Queen Camilla has visited the set of TV drama Rivals for a behind-the-scenes tour.

The Queen met members of the cast and crew during filming of the second series of the hit show, based on the book written by Dame Jilly Cooper, at Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios.

During the visit on location, the Queen learnt how production has been a boost for creative industries in the south-west of England, providing training and opportunities for young people.

Victoria Smurfit, who plays Maud O’Hara in the series, said it was “lovely to have Jilly’s best friend” on set.

Dame Jilly died in October at the age of 88 after sustaining a fatal head injury during a fall at her Gloucestershire home.

Following her death, the Queen paid tribute, describing her as a “legend” and a “wonderfully witty and compassionate friend to me and so many”.

The pair were long-standing friends.

 The author based her fictional seducer and showjumping lothario Rupert Campbell-Black partly on the Queen’s ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles.

Speaking with Dame Jilly’s son, Felix Cooper, and daughter Emily Tarrant on set, the Queen expressed her sadness.

“She was such a big part of my life for such a long time. We all miss her so much,” she said.

Ms. Smurfit told the BBC that Queen was “hilarious, funny, and kind” after she and other cast members had tea with her on set.

The actor added the visit was partly “sad” because Jilly was meant to be present.

“We chatted about Jilly, we chatted about the show, about all the different characters, about how she binge-watched it and really loved it,” Ms Smurfit said.

“Jilly will be watching from elsewhere.”

During the visit, the Queen also toured the costume department and viewed outfits and designs, which showcase the 1980s style and fashion of the era.

Filming on the second series of Rivals began in May and the show will return with an extended 12-episode second series in 2026.

It sounds like a simple merger deal, but it’s got all the ingredients of a Hollywood drama: a rich and powerful suitor, political intrigue, and plenty of cliffhangers.

Netflix’s deal to buy Warner Brothers Discovery’s storied movie studio and popular HBO streaming networks is a real-life tale of a conquering giant.

But with regulators and rivals still waiting in the wings, it’s probably just the start of the saga.

As the story unfolds, here are five key things to look out for.

Netflix has been pulling ahead in Hollywood for years now, ranking as the world’s biggest streaming subscription service and largest producer of new content in California.

But this deal – the biggest in the industry for years – would confirm its position at the head of the pack, handing the company a catalogue with nearly a century’s worth of titles and beefing up its already formidable production capacity.

That’s not to mention its sheer subscriber might, as Netflix prepares to add some of HBO’s 128 million subscribers to its already more than 300 million-strong base.

“Netflix is already the biggest streaming service, and now you add HBO Max to that, and it’s arguably untouchable,” said Mike Proulx, vice president at research firm Forrester.

The deal will unite beloved historic franchises like Looney Tunes, Harry Potter and Friends and HBO hits like Succession, Sex and the City and Game of Thrones under the same roof as Netflix’s less conventional output, including Stranger Things and K-pop Demon Hunters.

The purchase also includes TNT Sports outside the US.

Netflix said it hopes to complete the deal in the next year—18 months.

But executives are coy about how – or whether – they plan to incorporate Warner Brothers and its flagship HBO brand into the existing Netflix service.

Netflix’s co-chief executive Greg Peters said the HBO name was “very powerful” and would give the firm “a lot of options” but would not elaborate further.

Netflix could package films and programs into different bundles, although analysts say they would be surprised to see the HBO brand disappear altogether.

The impact on prices is also unclear.

Netflix’s dominance could allow it to charge customers more. But if viewers find they are paying for one streaming service rather than two, it could cost them less.

Warner Bros is one of the studios that defined Hollywood, creating classics such as Casablanca and the The Exorcist.

But this takeover is an illustration of how cinema’s golden age has faded.

The trajectory is clear, Forrester’s Mr Proulx said; the future is “all-streaming”.

“With this deal, it is official: legacy media is ending.”

Netflix has promised to keep releasing films in cinemas, a decision that makes some sense as it will be acquiring the DC superhero franchise, films that do very well in movie theatres.

But not everyone believes that will remain a priority for the streamer.

After all, earlier this year, Netflix’s co-chief executive officer, Ted Sarandos, said he believed moviegoing was an “outdated concept.” And the consolidation touches a nerve in an industry already wrestling with earlier job cuts, decline in production and the threat of artificial intelligence.

Titanic director James Cameron was one of many in Hollywood to greet the deal with dismay, warning just before it was announced that he thought it would prove a “disaster” for the industry.

Completion of the deal is far from certain.

First, Warner Brothers Discovery has to complete the spin-off of the parts of its business that it is not selling to Netflix, including CNN, Discovery and Eurosport.

Meanwhile, rival suitor Paramount Skydance may still try to convince shareholders that it can offer a better alternative, having hoped to buy the entire Warner Brothers Discovery business.

The biggest question, however, is whether the deal will get approval from competition regulators in the US and Europe – something that could pose a major challenge.

In Washington, lawmakers from both parties have already chimed in against the deal, citing worries it will lead to fewer choices for consumers and higher prices.

Mr Sarandos said Netflix, which has to pay Warner Brothers $5.8bn if the deal falls apart, was “highly confident” it would win approval.

It will hinge in part on how regulators define the competitive landscape, said Jonathan Barnett, a professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

If regulators only look at video streaming, Netflix’s increased share of the market could raise significant red flags. But if regulators adopt a broader definition, one that includes cable and broadcast TV and even YouTube as Netflix’s competitors, “the concentration concerns become less and less,” he said.

