''Riders'', also called ''Jilly Cooper's Riders'', is a British

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

of 1993 based on

Jilly Cooper Jilly Cooper, CBE (born 21 February 1937), is an English author. She began her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. She is most famous for w ...

's 1985 book of the same name in the Rutshire Chronicles series. With a length of 199 minutes, broadcasters usually divide the production into a

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

Outline

Rupert Campbell-Black (played by Marcus Gilbert) is a rich and

upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper class is ...

Englishman at the top of the world of international show jumping, while his arch-rival Jake Lovell (

Michael Praed Michael Praed ( ; born 1 April 1960), birth name Michael David Prince, is a British actor and narrator, probably best remembered for his role as Robin of Loxley in the British television series '' Robin of Sherwood'', which attained cult statu ...

) is a man of humble gipsy origins now funded by his Sloane Ranger heiress wife Tory (

Caroline Harker Caroline Harker (born 1966) is an English stage and television actress, sister of actresses Nelly Harker and Susannah Harker, and daughter of actors Polly Adams and Richard Owens. She and her sisters are descended from theatrical designer Josep ...

). Lovell is driven by an intense hatred of Campbell-Black, who had bullied him mercilessly as a small boy at their English prep school, and their fights over riding prizes and women reach a climax at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Production

Anglia bought the film rights to the best-selling book and hired Charlotte Bingham and her husband Terence Brady to produce a script, giving the job of director to

Gabrielle Beaumont Gabrielle Beaumont (7 April 1942 – 8 October 2022) was a British film and television director. Her directing credits range from ''Hill Street Blues'' to '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. She became the first woman to direct an episode of '' ...

. Some sequences were filmed at Heydon, Norfolk. This was the screen debut of

Sienna Guillory Sienna Tiggy Guillory (; born 16 March 1975) is an English actress and former model. She portrayed Jill Valentine in several entries of the ''Resident Evil'' action-horror film series. Other prominent roles include elf princess Arya Dröttningu ...

, only sixteen at the time, chosen largely because her part called for a young actress who could ride.

Reception

The film had an intense build-up as "a sex sizzler" in the weeks before its first broadcast on the

ITV network ITV is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passi ...

on 2 May 1993, but some critics found it absurd. Writing in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...

'', Allison Pearson said: "Jilly Cooper's Riders (ITV), allegedly about mounting excitement, came with palpitating publicity. But it was all sound and furry animals, dignifying nothing." She continued by mocking

Anthony Calf Anthony Calf (born 4 May 1959) is an English actor. He studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He has recurring roles in the television medical drama ''Holby City'', as Michael Beauchamp, and '' New Tricks'' as ...

's portrayal of Billy Lloyd-Foxe: "I was trying to place Calf's acting style (do horses give you lockjaw?) when he turned up in the Gold Blend advert. All that rich, roasted alliteration is enough to drive anyone to suicide, which he wisely attempted in part two, only to have Rupert revive him ('England needs you, Billy').Allison Pearson
TELEVISION / Sex, beasts and Jilly Cooper
dated 8 May 1993 in ''

'' online, accessed 18 January 2018 The strapline used on the present-day DVD cover, "Sex and horses: who could ask for more?" is indeed from ''

The Sunday Telegraph ''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings. It is the sister paper of '' The Daily Telegraph'', also published by the Tele ...

'', but was a comment on the book ''Riders'' in 1985, and not on the film.Rowan Pelling
On its 30th anniversary, why Riders is the best erotic fiction of all time
dated 7 March 2015 at telegraph.co.uk, accessed 20 January 2018

Aftermath

In 2002, Jilly Cooper revealed that Rupert Campbell-Black was a composite of

Andrew Parker Bowles Brigadier Andrew Henry Parker Bowles (born 27 December 1939) is a retired British Army officer. He is the former husband of Queen Camilla. Early life and family Andrew Parker Bowles was born on 27 December 1939 as the eldest of four children to ...

Rupert Lycett Green Rupert William Lycett Green (born 24 October 1938) is a British fashion designer known for his contribution to 1960s male fashion through his tailor's shop/boutique Blades in London. Early life Lycett Green was born in England, the son of Comman ...

, Michael Howard, 21st Earl of Suffolk, and the

11th Duke of Beaufort 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

, commenting on their place in the development of Campbell-Black: "a wildly dashing and exciting group, and their bravery and charisma were the essential elements... his shittiness was entirely my invention". Rowan Pelling has suggested in ''The Daily Telegraph'' that the outrageous Fleet Street columnist Janey Lloyd-Foxe is based on Jilly Cooper herself and the young Camilla Parker-Bowles.

Cast

* Marcus Gilbert as Rupert Campbell-Black *

as Jake Lovell * Arabella Holzbog (as Arabella Tjye) as Helen Macaulay, later Helen Campbell-Black *

as Tory Lovell *

as Billy Lloyd-Foxe * Belinda Mayne as Lavinia Greenslade *

Brenda Bruce Brenda Bruce OBE (7 July 1919Some sources cite 17 July 1919. – 19 February 1996) was an English actress. She was focused on the theatre, radio, film and television. Career Bruce was born in Prestwich, Lancashire in 1919, and started her ...

as Granny Maxwell *

as Fenella Maxwell *

John Standing Sir John Ronald Leon, 4th Baronet (born 16 August 1934) is an English actor and baronet who is known as John Standing. He is the stepson of John Clements. Early life Standing was born in London, the son of Kay Hammond (née Dorothy Katheri ...

as Malise Gordon *Timothy Morand as Humpty Hamilton *

as Lady Roxborough *

Gareth Hunt Alan Leonard Hunt (7 February 1942 – 14 March 2007), known as Gareth Hunt, was a British actor best remembered for playing footman Frederick Norton in ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' and Mike Gambit in '' The New Avengers''. Early life Alan Leonar ...

as Commentator * Annabel Giles as Grania Pringle *

Kay Callard Kay Callard (10 November 1923 – 7 March 2008) was a Canadian film and television actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theat ...

as Nanny Campbell-Black *

Stephanie Beacham Stephanie Beacham (born 28 February 1947) is an English television, film, radio and theatre actress. Although she has a wide number of credits to her name, Beacham is best known for for playing Sable Colby in the ABC soap operas ''The Colbys'' ...

as Molly Carter *

Anthony Valentine Anthony Valentine (17 August 1939 – 2 December 2015) was an English actor best known for his television roles: the ruthless Toby Meres in ''Callan'' (1967–72), the sadistic Major Horst Mohn in '' Colditz'' (1972–74), Bob in Tales of the U ...

as Colonel Carter * Andrew Hall as Nigel * Cécile Paoli as Laura Duparru * Serena Gordon as Janey Henderson, later Janey Lloyd-Foxe *Irma Bullough as Doctor in Maternity ward * Ian Hogg as Dudley Drabble

Notes

External links

*
Riders
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riders (1993 miniseries) 1993 British television series debuts 1993 British television series endings 1990s British drama television series British television films ITV television dramas 1990s British television miniseries English-language television shows Television series by ITV Studios Television shows produced by Anglia Television Television shows based on British novels Television shows set in Berkshire Films directed by Gabrielle Beaumont 1990s English-language films