Jilly Cooper, the popular novelist known for her *Rutshire Chronicles* books – which served as the inspiration for the Disney+ series *Rivals* – has passed away at the age of 88.
Curtis Brown, Cooper’s agency, announced that Cooper unexpectedly died on Sunday morning following a fall.
Emily and Felix Cooper said their mother was a bright and loving presence in their lives.
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She loved her family and friends deeply and unconditionally. Her sudden passing has been a shock to everyone who knew her. We are incredibly proud of all she accomplished and will miss her joyful smile and laughter terribly.
Naomi Cooper was an executive producer on the popular drama *Rivals*, which is based on her 1988 novel, also called *Rutshire Chronicles*. The show has been renewed for a second season, but we don’t know when it will be released yet.
Lee Mason, Executive Director at Disney+ EMEA, expressed profound sadness at the loss of Dame Jilly Cooper, calling her a pioneering British author known for her witty, playful, and perceptive stories that brought a much-needed lightness to the literary world (as reported by Deadline).
We were honored to adapt Jilly’s wonderful world of *Rivals* for television. We’re sending our deepest condolences to her family, friends, and fans, and we’ll be celebrating her amazing life and work – with a glass of champagne, of course.
So, I’ve been thinking about how great Julia Cooper was as an executive producer on *Rivals*. Her agent, Felicity Blunt, told me that Julia always had amazing ideas for the story and the characters’ dialogue, which really made the scripts even better. Plus, everyone on set – the actors and the crew – absolutely loved having her around. She just brought a really positive energy to the whole production, honestly.
This show depicts a fierce battle between competing television producers set in the picturesque, made-up county of Rutshire, located in the Cotswolds.
The series *Rivals* features David Tennant as Tony Baddingham, the manager of Corinium Television, and Alex Hassell as his rival, Rupert Campbell-Black.
The cast also includes Aidan Turner, Nafessa Williams, Victoria Smurfit, Katherine Parkinson, Bella Maclean, Oliver Chris, Lisa McGrillis, Emily Atack, and Danny Dyer.
Rivals season 1 is available to stream on Disney+. A second season has been confirmed.
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2025-10-06 13:49