s now in production! Furthermore, a glimpse at the table read confirms that David Tennant, after that bloody cliffhanger, is returning. And photos shared by Disney+ (where it streams internationally) on Wednesday, May 21, show the cast on set. The first season dropped on Hulu in October 2024, then the series was renewed for a second in December. “Nearly 40 years after my novel Rivals was published, I’ve adored seeing the world fall in love with my beloved characters – Rutshire’s Finest. And it has been a fairytale come true working with Happy Prince and Disney+ on the first season. I’m orgasmic with excitement and cannot wait for...

Get ready for more upper-class debauchery and filthy-rich feuding — David Tennant’s Disney+ series, Rivals, is officially back in business. Following the wild first season and its ending cliffhanger that saw the former Time Lord's Tony Baddingham's life hanging in the balance, the hugely successful adaptation of Jilly Cooper's beloved novel has finally begun filming after the announcement was first made earlier this month. In a post made to the official Hulu X account, the first behind-the-scenes snaps of the actors back in their 80s attire certainly get the pulse racing for what promises to be one of Disney+'s must-watch upcoming releases.

Fit with the caption, "Back on set and ready for more action. Season 2 of #Rivals is now in production," the post gives fans their first glimpse at several of the main cast, appropriately permed and kitted in the perfect style, holding clapperboards and smiling in celebration of the show's return.

Filming for Season 2 of the critically praised dark comedy Rivals begins soon and one of its stars, David Tennant, jokes about the unknown fate of his character.

With Season 2 of the television adaptation of Jilly Cooper's 1988 novel Rivals in the works, David Tennant jokes about his character's fate. In an interview with The Guardian, Tennant was asked if his character, the villainous Lord Tony Baddingham, was killed in his last appearance in the first season. The last time audiences saw Tony, he had been hit over the head, leaving viewers wondering if that was the end for the character.

Tennant poked fun at this theory, stating, "I mean, it would be quite a weird way to end, wouldn't it? Maybe you could start season two with the funeral? But we start shooting the day after the Baftas. I don't know what that means for me on that first morning.

Rivalsstar David Tennant addresses his potential return, following that season 1 cliffhanger ending. An adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novel, Rivals explores the ongoing quarreling between powerful and affluent English men, Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony, Lord Baddingham (portrayed by Tennant). Along with Tennant, the Rivals cast includes Alex Hassell, Danny Dyer, Nafessa Williams, Oliver Chris, Bella Maclean, Aidan Turner, and more. In the season 1 finale, when an argument quickly escalates between Tony and Cameron Cook, he is knocked unconscious, leaving his status for Rivals season 2 unknown.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Tennant addressed whether he will return for Rivals season 2 and what that may look like. As he explained, that final moment would make for a "weird" conclusion but teased how season 2 could feature Tony's funeral. Tennant also revealed that production will begin following the 2025 Baftas. Read his comments below:

I mean, it would be quite a weird way to end,...

Hulu has announced that filming begins this month on Rivals season two, which will continue the adaptation of the best-selling novel by Dame Jilly Cooper. The drama returns with an extended season of twelve episodes – and even more wit, desire, and dramatic twists.

Set against the backdrop of the stunning Cotswolds countryside and the glamorous, high-stakes world of 1980s British television, Rivals season two will see the return of the all-star cast that won the hearts of fans and critics alike, as well as introduce brand new faces.

Careers, marriages, and reputations hang in the balance as personal and professional lives collide in a world where secrets can’t stay hidden for long.

Bold, emotionally charged, and filled with unforgettable moments, Rivals is a thrilling ride through a landscape of breathtaking beauty, fierce competition, and life-changing decisions, where the cost of success could be everything.

Reprising their iconic roles are...

There's good news for fans of David Tennant's hit black comedy show, Rivals. The second season is currently filming and will have even more episodes.

Deadline reports that Rivals, which stars Tennant, Aidan Turner and Danny Dyer, now has a 12-episode order, up from eight episodes in the first season. The British series is made for Disney+, where it airs in the United Kingdom, while it is available on Hulu in the United States. Disney+ reports that the first season of Rivals is the streamer's most successful general entertainment premiere in the UK to date.

