'I watched Rivals for the first time and was left pleasantly surprised by one thing'

This exciting new series is different from what we are used to seeing on our screens these days.

, it's bold, it's fun but it can also take a more serious tone - it strikes the balance just right.

The show is set in 1980s Britain and features some of the best-known names in British television, including David Tennant, Emily Atack, Aidan Turner, and .

It is based on Jilly Cooper's hit 1988 novel of the same name. Following the release of the series, fans of the book were not disappointed - which often means a good work was done to translate the written words onto the screen.

The original series of books explores the lives and sex lives of the English upper and upper-middle classes. Throughout the short series, viewers follow the infidelity of the characters, their sexual desires, and their careers. In all areas, it's clear that ambition is a main theme of the show, and the impact it has on characters isn't always the best.

At a short and sharp eight episodes long, the show doesn't get boring, and with each instalment you're pulled deeper into the rivalry between characters.

Its sets the tone for the rest of the show, as Alex Hassell, playing retired show jumper and womaniser Rupert Campbell-Black, is seen joining the so-called "mile-high club" aboard a Concorde flight.

The "bonkbuster" show is filled with loose morals as characters betray, lie, compete with each other and cheat on those they once loved.

But the show isn't all fun and games, it switches between serious rivalry and light-hearted fun, with some cringy lines thrown in for good measure.

When it comes to casting, one thing positively surprised me. David Tennant, who many know as the likeable 10th Doctor in BBC's Doctor Who, is the most unlikeable character on the screen - which means he's done a great job of playing the villain. He plays Tony Baddingham, a cold-hearted controller of a TV network called Corinium.

Alongside him is Poldark's Aiden Turner, who plays Declan O'Hara, a journalist with a hit TV show and a hatred for Baddingham.

Character Lizzie Vereker, played by Katherine Parkinson, is an incredibly underrated member of the show. Vereker is one of the few characters who shows a moral dilemma. Her part in the show is relatable for many viewers of today's generation, who are less like the rest of the wild characters indulging in reckless behaviour.

The characters' lives (and bodies) are all messily intertwined in this hit show and you never quite know what is coming next... Many hope a second series.

If you haven't watched, and even if you think it might not be for you - it's worth a watch.