Disney+ has renewed the outrageously entertaining British drama Rivals for season 2. More on the news below.
Based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel, Rivals has been quite a success for Disney+ and its American home Hulu. The 8-part first season is currently sitting at a very impressive 94% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s no wonder that Rivals has been renewed for another season.
“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,” Cooper commented on the news.
She added: “And it has been a fairytale come true working with Happy Prince and Disney+ on the first season. 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 two!”
We’re rather excited too, Dame Jilly.
Rivals follows two men, Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Baddingham (played by Alex Hassell and David Tennant), who are engaged in a bitter rivalry that comes to an explosive climax. Rivals’ combination of sizzling dialogue, fine character actors, more shoulder pads than you can imagine and heaps of sex proved to be a winning one as the show has been one of the most talked about new series this year.
“It’s been phenomenal seeing the reaction to Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rivals – this autumn’s most talked about series,” said Lee Mason, Executive Director of Scripted Originals, EMEA Disney+. (Try fitting that into a business card.) “We’re thrilled that existing fans of the novels, alongside those new to the Cooperverse, have taken the series to their hearts. I can’t wait to get back to Rutshire and see what exciting drama the Happy Prince team have in store for season two – bring on more romance, betrayal, and shoulder pads!”
Understandably, there’s no news on when we might see Rivals season 2, but one hopes it’ll be sooner rather than later. TV shows tend to take a few years now in between seasons, thanks to bigger productions and more movement between films and TV for the actors and crew.
We’ll keep you updated on more news on Rivals. In the meantime, you can find our episodic coverage of the series behind this link.
