David Tennant cast in Disney+'s Rivals

Doctor Who actor David Tennant joins Danny Dyer and Aidan Turner in an ensemble cast for Disney+'s adaptation of Jilly Cooper's Rivals. Revealed at last year's Edinburgh TV Festival, Rivals is part of iconic British author Cooper's bestseller Rutshire Chronicles and is set against the backdrop of the drama, excess and shocking antics of the power-hungry social elite of England in the eighties.

Set in the fictional county of Rutshire, Rivals plunges headlong into the cutthroat world of independent television in 1986, when a longstanding rivalry between two powerful men is about to boil over: ex-Olympian, Member of Parliament and notorious womanizer Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and his neighbor Tony Baddingham (Tennant), controller of the independent television franchise Corinium Television.



In addition to Doctor Who, Tennant (photo) is also known from many other series. He played DI Alec Hardy in Broadchurch opposite Olivia Colman and played the same role, but now named Emmett Carver, in the American remake and opposite Anna Gunn. Tennant also played villain Kilgrave in the Marvel series Jessica Jones, Crowley in BBC/Prime Video's Good Omens and Alexander Litvinenko in the mini-series Litvinenko.

Turner plays television presenter Declan O'Hara, a fierce intellectual with an even fiercer temper who is lured to Corinium by the BBC.



Turner (pictured) starred in Poldark, based on The Poldark Novels by Winston Graham, and last year starred as Leonardo da Vinci in Leonardo, which has been ordered for a second season. He also starred in the five-episode British crime series The Suspect. Soon Turner will be featured in Prime Video's Fifteen-Love.

EastEnders actor Dyer will play a self-made electro millionaire in the series, named Freddie Jones. Soon he can be seen in the action thriller series Heat for Channel 5.

The trio stars in an ensemble cast that also includes Luke Pasqualino (Shantaram), Katherine Parkinson (Humans), Victoria Smurfit (Once Upon a Time), Rufus Jones (Dodger), Alex Hassell (The Boys), Lisa McGrillis (Maternal), Oliver Chris (Trying), Emily Atack (The Emily Atack Show), Nafessa Williams (Black Lightning), Claire Rushbrook (Sherwood (2022)), Catriona Chandler (Pistol), and Bella Maclean (Silent Witness).

Cooper said the cast "made up of the best acting talent the British Isles have to offer," adding: "I can't wait to get on set and see them bring to life the characters I love so much ."

The series is produced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins' (A Very English Scandal) Happy Prince, and Treadwell-Collins also serves as an executive producer and co-writer with Laura Wade. Alexander Lamb is also an executive producer. Lead director is Elliot Hegarty (Ted Lasso), who also serves as an executive producer for the first through third installments. Eliza Mellor (Poldark) serves as series producer.

In addition to Treadwell-Collins and Wade, the writing group includes Sophie Goodhart (Sex Education), Dare Aiyegbayo (EastEnders), Kefi Chadwick (Maxxx), Marek Horn, Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor, Tray Agyeman, and Sorcha Kurien Walsh.