Rivals - Time to have a hot bath, trim my hedge and get the MOET out

[RupertCampbellsBack]

Are there any other Jilly Cooper fans out there? I feel ridiculously excited about Rivals coming out.

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

Urgh! He looks about 12 in Rivals, far too young. But that's the same for policemen for me, so it's probably my age!

I don't fancy him - I'm old enough to be his mother! But I liked book Seb's kindness.

Luke was lovely. I liked the rugby player Welsh teacher in Wicked (even though the actual book was pretty bizarre) as well-Emlyn?

Lysander in TMWMHJ is lovely but Ricky France Lynch is my one true love.

I love Fred Fred, Danny Dyer is amazing!

I have a soft spot for Dino Ferranti. Did anyone notice Tony mentioning Ferranti Televisions in his award speech? Although I think Dino’s family made their money in perfumes, I did wonder if it was a nod to Dino.

Where is Billy Lloyd Fox in this new series? I can't believe they have just omitted such an important character!

I know. I kept waiting for him and Janey to appear!

I can’t get past Alex Hassell looking disquietingly like a younger Ian McShane.

Ha I think I’ve read all Jilly Cooper books starting with Octavia. Can’t remember anything from the older ones apart from her wearing dungarees with nothing underneath!
I am enjoying this series so much I only have one more to go I’m trying not to watch them all too quickly. And I’ve got a massive crush on Declan. Also can’t stop thinking how much Cameron’s mannerisms remind me of Whitney’s in the bodyguard. She’s so beautiful.

I keep forgetting he is RCB while I’m watching it. 😂

So it’s sort of like RCB isn’t in it. It’s like a Rivals themed show. Ace all the same. But I think I will have to reread to reinstate RCB.

I mainly see Bruno Debrandt from Spiral/Engrenages.

Sitting waiting for the Jilly and cast at the Royal Festival Hall- looking around for MNers drenched in Fracas with neatly trimmed bushes!!!

I’m here too! No Fracas, although I did trim my fringe with the bacon scissors.

Surely it's full of waif-like neglected wives swigging Krug from the bottle?

Ooo @ChessieFL definitely update!

Definitely lots of neglected wives in the bar queue! All looking rather glamorous but disappointingly no one wearing dungarees with nothing underneath. I'm hoping Jilly will be/ she's one of the only 87 year olds who could carry it off!

Lots of people here on their own so I don’t feel too conspicuous!

I am so jealous of you!

Well Jilly was hilarious as you would expect. Katherine Parkinson is fab. Alex Hassell is much better looking in the flesh (I can now see what Jilly saw in him as Rupert!). It was brilliant to hear them all speak.

But it was really short! The Q&A bit was only 50 minutes, then they showed the first episode of Rivals (I didn’t bother staying for that). The sound was also really poor - I was only a few rows back and really struggled to hear what they were saying sometimes so goodness knows how people further back heard anything.

Yes the sound as quite poor at times.

Glad I saw it and I then moved forward to watch a bit of episode 1 again then decided to head off.

Alex Haskell is quite sexy in real life.
Now to watch episode 4 onwards.

Agree with the comments, lovely to hear from Jilly- she seemed genuinely moved by the standing ovation. I thought Katherine was fab and funny. Alex Hassell was utterly charming with Jilly and also v sexy in the flesh ( so to speak). The sound was bad, I was in the fifth row and you could barely hear the interviewer.

I also made it there last night.

The sound was poor - unless they spoke directly into the microphones you couldn't hear them. And it was quite short. But it was great fun - Alex Hassell was lovely, he read Riders before filming but not Rivals until after they started. His Mum was in the audience and he remembered the Jilly Cooper books on the bookshelves at home.

Katherine Parkinson was exactly as you'd expect her to be, charming and self effacing. After Jilly she drew the biggest cheers. I would have liked to have heard more from her.

Laura Wade (screenwriter) admitted she hadn't read the books as a teenager and there was an audible gasp from the audience 😁

Jilly Cooper was asked what she had thought when she was told Disney were going to adapt Rivals and she said Orgasmic - which is exactly the answer you'd expect from her and what few people would actually say out loud.

Yes, I would have liked to hear more from Katherine too.

I also liked Jilly’s response to the question of what you would serve for your ideal seduction dinner party - a bottle of champagne and coq au vin!

I think she really enjoyed herself - well I hope she did.

Must admit I was hoping they were going to announce the second series. 🤞