How Season 2 of ‘Rivals’ Honors the Lasting Legacy of Jilly Cooper

The much-anticipated Season 2 of the hit series is here, described as “150%” a tribute to the late Jilly Cooper, renowned author whose works inspired the show. Cooper, who passed away at the age of 88 late last year, was cherished by countless fans.

Felicity Blunt, Cooper’s agent and one of five executive producers of Rivals, emphasized the significance of honoring Cooper’s legacy through the series. The set of Rivals was recently visited by Queen Camilla, a close friend of Cooper, further highlighting the author’s impact.

“Jilly always said that her job was to entertain,” Blunt stated. “We all try and ensure that that is our North Star. So this season is 150% a tribute.”

This tribute is woven throughout the season, which features several Easter eggs for dedicated fans. One example Blunt mentioned from Season 1 involves Taggie, played by Bella Maclean, losing a manuscript on a train—a nod to Cooper’s real-life experience of misplacing her first draft of the novel Riders.

“We take the language from the books and we make sure we use the precision of her dialogue in our show,” Blunt added. “If you are a Jilly aficionado, you will be able to point to certain scenes, beats, or words that she uses.”

Having emerged as one of Disney+’s biggest hits outside the U.S., Season 2 of Rivals has received an extended order of 12 episodes, expanding the storyline well beyond the books. “We are able to play out the repercussions of some of the bigger dramatic beats of series one, and we do that really effectively while still being utterly in sync with Jilly’s voice and her storytelling style,” Blunt remarked. “She read every script and celebrated all our choices, giving us complete permission to deviate from the text.”

Dominic Treadwell-Collins, a longtime advocate for adapting Cooper’s work, noted that the author maintained high standards throughout the creative process. “We give each other more notes than Disney does,” he said.

Writer and executive producer Laura Wade highlighted the challenge of creating a show about television itself: “Making a television show about television sets the bar quite high.”

In Season 2, the competition for the Central South West television franchise intensifies, with Tony Baddingham, portrayed by David Tennant, becoming increasingly ruthless in his tactics against rivals. “We’ve matured a bit as a show,” Treadwell-Collins observed. “We’ve been talking a lot this series about the consequences of actions.”

Director Elliot Hegarty described the new season as simpler in some respects. “Last time around we didn’t know what we had; we were working in the dark,” he explained. Executive producer Alexander Lamb added that the storytelling this season is richer and explores a broader range of emotions, asserting it is “sillier, darker, and sadder.”

Rivals Season 1 featured actors like Danny Dyer in unconventional roles. In Season 2, character arcs shift dramatically. Following the season one cliffhanger, where Baddingham is attacked by his former lover Cameron Cook, Hegarty noted that the incident has altered Baddingham’s demeanor, making him “a bit more bats**t.”

This season also delves deeper into the backstory of Rupert Campbell-Black, portrayed by Alex Hassell, featuring the introduction of new characters including his ex-wife, played by Hayley Atwell, and her new husband, portrayed by Rupert Everett. “These familial connections ground the extremes of that character,” Blunt remarked.

Everett, who expressed interest in joining the cast, is praised for his charisma, while Treadwell-Collins commented on Atwell’s captivating presence as bringing a “Dynasty pout” to the series. The new characters seamlessly integrate into the storyline, enhancing the development of Campbell-Black alongside more nuanced plots for secondary characters.

Cynical Snobbery

Prior to the first season, Treadwell-Collins indicated that the “snobbery” of British television had delayed adaptations of Cooper’s work for years. “BBC and ITV executives would look at me like I’d farted when I pitched Cooper’s novels,” he recalled.

While attitudes have shifted, Lamb noted that a form of “cynical snobbery” remains. “They see that we’ve made something quite successful and want to jump on board, but I’m not sure they see the heart,” he said.

Blunt, who plays a dual role as Cooper’s agent and an executive producer, indicated that there has been a surge of interest in pitching adaptations of Cooper’s work. “Jilly dealt with this [snobbery] for years,” she said. “She was placed in a category labeled ‘Bonkbuster,’ but she didn’t care; she would just assert, ‘Literary writers would rather have my sales.’ I think she taught us not to care.”

With Rivals firmly established, Treadwell-Collins harbors ambitious plans for the future. “The world is filled with lots of OK television, but we’re striving to create shows that people love,” he expressed. “We want viewers to return to this as their favorite show.”

Rivals premieres this Friday on Disney+ internationally and Hulu in the United States.