Hulu’s ‘Rivals’ Season 2 Delivers Pitch‑Perfect Rivalry
SkimNews Take
The series' success in depicting elite British rivalries suggests a broader cultural appetite for narratives that satirize the mechanisms of power within established social hierarchies.
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- Rivals Season 2 is a Hulu British dark comedy set in the 1980s and adapted from Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles novels.
- Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) leads the Corinium network, which is challenged by a new rival network called Venturer.
- Venturer is formed by Rupert Campbell‑Black (Alex Hassell), Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner) and tech billionaire Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer) to compete for Rutshire’s television franchise.
- Rupert Campbell‑Black flees with American producer Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams) after a violent confrontation, raising the stakes for Tony’s revenge.
- Season 2 had five of its six episodes reviewed by critics, with the remaining six episodes slated for later release.
Why it matters: Hulu gains fresh subscriber buzz as the staggered release of the remaining six episodes later this year sustains audience interest, while rival streaming platforms lose potential viewership to the high‑profile British drama.
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