BONKBUSTER author Jilly Cooper’s lusty legacy looks secure — with more telly adaptations being planned.
Bosses behind the hit show Rivals are set to dramatise more books.
Former EastEnders producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins has the rights to adapt Jilly’s Rutshire Chronicles series — which includes the best-selling novels Riders, Polo and The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous.
Dominic and Disney+, which screened the first series of Rivals last year, were spurred on by her family’s response after Jilly’s death this week aged 88, following a fall at her Gloucestershire home.
They rejected any suggestion filming on series two should stop out of respect, despite the devastation of cast and crew.
In Jilly’s characteristic no-nonsense style her family said: “The show must go on.”
They felt the best tribute would be to carry on after she spent two years helping to adapt Rivals for the screen.
If show bosses turn to some of the other Rutshire novels there would be enough material to keep going for years.
The number of Rivals episodes is already up from eight in the first series to 12.
And Danny Dyer, who plays Freddie Jones, has hinted they could be split into two six-episode runs.
He told his Live and Let Dyers podcast: “There’s been a lot of excitement about a potential third series.
“We don’t know yet, we’re just getting it done, getting our nut down.
“We’re now on the next six.
“Very grateful and can’t wait to do the second half of this project.”
Disney+ was asked for a comment.
