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Rivals

Rivals

A pulpy and highly addictive series following competing TV studios in 1980s England

The Very Best

8.3

TV Show

United Kingdom
English
Drama
2024
Aidan Turner, Alex Hassell, Bella Maclean

TLDR

It’s giving Sex Education for adults.

What it's about

In a county in 1980s England, two powerful men go head to head in a bid for power.

The take

Rivals is a heady dose of 1980s maximalism set against the backdrop of a seemingly quiet British countryside. The result is intoxicating: bored wives and polite language conceal carnal desires and immoral methods to reach the top. There’s a lot of sex, but it’s not necessarily sexy. It’s more campy than steamy, even though some characters do forge relationships that turn out to be romantic and true. There’s a lot of shouting and slapstick humor, as well as messages advocating sexual empowerment, which went against the conservatism that was rampant in the ‘80s. It’s reminiscent of Netflix’s Sex Education in that way, even and especially in terms of its bingeability (I finished the first season in one sitting). There’s a lot to like, after all. For every David Tennant and Aidan Turner screaming their heads off, there are more subtle performances from the likes of Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, Claire Rushbrook, Danny Dyer, and the ever-lovely Katherine Parkinson.

What stands out

Tenant’s Lord Baddingham is effectively terrifying.

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