Rivals from Disney Plus: plot, cast and premiere in 2024, all we know about the series

Disney is more and more eager to invest in shows that aren't associated with its biggest brands, such as Marvel and Star Wars. As a result, new unique series are being added to the offer, with one of the most intriguing being the upcoming Rivals, which is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel with the same title by Jilly Cooper. We have learned a few things about this series over the past year.

Plot of Rivals

The story of Rivals, as the title suggests, will focus on rivalry. Rupert Campbell-Black used to be an Olympian but is now a politician, while Lord Tony Baddingham is in charge of overseeing the television station. Both of them are neighbors and compete with each other frequently. The conflict peaks as they battle each other for the future of Corinium Television. They won't be alone in their struggles. Rivals will feature many supporting characters who will be engaged in the fight for the TV station.

Cast of Rivals

The main characters are portrayed by famous British actors. Alex Hassel will portray Rupert Campbell-Black, while David Tennant will play the role of Lord Ton Baddingham.

The cast of Rivals also includes:

• Claire Rushbrook – Lady Monica Baddingham, Tony's wife, who isn't interested in her husband's rivalry;
• Luke Pasqualino – Basil Baddingham, younger brother of Tony who runs Bar Sinister;
• Annabel Scholey – Beattie Johnson, a journalist ready to do anything for an article;
• Maggie Steed – Lady Gosling, member of the supervisory board of the Independent Broadcasters Association;
• David Calder – Fergus Penney, right hand of Lady Gosling;
• Aidan Turner – Declan O'Hara, a television presenter transferred from BBC to Corinium TV by Baddingham;
• Victoria Smurfit – Maud O'Hara, former actress and wife of Declan;
• Bella Maclean – Taggie O'Hara, the older daughter of Declan and Maud, trying to keep the family together;
• Catriona Chandler – Caitlin O'Hara, the younger daughter of Declan and Maud, whom Taggie tries to keep an eye on;
• Gabriel Tierney – Patrick O'Hara, a screenwriter wanting to develop his career;
• Nafessa Williams – Cameron Cook, an ambitious television director responsible for the new Corinium TV program;
• Katherine Parkinson – Lizzie Vereker, a writer of romantic novels;
• Oliver Chris – James Vereker, Lizzie's husband, who regularly ignores her, focusing solely on his career as a television presenter;
• Danny Dyer – Freddie Jones, an honorable and loyal millionaire who achieved everything on his own;
• Lisa McGrillis – Valerie Jones, Freddie's wife climbing the social ladder, getting along well with her husband;
• Rufus Jones – Paul Stratton, deputy prime minister going through a midlife crisis;
• Emily Atack – Sarah Stratton, the ambitious wife of Paul, who ruthlessly takes advantage of her looks;
• Antony Byrne – Ginger Baines, an unscrupulous man doing Baddingham's dirty work;
• Denise Black – Joyce Madden, Buckingham's overly loyal secretary;
• Bryony Hannah – Deirdre Kilpatrick, television researcher;
• Olivia Poulet – Hermione Hampshire;
• Brendan Patricks – Henry Hampshire;
• Gary Lamont – Charles Fairburn, a funny television supervisor;
• Hubert Burton – personal support for Campbell-Black;
• Lara Peake – Daysee Butler, a pretty but nitty personal assistant;
• Milo Callaghan – Seb Burrows handsome young producer, who pretends he knows what he's doing.

When will Rivals come out?

The release date for the new Disney+ series hasn't yet been announced. We only know that the series is expected to premiere in 2024. No trailer for Rivals has been released yet, indicating that the show may be available no earlier than mid-2024, as Disney hasn't yet begun to advertise and promote the project. The series will be available exclusively on Disney+.

Rivals Episodes

Rivals will consist of eight episodes, making this series not particularly long. For now, the duration of the episodes hasn't been specified. We also don't know their titles and whether Disney will release all episodes on the premiere day or if they will be released on a weekly basis.