David Tennant appears heartbroken in first look at Rivals season two return
David Tennant appears heartbroken in a church pew in a first-look image at the second half of season two of Rivals, which resumes on November 11.
Tennant stars as Lord Teddy Baddingham in the series, with the first half of season two ending with the death of his wife Monica, played by Claire Rushbrook.
Monica told Teddy she wanted a divorce after he cheated on her, but she was then killed in a storm when a tree fell on her car.
The series, based on the novel by the late Dame Jilly Cooper, is set in the 1980s amid the backdrop of the Cotswolds.
It follows the high-stakes world of British television as careers, marriages and reputations hang by a thread when professional and personal lives collide.
Another new image shows Freddie Jones, Danny Dyer’s character, appearing to have a tense conversation with Lizzie Vereker, played by Katherine Parkinson – both of whom are trapped in unhappy marriages.
Alex Hassell is back as notorious womaniser Rupert Campbell-Black with a new image showing the showjumper on horseback.
BBC journalist Declan O’Hara, played by Aiden Turner, is also returning, while another photo shows Bella Maclean as Taggie O’Hara and Bas Baddingham, Luke Pasqualino’s character, looking cosy.
Previously announced new cast members are also set to join the returning season, with Rachael Stirling introduced as Araminta Pemberton, Lady Monica Baddingham’s vampish younger sister, Rupert Evans as erudite headmaster David Hawkley, and Santiago Cabrera as Argentinian Polo star Alejandro Mendoza.
Also returning are guest stars Hayley Atwell, as Helen Gordon, and Rupert Everett, as Malise Gordon.
Rivals season two will return with a three-episode premiere on Disney+ in the UK and internationally, and on Hulu in the US.
The season, which received an extended run of 12 episodes, has enjoyed widespread acclaim from both critics and the public.
The show was renewed for a third season in June.
In October last year, during filming for the second series, she died unexpectedly aged 88 after suffering injuries from a fall at home.