"We are so excited to be returning to Rutshire for an extended stay of twelve episodes for season two of Rivals," EPs Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Alexander Lamb said. "It’s very special to have the same team return in front of and behind the cameras, and we cannot wait to share more of Jilly’s world with our audience.

David Tennant’s Disney+ series, Rivals, aired all eight episodes in its first season last year on October 18, and now Season 2 of the show just got a major update. Not only did Disney announce that Rivals Season 2 begins production this month, but Season 2 is getting an episode bump, earning 12 episodes compared to the first season’s eight. Tennant also confirmed via his personal Instagram account that he will be back to reprise his role as Tony Baddingham in the series. The show has been the biggest UK-based Disney+ production since the streamer launched in 2019. Rivals earned a "certified fresh" 95% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 90% rating on the Popcornmeter from audiences. No word on a potential release date.

Tennant has taken on a lot of roles over the years, but none have persisted with the same authority that his role as Doctor Who has. He’s played the character for over 15 years,...

David Tennant's successful Jilly Cooper adaptation, Rivals, has received an increased season 2 episode count. Rivals became a huge international hit following its release in October 2024, with Rivals season 1 becoming Disney+'s most successful general entertainment premiere in the UK and achieving popularity globally. Tennant has had many great roles in his career, with his Rivals role as Lord Baddingham, a ruthless TV bigwig, helping propel Rivals to early success, and would have been instrumental in the show securing a renewal.

Per Deadline, the Disney+/Hulu show, which received critical acclaim following its hugely successful first installment, will get an increased episode count for season 2. It has been confirmed that Rivals season 2 will have a 12-episode count, a four-episode increase from season 1's eight episodes, as the season will pick up the second half of Cooper's novel. The cameras are now rolling on season 2's production, with the cast all returning,...

Well, head wounds do tend to bleed a lot but don’t have to be fatal. Such seems to be the case for Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) of Rivals. The first season ended with him seemingly bleeding to death on the floor of his office, but an update from Hulu and Disney+ — the series is released on the former in the U.S., the latter internationally — seems to confirm Tennant’s return for Season 2. “Did someone ask for a #Rivals update?” reads the caption of a look at a Rivals Season 2 script and a name card for David Tennant as Tony Baddingham at what could be a table read. See it below. TV Insider has confirmed that he is back for Season 2, plus production has now started. Get all the scoop and see the cast at the table read here. Rivals, based on the Jilly Cooper novel, follows two...

Disney+’s Rivals is back and Season 2 has been supercharged.

Cameras have now rolled on the second season of the Jilly Cooper adaptation starring David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Danny Dyer, and the series has been given a rare 12-ep order, up from eight in Season 1.

The first season has been Disney+’s most successful general entertainment premiere in the UK to date, according to the streamer. It airs on Hulu in the States.

Season 2 picks up the second half of the Cooper novel and will see careers, marriages, and reputations hang in the balance as personal and professional lives collide in a world where secrets can’t stay hidden for long.

Cast are all returning. They include Tennant, Turner, Dyer, Katherine Parkinson, Nafessa Williams, Alex Hassell and Bella Maclean amongst the ensemble.

The news comes just two days before the BAFTAs, for which Rivals has six nominations.

Cooper said:...

Exclusive: Last week was a busy one for departing Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon.

Mahon revealed her exit from the Gogglebox network on Monday after eight years and by Wednesday her new gig running live entertainment firm Superstruct had emerged.

A day later, we can reveal her agent was sending a book proposal to publishers and TV execs for Mahon’s debut novel, a thriller titled The Rich Bitch Club penned with Walter Presents founder Walter Iuzzolino under the pseudonym Alex Walter. Peters Fraser Dunlop CEO Caroline Michel, who is repping the novel, told us The Rich Bitch Club “generated a significant amount of media and publishing interest in a matter of hours.”

“The Rich Bitch Club is conceived as an iconic, genre defining story,” reads the book’s promotion. “If Bonfire of the Vanities created the male-centric Masters of the Universe that was to dominate novels, films and TV...

Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, has expressed confidence in the resilience of British television despite recent industry challenges, describing the creative and craft quality of U.K. TV as being at “the highest it’s ever been.”

Speaking after the announcement of the BAFTA TV and Craft nominations, which saw Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” leading with eight nods, Millichip addressed concerns about what some have labeled a crisis in British television production, especially in the scripted space.

“Notwithstanding the fact that we’ve had a tough market for the last year or so, this year’s nominees show that creatively and craft wise, British TV is in rude health,” Millichip told Variety. “The quality of the nominations is extraordinary, and a lot of brilliant TV didn’t get nominated. We have 134 nominated programs out of just over 600 programs entered.”

The BAFTA TV Awards nominations saw “Baby Reindeer” dominate, while ITV...

After winning six Emmy Awards last year, “Baby Reindeer” is looking to dominate on home soil with eight nominations at the BAFTA TV and Craft Awards.

The hit Netflix series emerged at the top of the pack, landing nods for limited drama, leading actor for Richard Gadd and supporting actress for both Jessica Gunning and Nava Mau. With her nomination, Mau becomes the first openly transgender BAFTA TV Award nominee.

Further down, there was a three-way tie for second place, with ITV’s “Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office,” Disney+’s Jilly Cooper adaptation “Rivals” and Apple TV+’s spy series “Slow Horses” earning six nominations each. Disney+ also earned four nominations for Ira drama “Say Nothing,” as did the BBC documentary “Life and Death in Gaza.”

“Baby Reindeer” stars Gadd and Gunning were among 21 of 44 performance nominees to land their first BAFTA TV award nomination. Other first-timers include Jonathan Pryce...

Rivals, Industry and Alma’s Not Normal were among the winners at the U.K.’s Royal Television Society Program Awards Tuesday night.

Across the 29 competitive categories, the BBC led with 16 wins, including for Sophie Willan’s sitcom Alma’s Not Normal and Steven Knight’s musical This Town, which took home the newly combined award for limited series and single drama.

Elsewhere, Danny Dyer took best supporting actor — male for his outing in Disney+’s hit drama Rivals, which also earned Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Laura Wade the writing prize for drama as judges assessed the Jilly Cooper adaptation as “bold and totally assured in its very distinctive tone and style.”

Continuing to impress is Richard Gadd’s Netflix limited series Baby Reindeer as Golden Globe winner Jessica Gunning won the Rts Programme Award in the best supporting actor — female category.

James Coren and Ruth Jones, creators of the hugely popular hit Gavin & Stacey,...

Rivals, the Disney+ series about sex and scandal in the British television industry in the 1980s, was one of the big winners at the Royal Television Society (Rts) Progamme Awards.

At a ceremony in London on Tuesday, Danny Dyer took home Supporting Actor – Male for his role as electronics businessman Freddie Jones in the Jilly Cooper adaptation. It is his second prize in the space of a week after he won Best Actor at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.

Rivals writers Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Laura Wade won best Writer – Drama at the Rts awards, with judges praising the show’s “very distinctive tone and style.”

Elsewhere, HBO/BBC show Industry won best Drama Series in its third season. “A series with feature film production values and brilliant performances in which every story detail had a purpose,” judges said.

In other performance categories, Jessica Gunning continues her awards hot streak for Baby Reindeer,...

The stars of big streaming hits Rivals and Baby Reindeer have scooped gongs at this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild (Bpg) Awards.

Danny Dyer, previously better known for soaps and soccer movies, won Best Actor for his role as Freddie Jones in Disney+’s Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals, beating off competition from big stars Lennie James (Mr Loverman), Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs the Post Office), Eddie Redmayne (Day of the Jackal) and Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall). Bella Maclean, who played ‘Taggie’ in Rivals, also conquered tough competition in the form of Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd to win the Bpg Breakthrough Award.

Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning, who has won plaudits worldwide for her role in Gadd’s Netflix show and took home an Emmy last year, won Best Actress ahead of another Rivals star, Katherine Parkinson, Ambika Mod (One Day), Monica Dolan (Mr Bates vs the Post Office...

Banijay U.K. has signed a development deal with Ellie Wood, producer of Netflix‘s The Dig and ITV’s Stonehouse, and her company Clearwood Films.

The deal follows on from a first-look agreement between Banijay Rights, Banijay Entertainment’s distribution arm, and Clearwood Films, which ran from 2019. Banijay Rights will continue to distribute Clearwood projects.

