18/17
I read Rivals a few years ago and enjoyed every page!
Line of Events
Follows Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Baddingham as they have a longstanding rivalry that comes to a head.. Coincidentally, Aidan Turner has previously filmed at Chavenage House (The Priory in Rivals). The same filming location was also used to portray Trenwith House in the 2015 BBC TV adaptation of Poldark..
The characters, especially Aidan Turner as Declan O'Hara, the upstanding journalist and David Tennant, the nasty Lord B are great!
It's quite difficult to compare the book and its characters to its television adaptation, since we all bring our own perception of what certain characters should look and act like. Also, while we can read a book at our leisure, television has to move along at a pace that fits the format and doesn't drag, so some characters or side story lines may have to be cut for time's sake. That being said, yes, there are differences from the book, but none so great that it ruins the overall fun and entertainment value.
Makes us love Declan as much as we hate Lord B!
The 80s music is fantastic, though the one part I found annoying was the opening high pitched opera music, just not a good fit. As to all the sex scenes, yes, we could do without some, since we all have an imagination, but that would not be the book Cooper wrote. It was wonderful to spot Jilly Cooper herself in the restaurant lunch scene.
She looked as though she was thoroughly enjoying the show, as did I
The last episode ended quite different from the book, so I'm hoping there will be at least another season where we get to see what happens with Taggie and RCB . . .