Fans of Succession will find a spiritual ancestor here, swapping corporate sleekness for glorious 80s excess and ruthless British aristocracy.
Series Analysis:
Welcome to the Cotswolds, where the champagne is cold and the ambition is scorching. Rivals adapts Jilly Cooper’s scandalous classic with all the hairspray and hubris of 1986 intact. At the center is the venomous feud between Olympian rake Rupert Campbell-Black and television magnate Tony Baddingham, a battle fought as fiercely in bedrooms as it is in boardrooms. The heavy anticipation surrounding this debut promises a masterclass in social climbing and backstabbing, where independent television franchises are the ultimate prize and loyalty is a tradable commodity. With the stakes this high and the morals this loose, adding a reminder for the premiere is the only way to ensure you have a front-row seat to the scandal.
Tone: Scandalous, Ruthless, Opulent
Last Updated: February 2026