The first development project is the acquisition of the rights to Barbara Pym’s Excellent Women, generally considered the author’s most successful book, with the option to develop further Pym novels.

Clearwood Films will have access to funding in order to develop ideas and treatments as well as support from central Banijay U.K. resources including finance, legal and business affairs. Once greenlit, Clearwood has the option to partner with Banijay U.K. companies to co-produce.

Patrick Holland, CEO of Banijay U.K., said: “Ellie is a brilliant producer with an established reputation for creating standout,...

Banijay U.K. has signed a development deal with award-winning producer Ellie Wood and her company Clearwood Films and, as the first project, acquired rights to Barbara Pym’s classic 1953 novel “Excellent Women” with an option to develop further Pym books.

Under the terms of the deal, Clearwood will have access to funding to develop ideas and treatments as well as support from central Banijay U.K. resources including finance, legal and business affairs. Once greenlit, Clearwood has the option to partner with Banijay U.K. companies to co-produce. It follows on from a first look deal between Banijay Rights, Banijay’s distribution arm, and Clearwood Films, which ran from 2019. Banijay Rights will continue to distribute Clearwood projects.

“Ellie is a brilliant producer with an established reputation for creating standout, high quality drama,” said Banijay U.K. CEO Patrick Holland. “Banijay Rights have had a successful first look deal in place with Clearwood,...

Ellie Wood, the producer behind Netflix film The Dig, has struck a development deal with Banijay UK and is working an adaptation of Barbara Pym’s ‘Excellent Women’ novels.

Under terms of the agreement with Banijay Entertainment’s British arm, Wood’s Clearwood Films will get access to funding to develop ideas and treatments and support from centralized resources including finance, legal and business affairs.

First up from the partnership is the ‘Excellent Women’ adaptation, based on the novel from much-loved author Pym, whose novels are compared to those of Jane Austen. The book follows the story of a self-depreciating young women living in post-World War II London.

Should Clearwood land greenlights for the likes of ‘Excellent Women’, the producer will have the option to partner with Banijay UK production companies to co-produce.

Clearwood’s upcoming projects include an as-yet unannounced single scripted project for a linear broadcaster and 49 Days,...

It certainly feels like Disney+ Emea (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) scripted originals are in a good place. That’s according to the man in charge, Lee Mason, executive director of scripted originals, Emea Disney+, who sat down with The Hollywood Reporter for an interview on how his team’s successes are shaping the streamer’s strategy.

“I’m feeling positive,” Mason, previously the commissioning editor for drama at Channel 4, says. “[Especially] off the back of Rivals and A Thousand Blows.”

These two shows — vastly different in terms of genre — have a lot in common, the executive argues. “My feeling has always been about not moving too far away from what Disney+ is,” Mason explains. “That’s characters you care about, worlds that intrigue you and stories that move you. That’s got to be the starting point.”

Rivals, already confirmed for a season two, took the U.K. by...

He went from Harold Pinter’s protege to barely scraping a living to roaring success in Jilly Cooper’s Rivals. With the release of his new film Marching Powder, he talks about his journey from national joke to national treasure

The Danny Dyer fanbase is an eclectic one. There are the ravers who got in on the ground floor, idolising Moff, the ranting pill dealer Dyer played in the 1999 film Human Traffic. There are the “sort of alpha males”, as he calls them; basically, lads who were into The Football Factory and his run of 00s films about hooliganism, drugs and sex (usually all three). Then, a nine-year run in EastEnders brought onside a lot of “old ladies”, he says. And now, with the success of Rivals – the TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s book, in which he plays the kind-hearted self-made millionaire Freddie Jones – a hornier faction has joined his supporters’ ranks.

Gary Lineker, Danny Dyer and David Tennant will face questions from a remarkable group of journalists in ITV’s upcoming The Assembly.

The format, which has been a success internationally, sees famous faces come up against a group of interviewers who are autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning disabled.

Match of the Day host Lineker, Rivals duo Dyer and Tennant, and Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall have been unveiled as the quartet who will take part in the first four-part season. Deadline revealed last year that the show had been taken to series by ITV after first appearing on the BBC as a one-off during Autism Awareness Week. In that ep, Michael Sheen faced questions and generated plenty viral moments.

