The Cast & Crew of ‘Rivals’ Season 2 Welcome the ‘Shipping Wars [EXCLUSIVE]

Rivals wants to be your obsession. The Mary Sue’s Rachel Leishman talked to some of the folks behind the dishy, flamboyant-in-a-good-way drama about how eager they are for audiences to root for romance.

You can check out our full chats with executive producers Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Alexander Lamb here, as well Rivals cast members Emily Atack and Oliver Chris here, and Lisa McGrillis and Katherine Parkinson here!

Based on Jilly Coopers’ series of romance novels, called the Rutshire Chronicles, Rivals is set in the English countryside and (sorry) chronicles the (sorry again) rivalry between the nouveau riche and the nobility in the 1980s. The ensemble cast falls in and out of bed with each other in a mercurial way that television shows do best. You should be aching for the slow burn and choosing new favorite characters with each passing episode. That’s what makes television fun!

“Alex and I are telly watchers,” Treadwell-Collins says. “We call it telly here. A lot of television producers make television for each other and don’t think about the audience. And that sounds like a really silly thing. But we sit on the sofa as telly fans, as telly geeks, and we set out to create a show that people…”

“People’s favorite show,” Lamb interjects. “You know? We wanted to make people’s favorite show. I think we all felt that, at the time, we didn’t have a favorite show! So we wanted to make a favorite show that also [other] people would say it’s my favorite!”

Based on the response in the UK and across the pond at minimum, it appears that mission has been accomplished. “We wanted that fervor and that excitement,” Treadwell-Collins says.

The Rivals producers aren’t afraid to start ‘shipping wars.

A big part of that fan fervor is ‘shipping, of course. Whether you’re desperate for Lizzie and Freddie to act on their feelings, marital fidelity be damned, or need Rupert and Taggie to stop dancing around each other, this show really has an OTP for everyone.

“Shipping is part of telly watching,” Treadwell-Collins says. “It’s really important. I think some people look down on all that, and we don’t at all. We know how important it is.”

“We want people to root for our romances,” adds Lamb. “You know? The yearning! That’s what you want, isn’t it? […] Our show is about making [the audience] have big emotions. We want you to laugh and cry. So the ‘shipping is really important. What works, and what doesn’t work, and the obstacles for those relationships.”

That’s what I like to hear! ‘Shipping is supposed to be fun, and it’s no fun when the folks behind the scenes discourage it. Earlier in our interview, Lamb expresses excitement over how Baz’s presence in the trailer caused fans to spiral over whether or not Rupert and Taggie would have “a Baz problem” in season 2 before the new episodes hit Hulu and Disney+. Spoiler: they did have a Baz problem! Not only did they, but some people even liked it! The (sorry again again) rival Taggie ‘ship gained some popularity in season 2. Creating a love triangle that could possibly, maybe, sway viewers was absolutely intentional.

“We talked at one point about [Buffy the Vampire Slayer] and Buffy caught between Angel and Spike,” says Treadwell-Collins. “There’s a point [watching Buffy] where I was like, ‘well she must be with Ang–oh, Spike? Really? No no no.’ It’s exactly that with Rupert and Taggie and Baz.”

The Rivals cast is right with them when it comes to romance.

And with us! In fact, Parkinson, who plays Lizzie, and McGrillis, who plays Valarie, are decidedly pro-edit.

“I’ve seen a few of those videos,” says Parkinson, who plays Lizzie, “and they’re so brilliantly done. And like to really appropriate songs! I’m just impressed by the creativity and the technology that didn’t exist when I was younger. I was really into a show called Anne of Green Gables, the early one, when I was younger. I’d loved to have had a go at making a ‘ship video […] to a really good song. I mean, what a fun thing to do if you like a show!”

(An elite choice, if you ask me. While there are probably more Anne/Gilbert edits out there from the recent-ish adaptation Anne with an E, I’m sure we can find some good ones from the 80s miniseries and films if we dig around on Tumblr.)

“It’s kind of like the equivalent of keeping a scrapbook,” adds McGrillis. “You used to, like, cut things out and stick things in. Or have posters up. But I do think it’s like everybody now is a filmmaker, with iPhones and being able to edit things ever. I think it’s really exciting.”

(featured image: Disney)

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