Recently, Disney+ has been expanding its offerings beyond the usual franchise audiences expect. In fact, the cast of a new drama for the streamer has just been announced. Deadline is reporting that David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner and Danny Dyer, will be part of an ensemble cast in Rivals.
Rivals is based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Jilly Cooper. The book is part of her bestselling Rutshire Chronicles, a romance series that follows the upper-class families of a fictional English county. Rivals explores all the “drama, excess and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite” in the cut-throat world of British television of the 1980s, as the rivalry between two men hits a boiling point. Tennant will be playing Lord Tony Baddingham, the “single-mindedly ambitious and egotistical” head of “Corinium Television.” Turner will be playing Declan O’Hara, an intellectual TV presenter with a temper that gets “wooed” to leave the BBC for Corinium. Meanwhile, Dyer will be playing Freddie Jones, a self-made millionaire.
Tennant is of course best known for his time as The Doctor on Doctor Who, a show that interestingly also just found a new home on Disney+. He is also celebrated for his work on other series like Good Omens, Broadchurch, and Jessica Jones. Turner is best known for his role as Kili in The Hobbit trilogy as well as shows like Poldark and Being Human. Dyer is a British actor best known for his long-standing role on the iconic British soap opera Eastenders. The series will also star The Tragedy of Macbeth’s star, Hassell, as the main character Rupert Campbell-Black, a member of parliament and a notorious womanizer who has a long-time rivalry with Tennant’s character.
Who Else Will Star In Rivals?
The rest of the cast demonstrates an ensemble filled with talent. Alongside Tennant, Turner, Hassell, and Dyer, the cast includes Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, Katherine Parkinson, Victoria Smurfit, Claire Rushbrook, Oliver Chris, Lisa McGrillis, Emily Atack, Rufus Jones, Luke Pasqualino, and Catriona Chandler.
About the performers chosen to bring her book to life, Cooper said the following:
“[The cast] features some of the best acting talent that the British Isles has to offer. I cannot wait to be on set and see them bring the characters I love so much to life.”
A Very English Scandal producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins is adapting Rivals into a series alongside Laura Wade. Elliot Hegarty will serve as lead director on the adaptation, his past works include Ted Lasso and Cheaters. Treadwell-Collins and Hegarty will also be executive producing alongside Alexander Lamb.
Stay tuned to Collider for any future updates on Rivals. Below, check out a teaser trailer for Tennant’s return to Doctor Who: