“Welcome to the naughtiest show on television.”
That tagline perfectly sums up the teaser for Rivals Season 2.
One of Disney+’s biggest international originals, Rivals resumes after Season 1’s explosive cliffhanger and will roll out in two six-episode batches, with the first debuting May 15 and the second arriving later this year. In the U.S., the series streams as a Hulu Original, while airing on Disney+ internationally.
Season 2 finds the battle for the Central South West television franchise reaching a fever pitch as the war between Corinium and Venturer enters a far more dangerous phase. Tony Baddingham (David Tennant), bloodied but unbowed after last season’s finale, is more ruthless than ever—weaponising scandal, manipulating those closest to him, and dismantling his rivals piece by piece to maintain his grip on power. In the trailer, Baddingham makes his intentions clear: “We are at war.”
Set against the hedonistic excess of the 1980s, the new season leans further into the collision of ambition and desire. As boardroom rivalries escalate, personal lives spiral into chaos—marriages fracture, illicit affairs threaten reputations, and long-buried secrets resurface with explosive consequences.
Returning for Season 2 are Tennant, Nafessa Williams, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Danny Dyer, Emily Atack, and Bella Maclean. New additions include Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett, expanding an already stacked ensemble.
The trailer, set to Billy Idol’s “Mony Mony,” offers glimpses of political maneuvering, tangled romances, and the fallout from Season 1’s violent ending, which left viewers questioning whether Baddingham would survive after Cameron Cook struck him to stop an attack.
Season 2 also arrives under poignant circumstances. Since the first season concluded, Dame Jilly Cooper—the author of the original Rutshire Chronicles novels and an executive producer on the series—passed away at age 88. Tributes poured in following her death, and Queen Camilla, a close friend of Cooper’s, visited the Season 2 set.
Produced by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios, Rivals is executive produced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Alexander Lamb, Felicity Blunt, Elliot Hegarty, Laura Wade, Jilly Cooper, and Jonny Richards for Disney+. Eliza Mellor returns as series producer.
Season 2 of Rivals premieres May 15, with Season 1 currently available to stream on Disney+.