Is Disney+'s Rivals based on a true story?
Our latest TV obsession is Disney+'s Rivals, and it's transporting us right back to the 80s, with big hair, OTT outfits and scandalous drama.
The eight-part series tells the story of the battle for control of the TV franchise in the Cotswolds, between two power-hungry men, Lord Tony Baddingham and Rupert Campbell-Black.
As the series goes on the, the tactics gets dirtier, the sex ramps up and tension is at an all time high. But did this actually happen in real life? And is the series based on a true story? Here's what you need to know.
Is Rivals based on a true story?
No, it is not based on a true story. Instead Rivals is an adaptation of Jilly Cooper's 1988 novel of the same name.
Rivals is the second book in the Rutshire Chronicles, a series of novels based in the fictional county of Rutshire, part of the Cotswolds, and follows the lives of a group of upper-class friends.
The series began in 1985 with Riders, and its most recent addition is Tackle! which was published in 2023. The novels have sold millions of copies, but are all works of fiction and aren't based on any true stories.
Is Rupert Campbell-Black based on anyone?
Despite the series being based on an entire work of fiction, many people are curious as to if Rupert Campbell-Black, played by Alex Hassell in the series, is based on any specific figures from the 1980s.
Rupert isn't based on one person in particular, with Jilly Cooper revealing in the past many men have had an influence on the character of Rupert.
In 2016 she revealed three men - Queen Camilla's ex-husband Andrew Parker-Bowles, the 11th Duke of Beaufort David Somerset and the late 21st Earl of Suffolk 'Mickey' Suffolk - were inspirations for the character of Rupert.
And following the Earl's death in 2022 Cooper described him as all the "best parts of Rupert" citing how he never made anyone feel inferior despite his position and title.
Cooper has also mentioned that fashion designer Rupert Lycett-Green was also an inspiration for her leading man. She added that all the real men who inspired the character of Rupert, was because of their "charm and glamour" and not any of Rupert's "naughty behaviour" which is frequent in the Rutshire Chronicles books.
Well that answers that then.
Rivals is available on Disney+ now
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