Hulu has just dropped some major news: all eight episodes of Rivals, the highly anticipated series adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s iconic novel, will be hitting the streaming platform on Friday, October 18, 2024. If you’ve been craving a dose of 1980s English decadence, power struggles, and scandalous behavior among the social elite, this one’s for you. Rivals plunges straight into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986, where drama isn’t confined to the screen.
The star-studded cast is packed with familiar faces. Alex Hassell (The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Boys) leads the charge as the dangerously charming Rupert Campbell-Black—an ex-Olympian, Member of Parliament, and everyone’s favorite bad boy. Joining him is none other than David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good Omens), stepping into the role of Lord Tony Baddingham, Aidan Turner (Poldark, The Suspect) as the ambitious Declan O’Hara, and Nafessa Williams (Black Lightning, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody) as the fierce Cameron Cook. Rounding out the cast are Katherine Parkinson (Humans, Here We Go) as Lizzie Vereker and Bella Maclean (Spring Awakening, Sex Education) playing Taggie O’Hara.
Behind the camera, we’ve got some heavy hitters too. The series is spearheaded by BAFTA-nominated Elliot Hegarty (Ted Lasso, Trying), who not only directs but also executive produces the first four episodes. Eliza Mellor (The Midwich Cuckoos, Poldark) is on board as series producer, while directors Dee Koppang O’Leary (The Crown) and Alexandra Brodski (Somewhere Boy) take charge of additional episodes.
So, whether you’re in it for the scandal, the nostalgia, or simply the incredible cast, clear your calendar for October 18, because Rivals is about to make your fall lineup a whole lot more entertaining.
