The second series of Disney+'s Rivals is now streaming, bringing back the randy residents of Rutshire for more battles over television licences and bedroom doors. Based on Jilly Cooper's novels, the show follows the escalating war between Lord Baddingham's (David Tennant) Corinium Television and the upstart Venturer, led by Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), Declan O'Hara (Aidan Turner) and Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer).
This season, the opposition is fractured: Rupert has taken up with Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams), leaving Declan's daughter Taggie (Bella Maclean) heartbroken, while both Declan's and Freddie's marriages are strained. Political ambitions and plenty of extramarital intrigue drive the plot, with Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) once again drawn into a tangle with Freddie.
The show embraces its cartoonish, hyper-saturated version of the 1980s, where sex is silly and never overly explicit. Writer Laura Wade knows her audience wants escapist fantasy, not reality, and the actors clearly relish the opportunity to have fun. Highlights this series include Lisa McGrillis as the vulgar Val and Claire Rushbrook as the manipulative Lady Baddingham.
New additions like Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett slot seamlessly into the ensemble. The series remains well-written and well-acted, but its sole aim is to be fun, keeping real emotions at arm's length in favour of stylised bucolic horniness.
