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Rivals Season 2 Hits Disney+ Friday With Bigger Scope and Bolder Sexuality

Early reviews are strong for a larger 12-episode run shaped by Jilly Cooper's final sign-off.

Overview

  • Season two arrives on Disney+ Friday, May 15, with the cast returning to the 1980s Rutshire saga.
  • Advance write-ups from the Guardian, the Telegraph and The Times award five stars, with more measured takes from the Financial Times and The Independent.
  • The team signals more explicit scenes, with Danny Dyer saying he goes full frontal if it remains in the edit, and producers outlining careful prep with intimacy coordinators so every scene serves the story.
  • Showrunner Dominic Treadwell-Collins says Dame Jilly Cooper approved every script and watched rushes up to the week before her October 2025 death, a presence the cast describe as still guiding the show.
  • This season expands to 12 episodes and draws on other Rutshire novels, while the showrunner says talks with Disney are underway about future series and he hopes to build a broader TV universe.