Jilly Cooper's Rivals on Disney - episode 1 discussion thread WITH SPOILERS! Open the Pouilly Fume & curl up on the sofa with a lurcher puppy here!

[TheSecondMrsCampbellBlack]

Exciting!

Can’t wait to watch my old favourite book being shagged / acted out!

RCB has always been Simon MacCorkindale for me , for his looks only, as I believe Simon was lovely man in real life.

Cannot wait to start this . Everyone’s comments give me hope I won’t be disappointed.!

Enjoyable fluff, and I haven't read the book so don't know what the characters are supposed to look like, but the actor playing Rupert gives me the creeps - looks like he's got a prosthetic rubber mask on, and not at all attractive. Anyone notice the lovely house Declan moves to was also Trenwith House in Poldark?

I WAS ONLY GOING TO WATCH ONE FFS

Rupert is awful

Fred-Fred being a brilliant shot with £30k purdeys straight out of the carrier bag….

Classic.

RCB

The men are all so ugly!

None of them are how I pictured them

This Rupert is nothing like the handsome blonde RCB of the books - what a disappointment. What on earth were they thinking?

He has ruined it

Am I the only one who thinks RCB is perfect, upper-class, square-jawed totty, then?

Maybe it’s because I’ve not read the books.

Have just had a bath to get the garden out from under my fingernails, poured a glass of red and curled up on a saggy sofa to watch with the dog in honour of La Cooper.

My thoughts on our collective issues with the RCB casting: whilst we all know he should be blonde, is our opinion also being coloured by the fact that, for many of us dear Mumsnetters, the ultimate RCB was Marcus Gilbert from the 1993 adaptation of Riders? I was certainly of an ‘impressionable age’ when it came out and he was serious crush material. No-one else will ever really match up (and he looked a bit like the current James Vereker).

Not just you- I think he's doing a fantastic job too. He's not how I'd pictured him ( I've read Polo, Riders and Rivals a gazillion times) but his acting has totally won me over. Love Aiden Turner as Declan too and Danny Dyer is an absolute joy as Freddie.

Rupert is.....grotty,

Finished episode 4. DH said he wouldn't watch but he's loving it!!
Aidan is brilliant as Declan, I don't mind Taggie, Danny Dyer is ace as Freddie. I'm not really getting David Tennant as Lord B, he seems a bit in the background as does Cameron.
RCB - absolutely nailed the character but he's so far off what Rupert ought to look like which is a shame.
It is great fun though..
What's with Declan's envelope??? That's not in the book!!
I wonder if they're going to do anymore with that little nugget later on?

Am I the only one who thinks RCB is perfect, upper-class, square-jawed totty, then?
Maybe it’s because I’ve not read the books.

Never read of either but that man just looks grubby as hell. Really creepy

Just watched first 2 episodes. I’ve not read the books but thought it was fantastic.

YES, she was, I came here to say that

other than that I’m on episode 2 and love it

still not convinced by RCB, Hassel isn’t handsome or blonde enough

Same, never read any JC books but just watched two episodes and loving it.

I can't wait!! Saving it for a binge tomorrow.

Loved it! I never fancied Rupert so it doesn’t bother me what he looks like at all. Loved Danny Dyer as Freddie and Aidan Turner’s twinkly eyes. Loved Lizzie and Sarah Stratton and Valerie and Monica 😍 I also loved the cheesy ITV Riders and Man Who Made Husbands Jealous, so I am easily pleased when it comes to a Jilly Cooper adaptation 😁 Off to find the soundtrack on Spotify now 😁

I have just finished episode 1 and can confirm that I am 100% satisfied, although not in the way that the whole of the cast was 😂

Rivals is one of my top 5 books of all time and this is an absolute joy. I love that RCB is dark haired partly because I think Alex Hassell is gorgeous and partly because I actually always found Rupert being blond a bit of a bum note.

It's taking everything I have not to just watch this until it's over or I fall asleep..

#notmyrupert

Lovelorn Danny Dyer is just heartbreakingly tender - who knew?

Watched 4 episodes and I'm really loving it, they've done a brilliant job so far (even though I am still not entirely bought in to a not-blonde RCB).

I also squealed at the note that Declan burned containing the 'dirt' he had on Rupert - brilliant Easter egg there.