This “Addictive” Period Drama Show is a Must Watch (& It Has Another Season Coming Soon)

Few modern dramas have arrived with as much scandal and intrigue as Rivals. The bold adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s bestselling novel is filled with high stakes, glamor, and ambition, and Rivals quickly earned universal acclaim. With many critics and fans lauding the show as “addictive,” Rivals should be high on a period comedy-drama fan’s watch list.

Thanks to the tense central story of a feud between two industry opponents, Season 1 quickly earned a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it didn’t take long for Season 2 to be greenlit. Rivals’ second installment is only a few weeks away, so now’s the perfect time to catch up on the scandalous, raunchy, and smart Hulu TV show.

Rivals’ Star-Studded Cast Elevated a Slick TV Show

Rivals is a fast-paced, slick comedy drama that takes viewers into ’80s Britain and the cutthroat world of TV. With themes of power, ambition, and scandal running wild, the 2024 Hulu show centers on a heated rivalry between media exec Tony Baddingham and MP Rupert Campbell-Black. Several characters are at the forefront of Rivals as their lives collide and stories intertwine thanks to personal grudges, affairs, and politics.

Rivals is more about control than anything else, exploring who has control, who wants it, and who will do whatever it takes to get it. With sharp, smart writing, the titular rivals and broader cast are well-fleshed-out characters with believable flaws and motivations, which makes every tangled relationship feel real. Any period drama fan will love Rivals’ commitment to its stylish 1986 setting: big personalities, bold fashion, and a heightened yet nostalgic look at the ’80s have helped Rivals earn the title of must-watch TV.

David Tennant’s calculating Tony and Alex Hassell’s charismatic Rupert lead the cast with their escalating tensions and deeply personal rivalry. Neither actor allows their characters to become caricatures, though they could’ve very easily done so, and Tennant, in particular, delivers a charming yet menacing performance as the ruthless executive. With Hassell’s excellent portrayal and the wider cast’s talents, Rivals feels busy, real, and as if it could all come crashing down at a moment’s notice. If you love Succession, Jilly Cooper’s work, or period dramas, you’ll surely enjoy Rivals.

Rivals Season 2 is Coming Very Soon

Luckily for fans, Rivals Season 2 is shaping up to be bigger, better, and juicier than the first installment. Its release is officially confirmed for 15 May 2026, and its release structure will operate differently for the second season. Rather than dropping every episode at once, Season 2 will release in two batches: it’ll begin with a six-episode drop on May 15, and the rest of the episodes will follow soon after.

This expanded episode count and release structure suggest that Rivals is shaping up to be a major flagship series. Season 2 is poised to pick up where Season 1 left off, but this time, it’s a “dangerous new phase” of Tony and Rupert’s TV war, as the second installment will adapt the rest of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals novel. With just a couple of weeks until Season 2 releases, there’s no better time than the present to get caught up with Rivals.