Dame Jilly Cooper and the Bedroom Politics of ‘Rivals’: A Nostalgic Return to 80s TV Excess

“You can’t flirt any more. We used to have so much more fun!” Dame Jilly Cooper, 87, reminisces about her heyday during the late 20th century, and the sentiment echoes through fan adoration for her stories that have now captured screens in print, audiobooks, and most recently, on Disney+’s hit series “Rivals.”

Set in the fictional Cotswolds county of Rutshire, “Rivals” brings Cooper’s 1988 “bonkbuster” novel to life, and has earned itself a spot among the year’s most talked-about TV shows across both sides of the Atlantic. A second season is already commissioned, and Cooper is “orgasmic with excitement and can’t wait for the return of my superhero Rupert Campbell-Black,” played by the captivating Alex Hassell, according to the media.

“Rivals” Recap: A Show of 80s Glamour and Excess

The first season ended with Rupert Campbell-Black’s TV