A spicy and rivetting trailer has landed for Rivals.

The upcoming period comedy-drama series is based on the iconic novel by Dame Jilly Cooper, who is best known for her controversial yet celebrated Rutshire Chronicles series which is packed full of romantic entanglements, dastardly deals, sex and wit.

The plot delves into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986 as power-hungry managing director Lord Tony Baddingham looks to strengthen his network Corinium by hiring dynamic Irish newsman Declan O’Hara only to face opposition from British MP and notorious womaniser Rupert Campbell Black.

Alex Hassell (The Boys, The Tragedy of Macbeth), David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) and Aidan Turner (Being Human, Poldark) tackle the main roles in the starry cast alongside Bella Maclean (Silent Witness, Sex Education), Danny Dyer (The Football Factory, EastEnders), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd, Radioactive), Nafessa Williams (Black Lightning, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody), Emily Atack (The Inbetweeners) and Victoria Smurfit (Trial & Retribution, Once Upon a Time).

Additionally, the rest of the impressive acting ensemble includes Catriona Chandler (Pistol, Enola Holmes 2), Oliver Chris (Motherland, Trying), Rufus Jones (Stan & Ollie, Home), Lisa McGrillis (Mum, Maternal), Luke Pasqualino (Skins, Our Girl), Claire Rushbrook (My Mad Fat Diary, Ali & Ava), Gary Lamont (Outlander, Boiling Point), Annabel Scholey (The Split, The Sixth Commandment), Gabriel Tierney (Enola Holmes 2, The Winter King), Bryony Hannah (Call the Midwife, The Last Duel), Milo Callaghan (The Spanish Princess, Doctor Who), Lara Peake (Mood, How to Have Sex), Denise Black (Coronation Street, Queer as Folk), David Calder (The World Is Not Enough, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer), Hubert Burton (Their Finest, Living), Brendan Patricks (Downton Abbey, Fearless), Olivia Poulet (The Thick of It, Blinded by the Light) and Maggie Steed (The Painted Veil, EastEnders).

Set as an eight-part series, Rivals will launch exclusively on 18 October with all episodes available on Disney+.