'True masterpiece' British drama with 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating is streaming on Disney

My usual television viewing is twisted crime thrillers, tragic documentaries, or cerebral dramas - but with the warm summer evenings approaching, I have eschewed all my usual picks. Instead, my current obsession is camp, catty and more than a little bit smutty.

Rivals, based on Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles novel of the same name, is far divorced from my usual favourites, but I have been glued to the screen. This sexy drama plays out within the rolling and bucolic countryside of the Cotswolds, a setting at odds with the high-powered drama of the TV show franchise at war within it. Set during the 80s, hedonism is a main character in Rivals, and it is so fun to watch.

Lord Tony Baddingham, played by David Tennant at his best, is a certified baddie - and not in the Gen Z ‘oh my god he’s so hot’ way. Lord Baddingham is a true villain, at war with newcomer Declan O’Hara (Aiden Turner) and playboy MP Rupert Campbell Black (Alex Hassel) to secure the rights to the franchise.

As they battle it out, sordid and sweaty drama unfurls all around them because everyone is sleeping with everyone else, from illicit workplace trysts through to slow-burning forbidden romances.

The costuming is utterly fabulous, as is the setting. Women rub padded shoulders in grand, stately homes, dungaree-clad bottoms run along the shag carpeted halls of TV studios, and Barbour-suited men hoist shotguns on pheasant shoots as they try to battle it out to win the approval of the upper classes.

It’s packed with colour, razor-sharp dialogue and some superb acting. Although Tennant is fabulously hateable as Lord Baddingham, my favourite performance has to be Danny Dyer as self-made tech mogul Freddie Jones.

He’s completely charming, and his love for his wife, Valerie Jones, played by Lisa McGrillis, is joyous. Valerie is a gaudy vision in fluorescent polyester, and her performance is jam-packed with cringe, but you can’t help but be charmed.

Nonetheless, Freddie isn’t immune to the adultery bug, and his blossoming romance with Lizzie Vereker (Katherine Parkinson) is another one of my favourite plots. It’s reminiscent of a school-yard romance, with much hand brushing and quiet glances across the room.

All in all, Rivals is an incredible show and provides some much-needed levity in my life - and I’m not the only one who thinks so. Season one of the show has received a 95% critics' rating and a 90% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with one fan calling it a “true masterpiece”. Meanwhile, season two has received an impressive 97% critics' rating and a 66% audience rating.

One viewer wrote: “I couldn't get enough of Rivals as I binged watched this guilty pleasure of a series. Gorgeous to look at, I quickly became enamoured with each character. What fun!!”

It’s a far sight from my usual watches, but I am halfway through season two and have no plans on stopping.

Rivals is available to stream on Disney+ now.