Disney+ has dropped the official teaser trailer for ‘Rivals‘ Season 2, confirming the award-winning drama will return this May with even more excess, ambition and outright chaos in Rutshire.
The new season continues the adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s beloved novels, plunging deeper into the cut-throat world of 1980s commercial television. As teased in the trailer, the battle for the Central South West franchise escalates dramatically, with Corinium and Venturer locked in an all-out war that spills far beyond the boardroom.
Tony Baddingham is more ruthless than ever, determined to dismantle his rivals piece by piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain control. Meanwhile, amid the hedonistic glamour of 80s excess, marriages fracture, affairs threaten to destroy families, and long-buried secrets explode into the open as loyalties are pushed to breaking point.
Returning for season two are David Tennant (Doctor Who, The Thursday Murder Club) as Lord Tony Baddingham, Alex Hassell (The Boys) as Rupert Campbell-Black, Aidan Turner (Poldark) as Declan O’Hara, Katherine Parkinson (Here We Go) as Lizzie Vereker, Danny Dyer (EastEnders) as Freddie Jones, Emily Atack (The Inbetweeners) as Sarah Stratton, along with Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, Victoria Smurfit, Claire Rushbrook, Oliver Chris, Lisa McGrillis, Rufus Jones, Luca Pasqualino, Annabel Scholey, and many more reprising their roles.
Season two also welcomes some major new faces. Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter) joins as Helen Gordon, Rupert Campbell-Black’s ex-wife and the mother of his children, while Rupert Everett (My Policeman) plays her husband Malise Gordon, Rupert’s former mentor. Additional new cast members include Maxim Ays, Holly Cattle, Oliver Dench, Amanda Lawrence, Bobby Lockwood, Eliot Salt, and Jonny Weldon.
The series is produced by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios, and executive produced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Alexander Lamb, Felicity Blunt, Elliot Hegarty and Laura Wade, alongside Dame Jilly Cooper and Disney+’s Jonny Richards. Eliza Mellor returns as series producer, with writing duties shared by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Laura Wade, Sophie Goodhart, Sam Hoare, Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor, Sorcha Kurien-Walsh and Dare Aiyegbayo.
Outside the US, ‘Rivals’ airs on Disney+, where season two will launch in two six-episode batches, beginning with a three-episode premiere.
‘Rivals’ Season 2 premieres Friday, 15th May 2026 on Disney+ UK and Hulu in the USA.
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