‘Rivals’: Jilly Cooper on Book-to-Show Changes, Tony & Cameron’s Relationship, Rupert’s Feelings, & More

Rivals

Jilly Cooper

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To say the relationships at the center of Rivals, the Hulu adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s book, are messy would be an understatement. But that’s what makes it—and the novel—so good.

There are quite a few changes from the pages to the screen, notably in Tony (David Tennant) and Cameron’s (Nafessa Williams) relationship and how that ends—is he dead?!—while others are exactly what we pictured, like Rupert (Alex Hassell) and Taggie’s (Bella Maclean) meeting. And with the first season (the show has yet to be renewed) not covering the entire book, there’s plenty to explore should it continue. TV Insider decided to get the author’s take on the relationships from her mind depicted on screen. (Plus, read deep dives into the first season with Williams and executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins.)

There are quite a few changes from the book. Which ones excited you the most to see explored on the screen? Were there any you were more hesitant about? If so, which?

Jilly Cooper: I was so excited to see the book I loved so much brought so dazzlingly to the screen with incredible directing and miraculous acting. I did laugh at the naked tennis scene. At first, I was worried about Gertrude the dog being too prepossessing because in the book, she’s got a tight skin and a curly tail and Rupert enrages Taggie by saying “Take that ugly brute back to its pig sty.” In the TV series, Gertrude has longer hair and is beautiful.

In the book, Rupert is tall, blonde and blue-eyed but I was delighted when Alex Hassell was cast in the part—he’s very dark-haired with dark eyes and I fell for him immediately. He is such a wonderful actor and oozes sex appeal.

Tony and Cameron’s relationship is a bit different on screen than in the book, notably with that ring and the layers to how he feels about her. Do you think there’s real love there on both sides?

I think Tony is insanely possessive and likes keeping Cameron as a gorgeous mistress. He’s so determined to hold onto the franchise he will do anything to keep control of her, therefore he offers her a ring and the possibility of a future marriage, but on both sides, I think it’s lust and possessiveness rather than true love. 

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Rupert tries to stay away from Taggie but can’t, and then there’s his relationship with Cameron. Where do you see his feelings for the two women at the end of Season 1, compared to what we saw of him with them in the book?

Rupert clearly fancies Taggie rotten but is warned off by her father Declan who feels she is too young for him so he stays away. In order to win the franchise, he ruthlessly seduces Cameron in order to gain access to Corinium plans. I do think he enjoys going to bed with Cameron and grows increasingly fond of her, though it is not the love which he feels for Taggie…

Declan (Aidan Turner) and Maud’s (Victoria Smurfit) relationship is so messy, and she chooses herself at the end of the season. What do you think it would take for them to get back together considering it doesn’t look the major issue — his work — between them is going to change anytime soon?

Maud is so impossibly extravagant that Declan must work all hours to ward off mounting debts and stave off bankruptcy. Declan feels he’s being unfaithful to Maud when he gets stuck into work for days on end and neglects her. Maud, an actress, craves attention, hates playing second fiddle and is permanently looking for adulation from other men. There is however a strong sexual pull between them which sees them sloping off to bed in the middle of their own parties and will forever bind them together.

Something that remains true in both the book and the show is that Freddie (Danny Dyer) and Lizzie’s (Katherine Parkinson) relationship is the sweetest out of all of them, even though it’s still an affair. What stood out to you about the way that was brought to the screen in the show?

Both Freddie and Lizzie are married to incredibly selfish people — their partners have no interest in them. Lizzie and Freddie are good and considerate people. The moment the O’Haras arrive in Rutshire, Lizzie turns up with a bottle of champagne to welcome them and later she is furious when Rupert behaves badly towards Taggie at a dinner party. Freddie is incredibly kind-hearted and, in the show, brings author Lizzie a word processor so she can type up her books without getting covered in ink. After meeting up on a train back from London they share a drink together and when she accidentally leaves her manuscript in the carriage, he gallantly runs down the platform to rescue it for her.

Rivals, Season 1, Streaming now, Hulu