Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ll have probably seen all the recent hype around Rivals, the new hit Disney+ drama based on Jilly Cooper’s bestselling novel.
This exciting story has hit the small screen with high energy and an all-star cast including Aidan Turner and David Tennant. Plus – pearls everywhere… we are seriously seduced….
Claudia Bradby and Jilly Cooper
Having met Jilly some years ago and read all her books, Claudia couldn’t wait to see this exciting adaptation of the novel. She says:
“I spent my A levels reading the earlier Jilly Cooper novels, the ones with singular female names – my favourite was Octavia (I always thought the cover looked like Jilly herself); at the time they felt like classier, more sophisticated, Mills and Boon stories, and I particularly loved how Jilly’s characters pinged off the page. I couldn’t put them down – the characters were flawed, and immediately loveable, in love triangles to power the narrative. It may, just may have contributed to me not getting the grade I was expecting in one of my favourite subjects.
My first job, post university, was as an assistant to a literary agent, Vivienne Schuster who represented Jilly Cooper’s early books and Margaret Atwood’s writing too; could I really be reading all day for a living? It was the first inkling that I would enjoy both the creative and business sides of work. And cemented a life-long love of storytelling.
I later had the pleasure of meeting Jilly at a book publishing event, a friend of ours who was her publisher gave her a pearl bracelet of mine as a birthday present and she wrote this heartfelt handwritten note to me, which I keep in my office."
Rivals and Pearl Earrings
"Rivals was published in 1988 - the late 80’s were the era of big bold fashion; big pearl earrings, big pearl necklaces, puffy sleeves, big hair. Everything felt EXTRA, to coin a modern day phrase. It wasn’t like that in my own life, but Jilly Cooper always delivered glorious escapism, and unputdownable stories; I guess it was like looking in on what seemed was a sophisticated, exotic ‘other’ world.
She is often overlooked as a wry social commentator that she is, due to the ‘commercial’ success of her books. The new TV series by Disney+ has done so much justice to Jilly’s writing, and I particularly love, of course, the power pearl earrings worn by Nafessa William’s character Cameron. A look which can be created with our Coco Epee Drops, our Love Knot Pearl Earrings, and Biography Hoops."
Image sourced from Leicestershire Live - (Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Jilly Cooper’s Rivals Novel Vs The Disney+ Show
"There is a bubbling of joy in Jilly’s writing. It is full of relish, passion, and wit. And meticulous research. Such strong plots and larger than life characters, I think we all relate to this pure energy, and zest for life, that she brings, and the slightly chaotic female characters. And the warmth. I don’t know if they would work in another country where our ridiculous class system doesn’t exist – and I’m not sure that the worship of men in the stories really holds today. But the Disney+ production feels like it has the balance about right, and the tender love story at the centre is compellingly and believably told.
This TV adaptation does not disappoint. It goes ALL OUT…and is very true to Jilly’s book. The writing is whip smart, the soundtrack unrelentingly high on energy, and the acting is just fabulous - David Tennant, Aidan Turner, beautiful Bella Maclean and the mesmeric Nafessa Williams to name but a few. Danny Dyer almost steals the show. I’m interested to see how the morals of the series is held to scrutiny globally, or whether it will be taken as it is meant - as a sassy, bold, totally frivolous romp. Underpinned, of course, by Jilly’s fantastic satirical storytelling.
Of course there is much more to Jilly Cooper than blockbuster novels; you could say she was a pioneering woman in journalism, is a great lover of animals and supporter of animal charities. She got her big break writing a column in the Sunday Times colour mag about ‘the difficulties of being a working wife’. I wonder if these would resonate today. And of course one of her most famous non-fiction books is Class.
One small thing – if you’re eagle-eyed, you may have noticed that the Priory in the TV adaptation is the same house that we first see Aidan Turner arrive at, for the opening episode of Poldark. Elizabeth’s home - if you know, you know….quite a few in-jokes I think in this witty, breath taking, galloping heart of a story.
We’d love to hear what you think over on the CB Instagram.