Rivals is back later this spring and we’ve got a first look!
Adapting Dame Jilly Cooper’s beloved novel, the 1980s-set series was a smash hit when it debuted in October 2024.
Disney+ has now confirmed that the new season will arrive in two six-part batches, with the first set of episodes launching on Friday 15 May with a three-episode premiere.
The second half of Season 2 will follow later on this year, so we’re expecting a big cliff-hanger at the end of that first batch!
An official teaser trailer has been released and you can watch it here:
Promising “even more drama, wit and desire,” the new season of Rivals will enter the glamorous world of polo with lots of surprising new twists, alongside “heightened boardroom drama and deeper romantic entanglements.”
The synopsis tells us more: “The battle for the Central South West television franchise reaches a fever pitch as the war between Corinium and Venturer enters a dangerous new phase. More ruthless than ever, Tony Baddingham is determined to dismantle his rivals piece-by-piece, weaponising scandal and manipulating those closest to him to maintain his grip on power.
“Amidst the hedonistic glamour of 80s excess, the personal lives of our Rutshire heroes spiral into chaos. Marriages fracture under the weight of ambition, illicit affairs threaten to shatter families, and long-buried secrets ignite with explosive consequences. As rivalries push everyone to the brink, loyalties are tested and hearts are broken in the pursuit of victory. But what is the true cost of war?”
Reprising their roles from Season 1 are Aidan Turner (Poldark) as Declan O’Hara, David Tennant (The Thursday Murder Club) as Lord Tony Baddingham, Danny Dyer (EastEnders) as Freddie Jones, and Alex Hassell (The Tragedy of Macbeth) as Rupert Campbell-Black.
Also returning are Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook, Bella Maclean as Taggie O’Hara, Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker, Victoria Smurfit as Maud O’Hara, Claire Rushbrook as Lady Monica Baddingham, Oliver Chris as James Vereker, Lisa McGrillis as Valerie Jones, Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton, Rufus Jones as Paul Stratton, Luca Pasqualino as Basil ‘Bas’ Baddingham, Catriona Chandler as Caitlin O’Hara, Annabel Scholey as Beattie Johnson, Gary Lamont as Charles Fairburn, Hubert Burton as Gerald Middleton, Gabriel Tierney as Patrick O’Hara, Lara Peake as Daysee Butler, and Bryony Hannah as Dierdre Kilpatrick.
They’re joined by brand new guest stars Hayley Atwell (Mission: Impossible) as Helen Gordon, Rupert Campbell-Black’s ex-wife and mother of his two children, and Rupert Everett (Napoleon) as her husband Malise Gordon, Campbell Black’s former show-jumping coach and mentor.
