5 TV Shows To Watch If You Love ‘Rivals’
After five months away, Rivals (2024) is back with the second half of its sophomore season. But after a three-episode return, there are only three more episodes left in its 12-episode season. That time will fly by for fans of this show, myself included, who are eager to be back in the world based on the late Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles books. Before we know it, we’ll be looking for a show to fill the void as we wait for Rivals‘ previously-announced third season.
The truth is that there’s quite literally nothing like Rivals on TV. It’s an entirely and delightfully unique show. That’s part of what makes it stand out in a time when there are so many things to watch on TV. So, this takes some of Rivals’ most defining assets and qualities and finds them in other shows—some of which are criminally overlooked and underrated. You can watch them on Hulu, Netflix, and more.
When I think about a show I wish lasted longer or could have a revival, Revenge is usually at the forefront of my mind. It’s an addictive series with Emily Van Camp as its lead. I almost don’t want to reveal too much about the plot, just so there can be surprises for anyone who watches Revenge for the first time. You won’t want the twists and turns of this show spoiled for you. Revenge brought soap opera-level drama to primetime TV. It was juicy and propulsive.
There are life-or-death conversations and schemes happening on yachts or over dinner parties. Rivals fans would relish in that quality alone. Like Rivals, Revenge makes the stakes of it all work through a dynamic ensemble of characters with rich backstories and many, many secrets. Also, Tony Baddingham’s (David Tennant) whole purpose on Rivals is revenge against those he despises. A show all about that—set in the Hamptons, rather than Rivals’s Rutshire—feels fitting.
We checked for updates on 374 streaming services on November 13, 2026
at 08:02:34 AM
.
As a massive Shondaland fan, it only felt right to include at least one show from Shonda Rhimes on this list. Scandal feels like the best pick from the shows that aired on ABC. On Rivals, the stakes really couldn’t be higher in the franchise bid between Corinium and Venturer. On Scandal, the stakes are even higher as Oli manages various crises in Washington, D.C., including those involving President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn)
Beyond that comparison, Rivals has an incredibly talented ensemble. There’s not a weak link in that cast, and the same is true on Scandal. The scripts hand the cast—series regulars and guest stars—massive monologues about everything from romantic drama to world politics. They deliver knockout, unforgettable performances every single time. Rivals does the same—again and again. Both casts make it easy and exciting to get swept up in their respective shows.
Stream
7 SeasonsHD7 SeasonsHD7 SeasonsHD7 SeasonsHD
Buy
7 Seasons7 Seasons7 Seasons
We checked for updates on 374 streaming services on November 13, 2026
at 12:59:37 PM
.
Bridgerton may seem like a good watch for Rivals fans because of the romances. To be fair, that is true. Bridgerton has the benefit of being a romance, so its predominant focus are the romantic relationships and what the characters have to go through and up against to accept and fight for love. On Rivals, romance, like that between Taggie O’Hara (Bella Maclean) and Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), is a massive (defining, even) part, but it’s not the only one.
There’s also a lot of great, layered familial dynamics in Rivals. That and the romances are reasons why fans of the show should watch Bridgerton. In Rutshire, there is the O’Hara family that finds itself at the center of rivalries, romances, and a romp or two. In the Regency era, there is the titular family, who have all eyes of the ton on them for very different yet similar reasons. In both families, there are various relationships that are just chalk full of fascinating stories.
We checked for updates on 374 streaming services on November 13, 2026
at 08:55:54 AM
.
The Dynasty remake is often defined as a guilty pleasure, which feels like something Rivals pushes back against. Guilty pleasures shouldn’t really be guilty, should they? We should like the things we like, even if they are a bit too overdramatic. There’s fun in that, in characters and stories getting to be as big and glorious as possible with Dynasty and Rivals.
These two shows make the perfect pair in that sense. But, it goes further than that, too. Like Rivals, there is a competitive nature at the core of Dynasty—or at least the start of it. The show goes to a lot of places in its five seasons. Initially, the Carrington and Colby families feud over corporate dealings on the surface. Underneath that are characters who are always deceiving and double-crossing each other. Sound familiar? Also, Dynasty has an incredible performance from Elizabeth Gillies as Fallon Carrington that is worth the watch alone.
Stream
5 Seasons4K5 SeasonsHD
Buy
5 Seasons5 SeasonsHD5 SeasonsHD2 SeasonsDVD
We checked for updates on 374 streaming services on November 13, 2026
at 03:40:19 PM
.
In all transparency, I’m new to The Gilded Age. It’s taken me four seasons of people talking about how excellent it is for me to finally dive into it. Since I’m watching it for the first time and at the same time as Rivals Season 2 Part 2 episodes are releasing, I can’t help but notice some similarities between the shows. Admittedly, at first glance, they couldn’t be more different.
The Gilded Age takes place more than a hundred years before Rivals. But both shows have the unique ability to hold the completely serious and absurd together, sometimes even at the same time. Small things end up being big things and vice versa which makes both really entertaining viewing experiences. They also both weave social commentary into their characters and narratives in ways that leave me thinking long after an episode ends.
Stream
4 Seasons4K4 Seasons4K3 SeasonsHD
Buy
3 SeasonsHD3 SeasonsHD3 SeasonsHD3 SeasonsDVD
We checked for updates on 374 streaming services on November 13, 2026
at 04:00:18 PM
.
