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I've been meaning to share this and finally got 'round to it. Occasionally, I write some review/recommendations for a group I'm in. This was my five cents on Rivals.

Rivals is pretty much everything the press said it would be, and then some, although it doesn’t start out that way. The first two episodes are slow and light on content as characters are introduced and plot points are set. But hang with it—the story really picks up from the third episode, when everything begins falling into place.

I’d been looking forward to this series mostly because it stars the deliciously hairy and handsome Aidan Turner, delightful in the role of Declan O’Hara, hard-hitting journalist and TV presenter fresh off his job with the BBC. He’s lured into indie TV by Lord Tony Baddingham, played by the always-entertaining David Tennant, who is terribly, wonderfully evil in his role as the director of Corinium Television, the biggest company in Rutshire County, where the story takes place. The other main character, Rupert Campbell Black, (Alex Hassell), is a filthy-old-money-rich and famous ex-Olympian, cad, and MP, as well as the Most Handsome Man in all of England™. Lord Tony has hatched a plan to ruin Rupert (the two are sworn enemies) by inviting him to be interviewed live on Declan’s new talk show. Intrepid journalist that he is, Declan has unearthed the dirtiest dirt on Campbell-Black, and he’s just itching to smear him in an effort to keep him from sniffing around Taggie, his beautiful, too-young-for-Rupert daughter.

Add to this mix Declan’s flirtatious and frustrated wife, Maud (Victoria Smurfit), as well as a cast of other colorful, endearing characters, all tangentially connected to Corinium, and the stage is set for all sorts of accurate-for-the-era shenanigans, some of which may be shocking to viewers who weren’t around for this decade. Think British Dallas or Dynasty with nudity and sex, backstabbing and adultery and corruption, and a much better sense of humor. There is full-frontal nudity (Alex Hassell), and many, many pairs of breasts, so be prepared for that.

David Tennant has the bitchiest and best lines, and I laughed good and long at those zingers. Tony is a truly detestable character, but it is difficult to hate him, because David is so wonderful. My favorite scene (barring any naked Aidan Turner) in all eight episodes is when Lord Tony throws an epic tantrum. I’ll leave it there. (FYI, the final episode ends abruptly on a cliffhanger, as the series only goes about halfway through the novel by Jilly Cooper.)

Speaking of Mr. Turner, we get to see quite a bit of him (just not that bit), as well as a huge, ridiculous mustache à la Hal Linden in Barney Miller. The mustache is so big, it kind of makes up for the bit of Turner we don’t get to see… a girl can dream, right? Turner, as Declan, appears mostly naked in the kitchen while getting ready for work; in the tub, scrubbing up; and in various rooms of his home, satisfying his wife. I shed a tear of horny gratitude that television producers have finally refrained from touching Turner’s chest hair, save to comb it, perhaps—those lucky, lucky set groomers.

In a nutshell, the show is a snapshot of 1980s English society folk, framed around the power struggles within the independent television industry. It’s good, silly fun—trash—in a word, that is well aware it’s trash. In fact, it wears that badge with pride. While actual trash has zero value, Rivals manages to sprinkle some sharp and insightful social critique in among all the teased hair, orgies, blue mascara, and insane parties of Rutshire County.

Here’s hoping for a second season.

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Aidan Turner & Alex Hassell in Rivals (2024—)

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Ross: You are the wildest, most gorgeous thing I've ever seen, nobody deserves you. 

Demelza: Ross? 

Ross: *looking away from the mirror* Yes?

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The reblog comments are on fire! Lolol.

"A fierce feminist, Alda is not threatened by doing the family grocery shopping in Leonia, N.J.--nor is he recognized" (People, 17 March 1975).

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Tony and Cameron and the TV award kiss.

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Declan and the pipe. Wish he'd put me in his mouth.

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Just wondering how the the third-party-protest voters are feeling in the wake of the election? They've been awfully quiet since November 6th or so. Are they happy with the outcome? Are they confident that the palestinians will be safe now, and for the foreseeable future?

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So cute. Love the pinstripes.

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Sleeping in the library, looks like. LOLOL

2.10 

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Some of my favorite tags from all the conversation surrounding Aidan/Declan. Y'all have PhDs in Thirsting, and I commend you.

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Thank you, @yearnerforturner. I adore all your tags!!!

Disappointed Tuxedo Declan. He just needs a blowjob.

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Disappointed Tuxedo Declan. He just needs a blowjob.

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You're not going to wear those socks on the program? -No one'll be lookin' at me feet!

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The transformation in the top pair of photos is nothing like the transformation in the bottom pair. I know there are a few folks who can't get past the ridiculous bristles under Declan's nose. I know big pornstaches aren't for everyone, but I've come around on this one. I wish. (Pun intended.) When I first saw the press photos of him with the 'stache, I thought it was funny. I still think it's pretty silly, but honestly, the more you look at it...

Oh shit, am I going to develop crushes on old photos of Barney Miller and Alex Trebek?! Nah, probably not. But I think of the 'stache here as icing on the cake; decoration on the tree.

Whereas, when they transformed Ralph Fiennes into a burn victim for the English Patient, now that was a travesty. Yeah, yeah, plot and everything, blah blah blah. But he had the prosthetics on for a considerable chunk of the movie. And it looked nothing like him. I will never understand why producers cast men as beautiful as nineties-era Ralph in roles where he's going to be covered up.

As Declan, Aidan still looks like Aidan, even with the silly mustache. It would take something like English Patient-levels of makeup and prosthetics to really disappoint me.

That is all.

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We're two sluts of a feather, apparently. Also, as an aside, when I searched for the "blowing kisses" gif to send you, David Tennant appears A LOTTTTT in the results. Easily, 20 or more different gifs of him blowing kisses. The more you know!

declan o’haras slutty, hairy, beefy bicep jiggling like jello when he shakes rupert campbell-blacks hand

can i get a halle-fucking-lujah?!

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Too bad it isn't his slutty, hairy, beefy, un-clothed man tits jiggling around like the hors d'oeuvres of my dreams. You know, before I eat them.

declan o’haras slutty, hairy, beefy bicep jiggling like jello when he shakes rupert campbell-blacks hand

can i get a halle-fucking-lujah?!

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Goddamn.

David Bowie by Herb Ritts, Los Angeles, 1987.