New Jilly Cooper drama Rivals has finally been released, with a stellar cast and filming locations.
Rivals, inspired by Jilly Cooper's novel, explores the ruthless world of independent television during the late 1980s. The series chronicles the fierce rivalry between ex-Olympic rider and Conservative MP Rupert Campbell-Black and TV station controller Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) in the fictional Rutshire.
As Corinium Television's future hangs in the balance, the two adversaries are at loggerheads, each vying to come out on top. The new Disney+ series based on Dame Jilly Cooper's best-selling book has finally been released, with all eight episodes ready for binge-watching.
Filming took place throughout 2023 across the South West, but where exactly were these filming locations and how can you visit them?
Gloucestershire
Rivals was primarily filmed in Gloucestershire and the surrounding Cotswolds, with the owner of Chavenage House in Tetbury opening the estate for filming. The estate also served as a filming location for Poldark, starring Adrian Turner.
Chavenage House near Tetbury is a traditional Cotswold stone Elizabethan Grade I listed house and offers everything one could want from a filming location.
Owner Caroline Lowsley-Williams, a fan of Dame Jilly Cooper, even lent a hand to the production teams, offering advice on which properties would be ideal for shooting scenes. The identity of Chavenage House's current residents remains a mystery, yet the series is bound to leave audiences pining for their own idyllic abode in the quaint village.
Dame Cooper, who has lived in Tetbury for four decades, once remarked: "Gloucestershire is so welcoming and the Cotswolds are so heartbreakingly beautiful, so home is definitely here."
Wiltshire
Just across the border from Gloucestershire lies the charming market town of Corsham. Its picturesque streets and breathtaking rural landscapes provided the perfect backdrop for more Rutshire scenes, including the residence of another pivotal character.
Although it has been suggested that Neston Park was utilised as a location for filming, the specifics of which character might call it home remain undisclosed.
Wales
The production travelled across to Wales via the M5 and M4, heading to Monmouthshire to shoot certain some scenes. According to local reports, Woodbank House, a grand country manor with extensive grounds, was selected as one of the prime filming spots in the region.
Bristol
Rivals had the distinction of being the inaugural project to make use of TBY2, the cutting-edge new facility at The Bottle Yard Studios in Hengrove. It's hardly surprising, then, that Bristol and its environs were chosen as key locations for the filming of this eagerly anticipated series.
Bristol's historic Old City was transformed into a glamorous red-carpet television awards ceremony, with the Harbour Hotel playing host to the event.
Stars such as Aidan Turner, David Tennant, Katherine Parkinson, Alex Hassell, and Emily Atack were seen donning black-tie attire for filming, alongside a 1980s-era BBC camera car and luxury vehicles.
The Cosy Club on Corn Street also served as a filming location.
Queen Square was cleverly disguised as a London street, complete with fake road signs and newspaper stands. Danny Dyer was captured on film navigating the area in a Sinclair C5.
Concorde Alpha Foxtrot at Aerospace Bristol was utilised by film crews to shoot scenes set aboard the iconic supersonic airliner.
Somerset
Aidan Turner revealed in a Facebook post that the Battleaxes pub in Wraxall, North Somerset, was used as a filming location. The pub, which closed its doors in 2020, was revamped to resemble a typical 1980s pub for the series.
Additional filming reportedly took place in Clevedon, according to various sources.
