Written by Kianna Best on Oct 22, 2024. Posted in Production News

Bristol and West Country shot Rivals arrives on Disney+

Disney+ welcomed new eight part series Rivals this past weekend. The adaptation of the novel by best-selling West country author Dame Jilly Cooper shot at The Bottle Yard Studio’s TBY2 facility and on location in Bristol and the West country. The ITV studios and Happy Prince production transforms the Bristol studio and location into 1980’s London and the Cotswold for the star-studded drama.

 

 

“Bristol and The Bottle Yard Studios were the perfect production base for Jilly Cooper’s Rivals, which is set in the glorious countryside of the Cotswolds,” commented producer, Eliza Mellor. “We were very excited to be the first production to use the two main stages of TBY2 and they certainly lived up to our expectations.

 

“We were able to build the TV studio, complete with a 1980’s control room on one of the stages and used the second stage for other Corinium TV interiors, the Priory kitchen and sitting room and many other small sets that were needed across the series. We also had our production and art department offices on site at The Bottle Yard and the staff were on hand to help with all our requirements. We were able to find all the locations within a 30-mile radius of The Bottle Yard. And one of the big attractions of filming in the Bristol area is that there are so many local crew of a very high calibre to choose from.”

 

 

The streets of Bristol were transformed into 1980’s London with the facilitation of the Bristol Film Office. The drama which follows the excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England shot at Corn Street near St Nicholas Markets where exterior scenes were filmed with guests arriving for a lavish TV awards full of 80’s glamour, posing for paparazzi on the red carpet. Red double deckers were also a common sight and at Queen Square, cast members were filmed driving Sinclair C5’s, one-person electric tricycles from the era.

 

“The core crew was approximately` 120, but there were lots of dailies, suppliers, 2nd unit crew etc, who would come and go,” commented Gary Matsell, head of production at ITV Studios. “Probably 90% were local to the West of England region. We had trainees in every department, most of whom were also local.

 

 

“Overall, Bristol worked well for Rivals because of the variety of locations and facilities we required. Access to the studio as well as more urban locations, but easy access to the Cotswolds and other areas around Bristol, was key to creating the fictional Rutshire of Rivals,” he continues.”

 

Filming also took place on board the iconic supersonic jet at Aerospace Bristol in Filton, which is of course synonymous with the jet-setting period in which Rivals is set. A similar supersonic passenger jet features in the opening sequences of episode one.

 

 

"It was amazing to see dozens of extras, dressed like travellers from the 1980s, boarding the supersonic jet as if they were about to take off on a real flight,” commented Adam Jones, head of commercial operations at Aerospace Bristol which hosted filming for the jet setting scenes of Rivals. “We look forward to welcoming fans of the programme to the museum for a taste of that supersonic passenger jet experience!"

 

“Rivals has been an incredibly significant scripted title for our regional industry,” commented Laura Aviles, Bristol City Council’s head of film. “It’s a truly West Country production both on the page and behind the scenes. With such a stellar cast, it was the ideal first booking for The Bottle Yard’s premium TBY2 facility. Thanks to the work of Bristol Film Office supporting city locations, plus the exceptional private locations the wider region has to offer and our highly skilled local crew base, the show’s producers found everything they needed right here.”

 

 

The Rivals cast includes Alex Hassell, Bella Maclean, Katherine Parkinson, David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Nafessa Williams, Emily Atack, Catriona Chandler, Danny Dyer, Rufus Jones, Lisa McGrillis, Luke Pasqualino, Claire Rushbrook and Victoria Smurfit.

 

Rivals is executive produced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Alexander Lamb, Felicity Blunt, Laura Wade, Jilly Cooper and Director of Scripted Content for Disney+ EMEA Lee Mason. The series is written by Treadwell-Collins with Olivier Award-winner Laura Wade. Lead director is BAFTA-nominated Elliot Hegarty, who also serves as executive producer on episodes 1-4. Eliza Mellor serves as Series Producer.

 

 

Images courtesy of Disney+