Rivals season 2 almost had a major 'legal battle' with Chaka Khan's estate over this improvised line in episode 2 — as star claims it 'just slipped out' | Tech Radar
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Rivals season 2 almost had a major 'legal battle' with Chaka Khan's estate over this improvised line in episode 2 — as star claims it 'just slipped out'
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These two might have something to do with it. (Image credit: Hulu/Disney+)
It's taken until Rivals season 2 episode 2 to get a full-on polo scene in the hit Hulu and Disney+ show, but it's more than worth the wait.
With tensions between TV executive Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and arch-nemesis lothario Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) at an all-time high, Rupert takes to the Rutshire fields to prove exactly what he's capable of with a horse and mallet.
Both Tony's company Corinium and Declan's (Aiden Turner) fledgling rival broadcaster Venturer are competing for coverage, and things quickly get ugly. Caught up in the crossfire is presenter Sarah (Emily Atack), who has just found out she's pregnant... and it's not her husband's baby.
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While getting ready to go on-air with co-anchor James (Oliver Chris), she gets her first wave of morning sickness, bringing their broadcast to a dramatic halt. However, this wasn't the detail I was fixated on.
As a polo dunce, I had no idea what a chukka was — if you're also in the dark, it refers to a period of play, like a half of a football match. So when James' pre-TV vocal warm up was "chukka chukka Chaka Khan," I assumed it was a humorous play on the intro of Khan's hit song I Feel For You:
However, speaking to Chris revealed a completely different story. Not only was the line improvised, but it cost production around £8,000 to clear, avoiding a legal battle with Chaka Khan's estate.
'I had to revoice it... it didn't make any sense'
"That may have accidentally slipped out," Chris explains. "There was actually quite a big battle about that late on, it went in. These delightful things pop out all the time, and I'm really grateful that I get given a little bit of latitude to throw some stuff in every now and again. Some stuff makes it, some stuff doesn't.
"But as I said, later on there was a legal issue with Chaka Khan's estate, I think. I had to revoice it, where I just said, 'chukka chukka chukka chukka'. But it didn't make any sense. I spoke to Elliot [Hegarty], the director, and he said that we'd keep it. But they had to pay quite a lot of money to keep that one little line, about £8,000 or something."
For a moment you'd easily miss in the blink of an eye, it's a hell of an effort to make. But for Chris, it just speaks to the care, quality and craft behind Rivals as a whole.
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"It's a testament. It actually says everything you need to know about Rivals," he continues. "You've got this extraordinary world, these extraordinary scripts, and here is still space for actors like me to fool around and hopefully add a little bit of something that people enjoy.
"For them to take the extra step, to keep the line included in the show, it all adds up to just an amazing viewing experience, you know?"
I do... and I'm making a pact with myself to try and never miss a small line of dialogue again, in Rivals or elsewhere.
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Jasmine is a Streaming Staff Writer for Tech Radar, previously writing for outlets including Radio Times, Yahoo! and Stylist. She specialises in comfort TV shows and movies, ranging from Hallmark's latest tearjerker to Netflix's Virgin River. She's also the person who wrote an obituary for George Cooper Sr. during Young Sheldon Season 7 and still can't watch the funeral episode.
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