Lineker will join The Assembly shortly before he hangs up his Match of the Day boots after a 25-year career hosting the sports soccer show. He has been back in the...

Danny Dyer is on the awards trail for his turn in Disney+ series Rivals.

The EastEnders actor will compete for Best Actor at the Broadcasting Press Guild (Bpg) Awards, which is voted on by British television and media journalists.

Dyer starred as electronics businessman Freddie Jones in Disney’s series about sex and skulduggery in the British television business in the 1980s.

To win the Bpg prize, he will have to fend off competition from Lennie James (Mr Loverman), Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs the Post Office), Eddie Redmayne (Day of the Jackal), and Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall).

Rivals, based on Jilly Cooper’s novels, will do battle for Best Drama Series alongside Baby Reindeer, Day of the Jackal, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, and Wolf Hall.

Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning, a darling of the awards season, has been nominated for Best Actress, where her competition includes Monica Dolan...

Take That took over the BAFTA Film Awards stage in London on Sunday with a rendition of their hit song “Greatest Day,” featured in Sean Baker‘s awards season darling Anora.

The famed boy band performed in its current lineup of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen, but Robbie Williams and Jason Orange didn’t join them for the performance on the biggest night in British film.

The clearly excited audience at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in the British capital showered the band with much applause, loud cheers and many screams.

The BAFTA ceremony organizers knew what they were doing. “Known for their electrifying live shows and timeless appeal, Take That will bring their signature energy and charisma to the ceremony, creating a highlight of the evening,” they had said in unveiling the performance roughly 10 days before the awards show. “Their appearance promises to be an unforgettable moment,...

“When they asked me back, I thought, ‘Really? Are you sure?'” David Tennant jokes about returning to host the BAFTA Film Awards.

He is known around the world as Doctor Who, but the Scottish star is beloved in the U.K. in other roles such as in Broadchurch, Harry Potter and, most recently, Disney+’s Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals.

Tennant took the same BAFTA gig in 2024 and found the entire experience relatively liberating, he reveals to The Hollywood Reporter. “You do learn in the midst of it that everyone who’s there has an agenda, absolutely understandably,” he says. “The people up for awards have an agenda, the people who are presenting awards have an agenda…. [As host], you’ve just got to keep it smooth. You quite quickly realize this must not be about me.”

“That was quite liberating, once I realized, ‘You know what? It doesn’t matter what I do.

The writing for Rivals Season 2 is officially underway! The Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel of the same name first premiered on October 18, 2024. The show is set in 1980s Britain and focuses on a bitter rivalry between Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell). The ensemble cast of the show also features Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Victoria Smurfit, and more. After the success of Rivals Season 1, the show was picked up for a second season in December 2024.

Disney+ U.K. originals “Extraordinary” and “Shardlake” will not be returning to the streamer for further seasons, Variety has learned.

Edgy comedy “Extraordinary,” which stars Máiréad Tyers and Sofia Oxenham as a pair of chaotic flatmates living in a world of superpowers, had already aired two seasons, with Season 2 ending on a cliffhanger as Jen falls into a void. It will not return for a third.

“Shardlake,” a four-part historical mystery series set in Tudor times starred Arthur Hughes, Sean Bean and Anthony Boyle, launched its first season last summer. It will not return for a second.

“Disney+ Original series ‘Extraordinary’ will not be returning for a third season on the service,” said a rep for the streamer. “We’re so proud of the hilarious, award-winning series brought to life by the incredibly talented British and Irish cast and crew, our production partners at Sid Gentle Films, and the exceptional...

There's been no more surprising a breakout hit for Disney in the past few months than Rivals. Based on Dame Jilly Cooper's sophomore novel of the Rutshire Chronicles series, Rivals has catapulted to success with its raunchy brand of raucous drama that has had millions enthralled worldwide. This success is thanks in no small part to a cast bursting at the seams with British talent, from the ever-brilliant Aidan Turner to many people's favorite Time Lord, David Tennant. However, one of Rivals' own - and a British legend in his own right - has now been confirmed to be taking on an altogether different task with his latest project.

