Romance fans just keep winning! A little over a month afterRivalswrapped things up with Season 1,Hulu has renewed the hit series for a second season. Set in 1986, the series is based onJilly Cooper’s similarly titled book series, which is set in the fictional English county of Rutshire—a pun on theruttingthat takes place throughout the saucy novel—and now television series. Like the novel, the series is full of wit, romantic entanglements, sex and unforgettable characters, made better by the drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of England’s ruthless world of independent television.
The news comes as a relief to fans who were treated to a pretty jaw-dropping Season 1 finale that saw Cameron Cook (NafessaWilliams) take down Corinium’s ruthless managing director, Tony Baddingham (DavidTennant), following Venturer’s winning bid. But more importantly, the finalefinallypaid off the sizzling chemistry between Rupert Campbell-Black (AlexHassell) and Taggie (BellaMaclean), who he spent the majority of the season trying to put to bed his feelings for. Their kiss could easily go down in history as one of the hottest kisses on TV this decade.
In an era where far too many promising series getcancelled before their second season,Rivals’renewal is a heartening bit of news for fans of the romance genre. Just last month, Hulu renewedThe Artful Dodgerfor a second season, after making fans wait nearly a year to learn of its fate. While the similarly popular historical romanceMy Lady Janewas cancelled at Prime Video after one season.
‘Rivals’ Is a Winning Bid for Hulu
Rivalswas met with widespread critical acclaim, which is what prompted EMEA Disney+ with Happy Prince (part of ITV Studios) to officially renew the hit UK Original series for Season 2. In addition to Tennant, Williams, Hassell, and Maclean, the series starsAidan Turner,Katherine Parkinson,EmilyAtack,CatrionaChandler,OliverChris,DannyDyer,RufusJones,LisaMcGrillis,LukePasqualino,ClaireRushbrook, andVictoriaSmurfit.Rivalsis executive produced byDominicTreadwell-Collins,AlexanderLamb,FelicityBlunt,ElliotHegarty, Olivier Award-winning playwrightLauraWade, author Dame Jilly Cooper, and for Disney+ EMEA Scripted Content,JonnyRichards.
All episodes ofRivalsSeason 1 are available to stream now, exclusively on Hulu and Disney+.
Stream on Disney+
