Ready for more tales from the Rutshire Chronicles? Well, the folks at Disney+ and Hulu certainly are. After winning legions of fans with its lethally entertaining cocktail of sex, scandal, soapy melodrama, and tack-sharp writing (not to mention a star-studded cast including David Tennant, Aiden Turner, and Danny Dyer), Rivals — a titillating TV take on Jilly Cooper’s bestselling, 80s set bonkbusters — has scored a Season 2 renewal from the streaming powers that be.
Beginning with Alex Hassell’s bare backside and, er, climaxing with a doozy of a cliffhanger, Rivals kind of came out of nowhere and took us all by surprise as we suddenly found ourselves intensely invested in some period regional TV rights argy-bargy between ex-Olympic rider Rupert Campbell-Black (Hassell) and TV station controller Lord Tony Baddingham (Tennant). Now, we don’t know when exactly Season 2 of Rivals will hit our screens, or indeed whether [REDACTED] will return after [REDACTED] bonked [REDACTED] with [REDACTED], but so long as we get more of Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson’s Freddie and Lizzie then we are absolutely down for whatever.
Gladiator II: Directing Gladiator II (Featurette)
“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!” Jilly Cooper said in a statement shared by Variety. Added Disney+ EMEA scripted director Lee Mason: “It’s been phenomenal seeing the reaction to Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rivals – this autumn’s most talked about series. 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!”
We’ll bring you more on Rivals Season 2 just as soon as we get it, but for now we can rest assured that more bare arses, more soapy melodrama, and more phenomenally dated 80s looks are well on their way.
