Disney+ has officially renewed hit drama Rivals for a third series following the success of its second season.
The adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s beloved Rutshire Chronicles novels has become one of Disney+’s biggest UK dramas, with the streaming service confirming that filming on the new series will begin next year.
The ensemble cast is expected to return, including David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Danny Dyer, Katherine Parkinson, Alex Hassell and Emily Atack.
Rivals S2 EP05. Hulu, Disney+
The third series will mark the first chapter of the TV adaptation produced following the death of Dame Jilly Cooper, who served as an executive producer on the show before passing away.
Showrunner Dominic Treadwell-Collins said the team was thrilled by the response to the latest season but saddened that Cooper was not able to see its success.
“We’ve been delighted and overwhelmed by the audience’s response to season two of Rivals - testament to the hard work from everyone working on Rivals both on and off screen,” he said.
“Our one sadness is that Jilly didn’t get to witness the love for season two. But she’s still very much with us in spirit and would be so delighted that season three has been green lit. We’re so thrilled to continue to work with Disney as we dive deeper into the Rutshire Chronicles and expand the Cooperverse even further.”
Rivals S2 EP05, Hulu, Disney+
Although the series will continue to be titled Rivals, the television adaptation is now expected to draw storylines and characters from across Cooper’s wider Rutshire Chronicles collection.
The original novel Rivals was published in 1988 and was the second book in the series, following Riders, which was released three years earlier.
Future episodes are expected to incorporate elements from other novels including Polo, The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous, Score! and Pandora.
Treadwell-Collins said the creative team sees the books as part of a larger shared universe, allowing them greater freedom when developing future storylines.
“We've planned season three and what we're doing is looking at the books as a universe, as the Cooper-verse,” he explained.
“So we can pick and choose and play and yeah, we're going to be doing that in this series - and we want to keep on doing that.”
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Last month, Ireland's Classic Hits Radio got to chat to Victoria Smurfit and Lisa McGrillis ahead of the release of season 2 of the high-energy show.
Victoria portrays Maud O'Hara, a 'washed-up acctress' forever stuck in her glory days. She's married to Declan O’Hara, and craves attention - and success. Lisa plays Valerie Jones, wife of Freddie Jones. She desperately wants to be a part of the Cotswolds group of wives she’s mixing with, but always ends up being the butt of their jokes.
Victoria and Lisa spilled the tea on the chaos about to unfold in this Disney+ series - and it is boiling hot!
