1985. Lord Tony Baddingham owns a private regional TV network, Corinium. An authoritarian man born into a penniless noble family, he married a wealthy lady and had to build the empire he now rules. Ruthless in business, he’s used to winning. He’s just scored two victories. One, a low-key one, is having recruited a talented and ambitious young producer—who also happens to be his mistress. The other is having poached a star BBC presenter, Declan O’Hara. The man is a free spirit who is hard to control, but never mind—he will bring a sense of integrity to the network.
Tony has just one annoying problem: the fact that his childhood rival, the wealthy aristocrat Rupert Campbell-Black—a former Olympic champion and now Margaret Thatcher’s sports minister—lives right next door. A notorious womanizer, Rupert meets his new neighbors, the O’Hara family. He never expected this to be the beginning of an unlikely and impossible love story.
Ego clashes, manly banter and couples on the verge of breaking up
The series offers a behind-the-scenes look at a TV production team in the 1980s (a similar subject but with a very different take in The Newsreader in Australia). Before the spotlight shines, a whole team is hard at work tracking down stories and guests and producing the scoop that will hopefully make them famous. The toll on family life is heavy. In the shadow of these influential men are wives who have had to put their aspirations on hold and wait patiently… up to a point.
Against the backdrop of a rivalry between two men, both of whom are manipulative, alliances form and dissolve. Based on Jilly Cooper’s novel, the show does a great job of balancing the characters. It’s truly an ensemble series, even though it deals with clashing egos. Aidan Turner, playing a good-guy, struggles not to be overshadowed by the charismatic David Tennant, in an unusual role as a villain. But all the characters here have their dark side, except perhaps the youngest ones.
Season 1 ends with a fight that spirals out of control, and we’re eagerly awaiting the next installment…
1 season, 8 episodes (55 mn), 2024- on Disney+
WITH :
David Tennant (Dr Who, Sandman) as Tony, Lord Baddingham, Aidan Turner (Poldark) as Declan O’Hara, Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black, Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook, Bella Maclean (Sex education s. 4) as Agatha ‘Taggie’ O’Hara, Victoria Smurfit as Maud O’Hara, Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker, Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones, Oliver Chris as James Vereker, Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton, Claire Rushbrook as Monica, Luke Pasqualino as Basil ‘Bas’ Baddingham