Preparing for a Cold Night on Set
On a chilly November evening in the Cotswolds, actor Danny Dyer draws on over 30 years of experience to ready himself for a demanding night of filming.
"You got to put them heat pads in your trotters,"
he says, indicating his feet.
"I've got two double ones for me toes,"
he adds,
"and Long Johns obviously."
We have been invited to the set of Rivals, the television adaptation of Jilly Cooper's bonkbuster novel, which has generated significant excitement among its cast and crew.
The first season of the show won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama just hours before our arrival.
The filming location is Chavenage House, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, where a bonfire scene is scheduled for season two.
Within the series, the Elizabethan manor house serves as the home of TV presenter Declan O'Hara, portrayed by Aidan Turner. Interestingly, Turner had previously lived at this location during his breakthrough role as Poldark.
"I don't think anyone knew until my first day shooting here and then word got around and they wondered if they'd made a mistake,"
the actor remarks with a laugh.
"But actually, they've dressed it so differently I don't recognise it as the place I used to shoot in."
Turner did request the removal of a "Poldark shrine" located in the women's toilets, describing it as:
"just a big picture of my face looking at everyone who went to the bathroom. It was a bit creepy.
In the men's, there was a sign that said 'Poldark peed here'. That was quite funny, though. That got to stay."
The existing Poldark tours of the estate are likely to be enhanced by the success of Rivals.
'I do terrible things in series two'
In a room styled as a 1980s TV company office, David Tennant, who plays Lord Baddingham, the morally ambiguous character central to Rivals, discusses the show's appeal.
Surrounded by period props such as Filofaxes, fax machines, and VHS recorders, Tennant shares his perspective on why the first series resonated with audiences.
"The characters are delicious, the stakes are so high and the scenarios we find ourselves in are so juicy,"
he explains.
Regarding the new season, Tennant expresses enthusiasm for the development of his character, Lord Tony.
"I thought he was quite badly behaved in series one, but I do terrible things in series two. I mean really despicable."
Leaning in with a playful tone, he reveals:
"The scene I'm filming tonight, I'm doing something slightly nefarious in some bushes outside. Which could mean anything in this show, frankly."
When prompted about the dubious nature of the scene, Tennant confirms:
"Yes, pretty dubious. Most of the things I do in this show are pretty dubious,"
emphasizing his enjoyment of the role.
For Dyer, an unexpected outcome of the first season was his character Freddie Jones being regarded as a sex symbol.
"With a wig and a moustache,"
he chuckles, dressed in a sheepskin coat that even the character Del Boy might have found unfashionable.
"He was very kind. There's not a lot of kind people in this show. And while he is really powerful, speaks loads of languages and is really rich, he's still very much, in essence, working class. He tries to do the right thing and I think that's maybe what's been found attractive."
He pauses before adding:
"It can't be my belly and breasts. Especially when you stand next to Aidan Turner."
The only drawback for Dyer is the moustache he must wear throughout the seven-month shoot, with three months remaining at the time of the interview.
"I just want to see my top lip again,"
he says ruefully.
"I miss it.
My grandchildren only know me as a moustached man, and that depresses me slightly."
'Bigger, bolder, bonkier!'
Outside, bonfires are being lit, cherry pickers provide atmospheric lighting, and numerous extras are organized to create lively party scenes.
Fireworks soon explode overhead.
Victoria Smurfit, who portrays Maud O'Hara, Declan's spirited wife, comments on the increased scale of the new season.
"There are more set pieces like tonight. It's bigger, bolder..."
She pauses to consider the final word in her alliterative phrase.
"Bonkier!"
she declares with satisfaction.
TikTok Traction and Expanded Episodes
The second season consists of 12 episodes, up from eight in the first season. Bella Maclean, who plays Taggie, the innocent love interest of the notorious lothario Rupert Campbell-Black, notes the difference in scale.
"It feels more luxurious, it feels bigger and larger, but also more heartfelt. I don't know how to describe it. It just feels more Rivals, if that's possible. Is that a phrase?"
When suggested the phrase "More Rival-y," she laughs and agrees:
"More Rival-y. That works."
Alex Hassell, who plays Rupert, described as the "handsomest man in England" within the show, remarks on the surprising popularity of his character's relationship with Taggie among Generation Z viewers.
"My nieces and nephews are showing me TikToks of specifically Taggie and Rupert. Their kind of yearning for each other has really taken off. Loads and loads of videos. They are constant, which is really fascinating."
Before the first series aired, there was considerable discussion about how the show's portrayal of past attitudes would be received by a modern audience.
A particular point of concern was an early scene where Rupert groped Taggie despite their limited acquaintance.
Hassell explains:
"While we thought it was right the story should explore that - it's in the book - we were interested in what young people would make of that and how they would question that or not.
And it's fascinating that what they respond to is that this young woman, who is really open-hearted, could potentially help evolve this man, who is massively misguided and has lots of bad ideas."
The outcome has been a proliferation of memes related to the characters.
Remembering Jilly Cooper
Jilly Cooper, the late author of the Rutshire Chronicles series from which Rivals is adapted, passed away last year following a fall at home.
Lisa McGrillis, who plays Valerie, the wife of Dyer's character Freddie, recalls a garden party held just six weeks before Cooper's death.
"She was still so full of life and mischief, and she was so excited about the second series. She was completely across it. She read every single episode, signed it all off."
McGrillis notes Cooper would likely find it amusing that while delivering this heartfelt tribute, she was dressed in a bright pink ski suit.
"It's like the 80s sort of vomits on Valerie,"
she describes her costume.
Filming Continues Amid Freezing Temperatures
As rehearsals conclude, the cast prepares for filming. Despite temperatures dropping below freezing, powerful pyrotechnics illuminate the sky, and Tennant fulfills his promise by standing furtively in a bush.
With 11 books in Cooper's Rutshire Chronicles series, there is potential for the show to continue for multiple seasons.
Before heading outside for his close-up, Dyer hints at a possible change for his character in a third series.
"Obviously we're coming to the end of the 80s now, so if we go again, we're sort of encroaching on the early 90s and hopefully this can come off,"
he says, pointing to his moustache with a gloved hand.
"Honestly, I just want my head back."
Rivals season two will be available on Disney+ starting Friday, 15 May.
