Ah, the halcyon days of the 1980s. We have seen the excess of the decade on screen, from The Wolf of Wall Street to The Bonfire of the Vanities. While some nostalgic series like Stranger Things evoke the Amblin-like fun of the era, the drugs and sex are brought to life in the vibrant, sexy British series Rivals. After the hit first season in 2024, the long-awaited second season returns to Disney+ and Hulu with six episodes, followed by another batch later in the year.
Rivals follows the showdown between Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), the heads of television companies vying for control of the fictional county of Rutshire, and how this fits into the UK media empire’s power structure. Focusing on the filthy rich clash of new money and established wealth, the new season of Rivals shows the backstabbing, extramarital affairs, and dirty dealings that break marriages and friendships through the 1980s excesses of drugs and more.
I spoke with the stars of the series about the new season of Rivals. Danny Dyer talked about playing Freddie Jones and how much of his character comes from his amazing mustache. Katherine Parkinson discussed the good nature of her character and whether she sees her role as positive. Claire Rushbrook talked about playing Monica, Tony’s wife, and finding more of her voice this season, while David Tennant talked about the fun of playing an iconic villain and the one line he knew would make it into the trailer. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.
Rivals premieres with three episodes on May 15th on Disney+ and Hulu.
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