Speaking at a Broadcasting Press Guild event in London, as first reported The timesCallendar said: “The fact that something is successful is not necessarily the only criterion by which I would judge whether it is something I would want to do or not.

“What are the things I look for in a show? Is there a big idea behind it that makes it relevant and interesting to a contemporary audience? Does it have something to say?

“Are the emotions expressed and the situations dramatized true? Are they entertaining? Or are they trading clichés? All kinds of questions I would ask of a show are such that (Rivals) is not a show I would do .”

When asked why he thought the series had been so successful, Callendar responded: “I’m not sure anything is surprising anymore. I don’t view looking away from troubling events as an ambition .”

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Although both Wolf Hall and Rivals are historical dramas based on books, that’s where the comparisons end. Wolf Hall deals with the political machinations of Thomas Cromwell during the Tudor period and features Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis.

Meanwhile, the stars of Rivals David Tennant, Alex Hassell and Aidan Turneramong others, and follows a personal rivalry that turned into a professional rivalry, centered on the television industry in the 1980s.

Both shows received enthusiastic reception from critics, and although Wolf Hall appears set to end with this second run, with all three Hilary Mantel with the books having now been adapted, fans are hoping that Rivals will continue, after ending on a dramatic cliffhanger.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light comes to BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday November 10. Rivals is available to stream now on Disney Plus.

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