Waiting desperately for more Rivals? Here are 6 other brilliant ’80s-set dramas to fill the void

Lots of people are hooked on the Disney+ series Rivals, and for good reason! This steamy period drama, set in the 1980s and based on Jilly Cooper’s popular books, is now in its second season. Digital Spy gave it four stars, calling it a “fantastic and exciting show.”

This series is set in the competitive world of 1980s TV and focuses on the intense rivalry between Rupert Campbell-Black, a charming but scandalous former athlete played by Alex Hassell, and powerful media owner Lord Tony Baddingham, portrayed by David Tennant.

The show boasts a talented ensemble cast, featuring well-known actors like Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Victoria Smurfit, Bella Maclean, Nafessa Williams, Emily Atack, and Danny Dyer.

Season two of Rivals has 12 episodes, but you won’t be able to watch them all at once. The first three episodes are now streaming on Disney+, and new episodes will be released each week.

New episodes of the show will be available on Disney+ starting this Friday, May 22nd, at 8am. Episode five will be released on May 29th, and episode six on June 5th. The final six episodes will arrive at a later, unconfirmed date.

Enjoyed the show Rivals and looking for something similar to watch while you wait for new episodes? We’ve put together a list of recommendations for you.

It’s a Sin

Russell T Davies’ drama series takes place in London during the 1980s and early 1990s. It tells the story of three friends navigating life as the HIV/AIDS epidemic begins to spread.

Olly Alexander, Omari Douglas, Callum Scott Howells, Lydia West, and Nathaniel Curtis play the main characters, and the series also features appearances by David Carlyle, Shaun Dooley, Keeley Hawes, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Neil Patrick Harris, and Stephen Fry.

Critics have praised the 2021 series, with Empire Magazine calling it a remarkable and deeply personal work. They described it as a captivating, emotionally powerful, and surprisingly humorous television show, suggesting the creator invested everything into making it.

Okay, so this new show is a really emotional drama by Russell T Davies. It follows five friends and honestly, it’s heartbreaking. It’s about their lives as they navigate growing up during the AIDS crisis, but it’s also about how they refuse to let it stop them from living their lives to the fullest and loving as hard as they can. It’s going to be intense, I can already tell.

All five episodes of It’s a Sin are available to stream now on Channel 4.

Pose

I was totally obsessed with Pose when it first came out in 2018! It ran for three seasons, sadly ending in 2021. The show, created by Steven Canals and Ryan Murphy, really put a spotlight on the incredible people – the legends, icons, and especially the amazing ‘house mothers’ – who built New York’s underground ball culture. It was just fantastic!

The TV show Pose, which takes place in New York City from 1987 to 1998, was groundbreaking for its cast. It famously featured the most transgender actors in leading roles of any series, including stars like Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar, and Angelica Ross.

The talented cast also includes Billy Porter, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Angel Bismark Curiel, Dyllón Burnside, Sandra Bernhard, and Charlayne Woodard.

Seasons 1-3 of Pose are available to stream now on Disney+.

This Is England

This award-winning 2006 film by Shane Meadows tells the story of a 12-year-old boy, played by Thomas Turgoose, who is bullied and finds friendship with a group of skinheads. The story unfolds during the summer of 1983, and ultimately, the group is torn apart by issues of racism.

The film This is England features a talented group of British actors, such as Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley, Joe Gilgun, Vicky McClure, Andrew Shim, Rosamund Hanson, Jack O’Connell, Chanel Cresswell, Perry Benson, Michael Socha, and Frank Harper.

Critics love This is England, which has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 96 reviews, earning it the ‘Certified Fresh’ designation.

Critics have hailed Shane Meadows’s most personal film as his finest work. The Times praised its blend of sharp comedy and growing sense of unease, while The Sydney Morning Herald described it as a deeply affecting and unsettling story about a lonely young boy.

This Is England is available to buy or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.

Glow

The Netflix series GLOW stars Alison Brie as Ruth Wilder, who teams up with a group of 12 other women in 1980s Los Angeles. Together, they create the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a unique entertainment act, with the guidance of Sam Sylvia, a down-on-his-luck movie director played by Marc Maron.

The show is created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, and features a cast including Betty Gilpin, Britney Young, Sydelle Noel, Britt Baron, Gayle Rankin, Sunita Mani, Kimmy Gatewood, and Rebekka Johnson.

I was totally hooked on this show when it first came out in 2017! It was so good, but sadly, Netflix cancelled it after three seasons in 2020, and honestly, the pandemic played a big part in that decision.

Seasons 1-3 of Glow are available to stream now on Netflix.

Changing Ends

The sitcom Changing Ends is a funny, partly true story about comedian Alan Carr’s teenage years in 1980s Northampton, England. Oliver Savell plays the role of young Alan.

The show is popular with viewers, earning a 7.9/10 rating on IMDb. One viewer described it as a charmingly old-fashioned comedy, saying it reminds them of a time when comedy was simply funny.

One viewer described the show as charming, engaging, and reminiscent of classic British television, with a fantastic cast. They loved it so much they called it the best series they’ve seen all year and are eagerly anticipating future episodes.

Seasons 1-3 of Changing Ends are available to stream now on ITVX.

The Newsreader

Created by Michael Lucas, The Newsreader is an Australian drama starring Anna Torv and Sam Reid. The show, set in 1980s Melbourne, follows the lives of a news team and their colleagues as they work in a busy newsroom. It has received critical acclaim for its compelling storytelling.

In 1986, the real drama wasn’t happening on screen, but behind it. As the world was changing, seasoned news anchor Helen teamed up with a new reporter, Dale, to navigate the competitive and often ruthless world of commercial television and keep their jobs.

The show has received high praise from critics. The Age newspaper called it “one of the best dramas of the decade,” and noted that the consistently engaging series is currently airing its final season.

According to The Guardian, the show remains enjoyable thanks to its well-developed characters, strong acting, and consistent pacing. However, the reviewer felt this final season wasn’t quite as captivating as previous ones, lacking some of its former energy and brilliance.

Seasons 1-3 of The Newsreader are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.

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2026-05-19 13:51