Earlier this year, the British 1980s-set comedy-drama Rivals had good news and bad news for its fans. The good news was that its second season was super-sized, with twelve episodes compared to the first season’s eight. The bad news was that it was going to be split in half…and that news got even worse when the first half-season ended in a crushing cliffhanger. But now the second half of the season is almost here, and we’ve got a first look at the latest sordid goings-on in Rutshire in a new trailer.

The titular Rivals of the series are Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), a former British Olympian and current Member of Parliament, and Tony, Lord Baddingham (David Tennant), the ruthless head of Corinium Television, the local broadcaster in the fictional British county of Rutshire. The two loathe each other, and that enmity only grows when Campbell-Black becomes the public face of Venturer, an upstart station that’s looking to poach the license from Corinium. The first half of the season put it all into perspective, as it ended on a tragic note: Tony’s long-suffering wife, Monica (Claire Rushbrook), finally had enough of her husband’s infidelities and cruelty, and walked out on him. Unfortunately, she didn’t get far: she was killed in a violent windstorm hours later.

In the new trailer, grief has not softened Lord Baddingham: if anything, he’s more driven and bitter than ever before. He’s now totally devoted to destroying Rupert and everything he touches. That includes his top on-air talent, Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner), whose wife, Maud (Victoria Smurfit), is having an affair with Tony. Meanwhile, Rupert’s in a bizarre love triangle of his own, torn between Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams), the hotshot American producer Venturer poached from Corinium, and Taggie O’Hara (Bella Maclean), Declan’s daughter, who happens to be half his age. How will it all play out? You’ll have to tune into Hulu on November 11, when the second half of Rivals‘ second season debuts with a three-episode premiere.

What Is ‘Rivals’ Based On?

Rivals is based on the Rutshire Chronicles series of novels; Dame Jilly Cooper wrote eleven books in the series between 1986 and 2023 before her death in 2025. The series is already looking into the future, as it has been renewed for a third season.

Rivals will return for the second half of season 2 on November 11 with a three-episode premiere, exclusively on Hulu; new episodes will then premiere weekly on the streamer.

via Collider