If you’re missing Rupert Campbell-Black now that Rivals is on hiatus, you need to watch Riders. The 1993 made-for-tv movie directed by Gabrielle Beaumont is based on the first book in Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles series and follows Rupert in his equestrian days. Rupert, who is played by Alex Hassell on Rivals, is played by Marcus Gilbert (Army of Darkness) in Riders. Gilbert brings the same playfully sleazy energy to the character that fans of the show have come to expect. If any viewers are worried Riders won’t be as steamy as Rivals, those fears are quelled immediately with an opening scene where Rupert wakes up in bed next to a naked woman and runs a riding crop down her body. It goes on to tell a juicy, melodramatic story of romance in the world of professional showjumping.

After much anticipation, the extravagant world of Dame Jilly Cooper's Rivals has finally been brought to television. The eight-part series, directed by Elliot Hegarty, unfolds in the made-up county of Rutshire and centers around the intense rivalry between Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell). The show captures Cooper's genre-defining "bonkbusters" theme: a mixture of sex, scandal, and social commentary of 1980s Britain. With its intoxicating mixture of romance and cutthroat competition within the British TV and media elite, Rivals has certainly struck a chord with viewers. But how faithful has the adaptation been to the original book in incorporating modern twists that revive the classic tale for contemporary audiences?...

Exclusive: Disney’s hunt for its next European content supremo reached the very highest echelons of the BBC, but the Mouse House looks to have emerged empty-handed.

Deadline can reveal that BBC content boss Charlotte Moore, the most powerful person in British TV and audio commissioning, held talks over a move to Disney, but ultimately turned down the opportunity. Disney and the BBC declined to comment.

Disney wanted Moore to become its next SVP of Original Content in Emea. Recruitment for the role has been the talk of the UK TV industry since Deadline revealed Liam Keelan was exiting after five years. Keelan built an Emea originals team from scratch and the show that will likely define his Disney legacy is Rivals, the big-budget Jilly Cooper adaptation that has been renewed for a second season. Others included doc series Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story and Daniel Brühl-starrer Becoming Karl Lagerfeld.

David Tennant, star of Doctor Who and most recently, Rivals, will return to host the 2025 Ee BAFTA Film Awards.

The Scottish actor is stepping up to the task for the second year in a row, BAFTA confirmed, for the ceremony held at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, Feb. 16.

“It’s quite curious,” Tennant told The Hollywood Reporter about being asked to return to the role of host. “Because it’s not something I’d ever imagined I would be asked to do, or particularly aspired to do — it was one of those things that came out the blue. And you think I probably can’t say no to this, because it’s such a unique thing to be a part of.”

“When they asked me back, I thought, ‘Really, are you sure?’ But, you know, why not?”

Tennant’s extensive career in film, television and radio includes...

Disney+'s adaptation of Rivals proved to be a scintillating smash-hit during its first season in late 2024, and now the series has been renewed for season 2. Based on Jilly Cooper's eponymous 1988 novel, Rivals takes place in the fictional English county of Rutshire, where an old feud between two members of the upper class plays out at a burgeoning TV station. Drenched with sex and biting wit about the English class system, Rivals managed to deftly capture Jilly Cooper's sharp assessment of the 1980s both in its tone and in its stylistic execution.

With a cast led by notable names like David Tennant of Doctor Who, Rivals is something of a departure for Disney+. Unlike most of the streaming service's original content, which relies heavily on recognizable intellectual property and franchises like Star Wars and Marvel Comics, Rivals is a fresh take that could indicate a new direction for the streamer.

Rivals will return for a second season. Hulu has renewed the British drama series after leaving viewers with a cliffhanger season finale. The show premiered on the streaming service on October 18th.

Inspired by the Dame Jilly Cooper novel, the Rivals series stars Alex Hassell, David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Nafessa Williams, Katherine Parkinson, Bella Maclean, Emily Atack, Catriona Chandler, Oliver Chris, Danny Dyer, Rufus Jones, Lisa McGrillis, Luke Pasqualino, Claire Rushbrook, and Victoria Smurfit. It is set in the world of independent television in 1980s England.

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Hulu has given the green light to a second season of Rivals, it’s saucy drama based on Jilly Cooper’s novel. The series, which follows the tangled lives of the wealthy and powerful in the cutthroat world of 1980s British television, will return to continue the saga of ambition, infidelity, and big hair. The first season, […]

“Rivals” Renewed for Season 2: Hulu’s 1980s Drama Returns...