Rebecca Haw Allensworth, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School, said usually a merger like this would be a “clear-cut case for a challenge”, typically pushing for better terms for consumers.

This time, she is worried the Trump administration might put pressure on Netflix over questions like diversity and political bias, as has happened in other cases.

Looming over the debate is whether President Donald Trump will weigh in.

This administration has promised a lighter regulatory touch when it comes to mergers.

But the president has spoken highly of Paramount Skydance’s owners, the tech billionaire and Republican donor Larry Ellison and his son David who are behind the rival bid for Warner Bros. And Trump has always shown a keen interest in the media and entertainment industry.

There has been no comment from competition regulators in the US, but a senior Trump administration official told CNBC that it views Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros with “heavy scepticism”.

Ibiza-headlining DJs and Elvis impersonators may seem an unlikely combination, but for one unassuming social club it is proving a winning mix.

Hundreds of people dance enthusiastically as the thundering basslines rumble.

Downstairs,

Away from the din of the four-to-the-floor beats, a different group of clubgoers take aim on the snooker tables and dart boards while others chat merrily over cut-price pints.

The idea to bring these two worlds together at the King Street Social Club in North Shields came from Geoff Kirkwood, aka Man Power, a DJ who has taken to the decks across the globe but calls Tyneside his home.

“We managed to persuade people to come and do something unconventional – play at a working men’s club – and they all absolutely loved it.”

“Now we have a reputation of being one of the best parties in the UK,” he explains proudly.

“The club members don’t perceive much difference between our events in the concert room and the Elvis impersonator performance on another night.”

“Our event may be a bit louder, but it follows the same principle.”

Launched in 2022, these Are You Affiliated events now run half a dozen times a year and have drawn big names from the dance music world, such as Caribou, Skream, and Leftfield, to a town once famed for its shipbuilding, fishing, and mining.

Musically it is perhaps better known as the birthplace of singer-songwriter Sam Fender, who performed a secret gig at the club in 2019 to mark his album Hypersonic Missiles hitting the top of the charts.

According to media reports, Fender “upset a few regulars” with the show, forcing the cancellation of one of their regular nights.

Kirkwood, for his part, has tried to avoid such conflicts.

“We’ve had to turn down international superstars because we couldn’t find another room to move the bingo into,” he says wryly.

While many club promoters might bristle at being unable to accommodate such acts, Kirkwood, who is subletting the building’s main event space for a 10-year contract, neatly symbolises the collaboration.

“It sounds hilarious until you start looking at things from the point of view of the members and their experience.

“Social clubs are owned by their members, and no one is there to maximise profits.” It’s the only place I’ve seen notices plastered on the wall warning people the price of a pint is going to go down 50p in the next week.

“That’s the attitude they come with and that’s the attitude we have to have, too. We’re just guests.”

Posters pinned to the noticeboard in the foyer advertise upcoming acts, including the aforementioned Elvis Presley tribute and a medium promising the opportunity to communicate with lost loved ones.

The juxtaposition with performers who have rocked the likes of London’s Fabric nightclub, as well as the Glastonbury and Coachella festivals, is striking.

King Street Social Club

Paul Yellop, King Street Social Club secretary as well as Northumberland branch president of the Club & Institute Union, reveals the DJ nights’ success and subsequent media attention led to “annoyance” among some of the roughly 600 members who feared their favourite spot might be “taken over.”

He says the money brought in by the agreement is hugely important, especially at a time when many nightclubs, pubs, and other venues across the country are closing down.

“Many places are struggling. I believe Covid bears significant responsibility, given that people have become accustomed to settling in with a few cans from the supermarket.

“We have snooker and pool teams, a darts team, and we also host bands, but often it is difficult to get people to come in, even when they only need to pay a few pounds for a ticket to see a band.”

“The DJ nights work well alongside what we do and the income helps us keep going.”

Speaking in the main bar, where a draught beer will cost members £3 and visitors an extra 50p, he is adamant the venue will not move away from its roots: “We’ve always been a social club and will continue to be one.”

The parties’ success has not gone unnoticed at a regional level and Are You Affiliated was recently awarded nearly £40,000 by the NorthEast mayor to help develop a wider offering.

Kirkwood plans to utilise the funding to revitalise the “dying” grassroots entertainment scene.

Having already hosted the Mercury Prize-nominated art-rockers Django Django and a symphony of music composed by Kirkwood himself, he is now hoping to diversify his offerings “with gusto.”

Describing electronic music as “just one strand” of what is possible, he is looking to stage nights focusing on other genres, from indie and rock to folk and hip-hop.

“Something like 70% of small-to-medium clubs have closed in the last two years,” he says.

“And many bands are missing out on the Northeast on their tours because it’s become a lot more cost-effective for them to play multiple nights at the same venue.

“I want to transform this social club into a venue that is as well-resourced and professional as any other similar-sized venue that bands typically choose.”

But does such a move risk losing the qualities that have helped shape the feel of the King Street parties?

Kirkwood is confident it will not.

“I’ve been involved in conversations with people who say, ‘how do we make this more like Manchester’s Northern Quarter or Brighton?’

“You don’t have to. It’s already North Shields. Why do we need to copy other places if what we do works well?

“I’m proudly Northeastern; this venue is an exemplar of this area. It’s not pretending to be anything it’s not. It doesn’t need to look like anything else.

“It’s a genuine, working-class spot that’s existed in one form or another for decades and this is just the latest way it’s being utilised.

“When venues are under threat because of the search for profit, it’s nice to find somewhere we can share mutual goals that protect the two club cultures.”