The gloves are off in the new season of Rivals, and the latest full trailer makes one thing clear: nobody is playing fair anymore.
Disney+ and Hulu have dropped the official Season 2 trailer for the hit British drama, confirming a May 15 premiere and promising an even more cutthroat round of television industry warfare, scandal, and personal fallout set against the excess of 1980s Britain.
Season 2 continues the battle between Corinium and Venturer as power struggles in the Central South West television franchise escalate. At the center of the storm, Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) doubles down on his ruthless tactics, weaponizing secrets and manipulating those closest to him in an effort to maintain control at any cost.
Meanwhile, Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and the wider Rutshire circle are pulled deeper into chaos as ambition, relationships, and long-buried secrets begin to unravel. Marriages fracture, affairs surface, and loyalties shift as the fight for influence becomes increasingly personal.
Returning cast members include David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Danny Dyer, Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, and Emily Atack, among others. Season 2 also brings in new faces, with Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett joining the ensemble in key roles tied to Rupert Campbell-Black’s past.
The series, based on Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles, continues to lean into its signature mix of satire, drama, and high-gloss excess, with the trailer teasing that the so-called “naughtiest show on television” is only getting more unhinged.
Disney+ and Hulu will roll out Season 2 in two batches, beginning May 15, with the first three episodes dropping at launch.
If Season 1 was about setting the board, Season 2 looks ready to burn it down.