Where was Rivals filmed? Behind the scenes of Jilly Cooper’s racy drama

Posh hunks fuck in Concorde jets and plot the downfall of their enemies, all set to a crazy ’80s soundtrack with a star-studded cast of British acting legends. We. Are. SOLD.

Disney is completely committed to the “country set”. rivals, The latest series that proves there’s more to the streaming service than just animation and capes.

Based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Jilly Cooper, Rivals explores the seedy world of the British elite, with the drama unfolding in some of England’s most picturesque and idyllic country estates.

Here you will find the facts Rivalsfrom the filming locations to what critics say.

what is Rivals around?

Rivals tells the story of the “ruthless world of independent television in 1986.” There, two powerful men – the swashbuckling ex-Olympic rider and Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black and his ambitious television station controller Lord Tony Baddingham – are vying for control of Corinium Television.

Rivals is a “joyful, mischievous rollercoaster ride with steamy love stories and full of larger-than-life characters,” says Disney’s synopsis. “But despite the spectacle and fun, the series brings a 2020s lens to the 1980s, offering a raw exploration of a complicated moment in British history when class, race, sex, wealth and sexual liberation meant it was for the There was a very privileged few there. “There were no limits to what they could achieve.” Steamy And so sensitive.

Where was Rivals filmed?

Rivals is set in the fictional town of Rutshire in the Cotswolds, the playground of the British elite.

Much of the series was filmed on location, including several locations in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

Bristol

The Aerospace Bristol aviation museum is home to the Alpha Foxtrot, the last Concorde to take to the skies. This plane was used to film a champagne fueled truck flight Rivals Opening episode.

Queen Square, a Georgian square between the busy city center and the harborside area, is one of Bristol’s most popular parks. In RivalsThe place was transformed into “Russet Street”, a fictional district of London.

The Cozy Club, a restaurant in the center of Bristol, also served as a filming location. The venue is set in the majestic surroundings of a former banking hall designed in 1864 by Bristol architect WB Gingell.

Corn Street in Bristol’s Old Town was used for a glamorous awards ceremony, with performers filming their arrival on the red carpet outside the Harbor Hotel.

Check out the clip below for a behind-the-scenes look at filming in the heart of Bristol.

Much of the interior footage was shot at the state-of-the-art Bottle Yard studios in Bristol, which were also used for TV greats Poldark, Sherlock And Wolf Hall.

Chavenage House, Tetbury

Chavenage House, an Elizabethan listed property in the picturesque Cotswold town of Tetbury, was used for The Priory, the residence of Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner), the television presenter amid the executive power struggle.

Coincidentally, the actor has already spent a lot of time on location. Period drama Poldark is one of the many television shows that have used the historic home.

Wilton House, Salisbury

Wilton House is located in the historic town of Wilton, near Salisbury Rivals.

Wilton House has served as an important filming location on screen The Crown, Pride and Prejudice, And Bridgerton.

Wraxall, Somerset

Battle Axes, a pub in the town of Wraxall in Somerset, served as the filming location. The Tudor-style pub first opened in 1881.

However, fans hoping for a pint and some good pub grub will be disappointed. The pub closed its doors in 2020 during the pandemic and has not reopened. Plans are currently underway to convert the site into offices.

Corsham, Wiltshire

Corsham High Street has been brought back to the 1980s Wiltshire Times Capturing images of the film, set in July 2023.

Neston Park is a nearby Grade II listed property which will also be featured Rivalswhich was previously used for BBC historical dramas Lar Crisis to Candelford. The magnificent property dates back to 1790 and has retained many of its original features.

Rivals to the cast of Disney+.

Alex Hassell leads the cast as Rupert Campbell-Black, the former athlete and politician who competes with him for control of a regional television station Doctor Who Legend David Tennant plays Lord Tony Babbington.

Aidan Turner takes on the role of TV megastar Declan O’Hara, who is at the center of the TV power struggle. His daughter Taggie, played by Sex education Star Bella Maclean begins a romance with Campbell-Black despite a significant age difference.

Meanwhile, Danny Dyer swaps Eastenders In the countryside he plays Freddie Jones, a noble self-made electronics millionaire who, along with his wife Valerie (Lisa McGrillis), falls victim to Rutshire snobbery.

Nafessa Williams, who played Robyn Crawford Whitney Houston: I want to dance with someoneis Cameron Cook, a talented American TV executive who Baddingham brought to Corinium to produce Declan O’Hara’s new talk show.

Claire Rushbrook (Sherwood) is Lady Monica Baddingham, Tony’s distinguished, reliable wife, while Emily Atack (The people in between) is Sarah Stratton, the ambitious new wife of Deputy Prime Minister Paul Stratton (W1A Actor Rufus Jones).

How to watch the hot TV series.

The drama will air on Disney+, with all eight episodes releasing on Friday, October 15th.

Check out the trailer below for a taste of what to expect.

Reviews for Rivals until now.

In a word? Glowing. “This year will be the most fun to watch a TV show,” he enthuses BBC Culture. “Like a perfect mix.” Carry on And Eurotrash,’ says The Guardian.

Other critics praised the show’s ability to address issues of the time, including the rise of the AIDS pandemic and misogyny in the workplace. “The series manages to address these important issues without feeling overdone or seeming to be doing too much in too casual a way. It retains its comedic value, but has surprisingly dark moments that make it a series you never want to completely put down.” “Your gaze away from you,” he writes Radio Times.

How faithful is the Disney+ adaptation to Jilly Cooper’s book?

Overall, the Disney+ adaptation appears to remain very faithful to the original novel, albeit with some slight changes for modern audiences.

Rivals Writer Dame Jilly Cooper served as executive producer of the series and all script changes were submitted to her for approval.

In the original novel, female characters were introduced through reference to their weight, which was among the changes picked up by critics.

“The blatant body shaming has disappeared for television, but the mood music remains.” At a buffet, we get a close-up of what a character puts on their plate, seemingly as an invitation to judge them on it. Only now is this equal opportunity-style treatment being applied to both men and women,” he notes The Guardian.

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