Hulu Will Return to Rutshire for More Rumpy Pumpy in 'Rivals' Season 2
David Tennant as Lord Baddingham in 'Rivals' Season 1
Disney+
Forget Christmas; Santa has already brought us the gift we most hoped for: the Season 2 renewal of Rivals. The throwback soapy drama, based on Dame Jilly Cooper's bestselling novel of the same name from her Rutshire Chronicles universe, was one of the most underrated series of 2024. A celebration of 1980s excess, it tells a story of greed, sex, and betrayal among the British upper crust. Complete with a banging soundtrack, nostalgic fashion, and a truly excellent ensemble cast, it's a show that's unabashedly out to have a good time from its first moments (which involve two characters joining the mile-high club in an airplane toilet).
Season 1's plot ostensibly follows the titular rivalry between former Olympic showjumper turned Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and ambitious television executive Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) but took some liberties with Cooper's source material, fleshing out the book's characters and adding a few unexpected narrative swerves. The series also expanded the story to include an ensemble of over a half dozen main characters and central relationships.
This renewal news is especially welcome after the first season's bonkers cliffhanger ending, which saw [redacted] threaten to divorce [redacted], [redacted] hit [redacted] over the head with a [redacted], and [redacted] finally kiss [redacted].* Yes, I'm working double time to avoid spoilers in this description because I can guarantee this is the most fun show most of you haven't watched yet, and now you have no excuse!
(*This is officially my favorite sentence out of the entirety of what Telly Visions published in 2024. -Ed)
Alongside Tennant and Hassel, the series also stars Aidan Turner (Poldark) as news journalist Declan O’Hara, Victoria Smurfit (Bloodlands) as his wife, Maude, and Bella Maclean (Sex Education) as their eldest daughter, Taggie. The ensemble includes Claire Rushbrook (Sherwood) as Lord Tony’s wife Monica, Katherine Parkinson (Doc Martin) as romance novelist Lizzie Vereker, Oliver Chris (My Lady Jane) as her husband Paul, Danny Dyers (Henpocalypse!) as wealthy tech entrepreneur Freddie Jones and Nafessa Williams (Black Lighting) as American TV producer Cameron Cook.
“I’m orgasmic with excitement and cannot wait for the return of my superhero, Rupert Campbell-Black, and the rest of the characters in Season 2,” Cooper said in a statement. “Nearly 40 years after my novel Rivals was published, I’ve adored seeing the world fall in love with my beloved characters – Rutshire’s finest. And it has been a fairytale come true working with Happy Prince and Disney+ on the first season.”
Season 1 was written by Dominic Treadwell-Collins (A Very English Scandal) and Laura Wade (The Riot Club), backed by a full writers’ room. Season 2 is expected to continue that formula, with Treadwell-Collins and Wade leading the team. Elliot Hegarty (Ted Lasso) will likely return as lead director; Treadwell-Collins, Wade, and Hegarty are listed as executive producers for both seasons, along with author Cooper, Alexander Lamb, Felicity Blunt, and Lee Mason for Disney+.
All episodes of the first season of Rivals are streaming on Hulu in the U.S. (or under the Hulu tile on Disney+ if that’s how you access it). Season 2 will probably arrive in late 2025 or early 2026.
