By Published May 15, 2026, 5:42 PM EDT Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 2800 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on . He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.
Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
's returning drama series with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score features a stellar cast and is officially one of Hulu's best shows. It's already been a huge week for Tennant following the long-awaited release of , a movie-length single episode that finally wrapped up the star-studded fantasy series with co-star Michael Sheen. While that Prime Video series is also celebrated, it pales in comparison to Tennant's other streaming series right now, which just returned with a perfectly-rated second season.
, improving the series to a near-perfect 97% RT score overall following its 95% debut in 2026. This, along with its stellar cast led by Tennant, Brendan Patricks, Danny Dyer, Aidan Turner, Bella Maclean, Lisa McGrillis, and more, makes it one of the best shows on Hulu to watch right now. Based on a popular book by Dame Jilly Cooper, Rivals won two BAFTA TV Awards for its first season and is nicely positioned for more achievements following its 100% RT second season.
Rivals Is One Of Hulu's Best Shows After A Perfect Season 2 RT Score
Rivals was already a breakout hit when it premiered two years ago to widespread critical acclaim, but now it is safe to say that it is one of the best shows on Hulu after receiving perfect season 2 marks. The series combines elements of corporate competitiveness with personal clashes of egos and status between two elite members of British high society during the 1980s. Tennant plays Lord Tony Baddingham, known to be a ruthless head of a prominent TV company. Similar to Logan Roy in Succession, Tony oversees his media empire with an iron fist and makes quite a few enemies along the way.
Tony's greatest rival, however, is Rupert Campbell-Black (Hassell), a former Olympic athlete who becomes a notable politician and Tony's neighbor. Rupert comes to dislike Tony with such veracity that he goes out of his way to conspire with a handful of Tony's other enemies to create a production company of their own. Rupert devises a master plan to steal the TV licensing rights from Tony's company, which would deal a major blow to his reputation and his pocketbook.
Outside the corporate drama, Rivals also features several mature themes and steamy situations between characters, including extramarital affairs and romantic scandals. While the characters can come off as shallow and overly dramatized, that is to be expected from a series like Rivals, which can very much be considered an epic soap opera. For these reasons, Rivals is a bit of a guilty pleasure show on Hulu, but with its universal acclaim, it's also very much prestige television that should not be overlooked.
David Tennant Leads A Phenomenal Ensemble Cast In Rivals Season 2
Tennant leads a phenomenal ensemble cast in Rivals that also includes major stars like Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett in supporting roles. A series like Rivals would be very hard to pull off if its cast were not magnetic and captivating, since so many characters are self-centered, morally corrupt, and in some cases, detestable. Tennant naturally maintains viewers' interest with his vicious villain role that's incredibly fun to watch despite his unhinged and shocking behavior. He meets his true match with Hassell's Rupert, and Turner's conflicted TV journalist character is also a notable standout.
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While Rivals will not be for everyone, it does exist somewhere between HBO's Succession and Apple TV's Your Friends & Neighbors in terms of its ultra-wealthy characters and its darkly funny, even raunchy, themes. Consider it a must-watch if you're a huge fan of Tennant's work, as it is surely one of his career-best performances, even on par with his iconic Dr. Who portrayal. With all 10 new episodes available to stream right now on Hulu and Disney+, Rivals is one of the very best shows you can binge-watch this weekend.
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