November 18, 2024
Setting the Scene: Disney+’s Rivals romp of the West Country
Rivals © Disney+ 2023
Creative England’s Filming in England team have been glued to the screen since the much-anticipated release of Disney+’s Rivals – celebrating the series with a South West spotlight on the many locations used to bring the story to life.
Historic stately homes, rolling countryside, parkland and picturesque villages, with more than a splash of garish 80s design, all played a part in capturing the world of Dame Jilly Cooper’s infamous Rutshire Chronicles.
Disney+’s adaptation of Rivals ‘dives headfirst into the cutthroat world of TV where hair-dos are big and ambitions are even bigger.’ The social elite fight it out through excess and dramatic antics against a backdrop of 1980s extravagance.
South West region’s main production hub of Bristol
The eight-part series was the first to film at The Bottle Yard Studios’ premium TBY2 facility in Bristol which opened in 2022, followed by 6 months of shooting on location in the city and wider region. Bristol being the main production hub in the South West, is also a designated UNESCO City of Film containing the largest studio in the West of England.
Laura Aviles, Bristol City Council’s Head of Film reflects on the significance of facilitating high-profile scripted dramas in the city:
“Rivals has been an incredibly significant scripted title for our regional industry. 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 production filmed at several locations across Bristol and the surrounding area, including the iconic supersonic jet at Aerospace Bristol in Filton and prominent city centre locations at Queen Square and Corn Street where the glitzy award ceremony was held in Harbour Hotel Bristol’s stunning Sansovino Hall.
Leanne Kesterton, Director of Sales at Harbour Hotels is excited to see the Sansovino Hall on screen:
“It’s always exciting when our epic Sansovino Hall is under the spotlight, and getting a BTS glimpse of the series’ TV awards ceremony scene with the amazing cast dressed in full 80’s glitz and glamour was a highlight for the team. A great opportunity for us to showcase Harbour Hotel as a top filming location, we can’t wait to see the hotel and our city feature on the big screen! We hope that it encourages viewers to explore Bristol’s spectacular architecture, and to experience our West Country hospitality, food and drink!”
Filming in England Production Services
Creative England’s Filming in England team are the official national screen agency delivering a comprehensive production liaison service to Feature Film and High-End TV Dramas shooting across England, outside of London. They are the first port of call for productions working alongside Film Office partners and Regional and National networks, on hand to help at every stage of production, from early feasibility to post-production.
Joel Holmes, Supervising Location Manager on Rivals for Disney+ details further the support provided by Filming in England:
“The Filming in England team at Creative England provided excellent support to Rivals, especially during the preparation / scouting phase. With their in-depth knowledge of the region, they greatly assisted by making location suggestions and providing introductions to local authorities and organisations.”
Filming on Location in the wider South West region
The neighbouring county of North Somerset also provided support to the production accommodating Rivals and further encouraging industry to take advantage of the range of locations available in the area. Councillor Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council’s Executive Member for Spatial Planning, Placemaking and Economy, said:
“North Somerset has a fantastic range of filming locations – from historic houses and imposing buildings to our stunning coastline and countryside. With so much variety, there’s truly something for every type of production on our doorstep. It’s great that we’ve been able to welcome another big-budget production like Disney+’s ‘Rivals’. The North Somerset Film Office is here to help make production as easy and efficient as possible, and we welcome productions of all sizes and types.”
It wouldn’t be a truly authentic adaptation without including the countryside setting behind the novels – the stunning Cotswolds. Less than an hour from the main production hub of Bristol, the Cotswolds have provided perfect scenery for numerous productions and remain a popular destination with filmmakers.
Gloucestershire County Highways provide an accommodating and flexible service to industry looking to film on the public highways and were integral in supporting the production of Rivals. Phil Cameron, Traffic Manager at Gloucestershire County Highways and his team go above and beyond to contribute towards a positive experience to filmmakers in the area:
“We’re delighted to support filming requests and aim to make the process as simple as possible for production companies. Gloucestershire offers picturesque scenery, historic buildings and beautiful villages that make ideal filming locations. It’s great to be able to show this off to potential visitors and in turn support the local economy. It’s great to receive positive feedback from production companies such as ‘Rivals’ about how working with us is a positive experience.”
Another industry star location is a stately home in Gloucestershire, which has played host to numerous productions, and Caroline Lowsley-Williams, one of the owners and current residents has become synonymous with the South West production landscape:
“Disney+’s ‘Rivals’ was great fun and we could not complement cast and crew more. They started filming in March 2023 and were with us for three blocks of shooting finally departing in September. The production were on site when my father died on Easter Saturday and the first letter of condolence my mother received was from Jilly Cooper – a beautiful memorial garden seat appeared next to the chapel prior to my father’s funeral.
Jilly Cooper’s books were our go-to books back in the day when I was at school, so for me it was a wonderful jaunt down memory lane. The Art Department did a fantastic job in dressing the house for the 1980s, though with the timeless quality of the house, it was an easier task. They also filmed in our local town of Tetbury, which created huge interest in the town.”
The impact of large-scale productions on Screen Tourism
The historic town of Tetbury in the Cotswold is located in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and provided a beautiful rural backdrop for the production.
Sally Graff, Tourism and Business Support Manager at Cotswolds Tourism part of Cotswold District Council was delighted to support the production and hopes the release of Rivals will benefit the local visitor economy:
“Cotswolds Tourism together with Tetbury Town Council were delighted to work alongside Happy Prince production team from an early stage when suitable locations for ‘Rivals’ were being sought. The town council alongside businesses & residents in and around the Tetbury area fully embraced the crew, with the town being transformed back to the 1980’s as the town of Cotchester creating quite a buzz and excitement during filming.
Author Dame Jilly Cooper is a much-loved local Cotswold resident so with the release of ‘Rivals’ on Disney+, we know it will put a spotlight on the Cotswolds town of Tetbury, and other filming locations in the South Cotswolds & Bristol, which we expect will benefit the local visitor economy.
VisitBritain research from 2023 demonstrates that there is a significant opportunity and interest from visitors when it comes to screen tourism. While on a leisure trip in the UK, 7 in 10 UK visitors have been to a film or TV location and amongst those that would consider coming to Britain in the future, 9 in 10 would be interested in doing so. With an upcoming campaign called Starring Great Britain we expect lots of continued interest in filming locations in the Cotswolds.”
Film and TV productions can be a powerful way to add profile to a nation’s tourism offer, both at home and abroad. Screen Tourism can bring millions to the local economy and facilitating a high-profile production, like Rivals, showcases the South West’s stunning locations, scenery and film-friendly infrastructure.
Rivals is currently available to watch now on Disney+ in the UK and Hulu in the US.
For more information on the locations featured please visit our Filming in England Location Directory HERE.
For more information on our Filming Partners please visit: Bristol Film Office; The Bottle Yard Studios; North Somerset Film Office; Gloucestershire County Highways and Cotswold Tourism.
Information on Visit Britain research can be found HERE, and details of the Starring Great Britain campaign can be found HERE.
