How to watch Hulu’s hottest new show Rivals in Australia

Ahh, the late 80s. It's not short of representation in modern media but more often than not, shows like Stranger Things are more interested in exploring what it was like growing up through the latter half of the decade (Dungeons and Dragons, Slayer, Kate Bush, Sonic Youth, etc.) But to anybody above the age of 18, the 80s will be remembered as a time of rampant conservatism and a particularly tacky brand of capitalism. That's where Rivals finds its feet. 

Rivals follows an ensemble cast in the late 80s; a mixed bag of old and new money headlined by David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Alex Hassell (The Boys) set in a fictional county of the non-fictional Cotswolds. 

Here's how to watch it in Australia. 

Rivals is an increasingly rare example of a TV show that takes the world by storm overnight. As a Hulu Original, Rivals is streaming exclusively on Disney Plus in Australia. And counter to Disney's preference of releasing episodes of blockbuster television week by week, the entire first season of Rivals dropped all at once on Disney Plus last month on the 18th of October. 

Disney Plus plans start at $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year for High Definition streaming on two devices. If you're hoping to watch Rivals in 4K, it will cost you $17.99 per month or $179.99 per year for Disney Plus Premium (which lets you stream on four devices at once.) 

Set in 1986, Rivals is a dark comedy/period drama that explores bitter rivalries and warring egos in the fictional English county of Rutshire. An adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper's novel of the same name, Rivals' is kind of like Succession meets Downton Abbey but a lot raunchier. 

At the centre of the drama, are the titular Rivals: Alex Hassell as ex-Olympian and noted panstman turned conservative MP Rupert Campbell-Black, David Tennant as the stuffy Lord Tony Baddingham, managing director of a fictional TV network, and Aidan Turner as Declan O'Hara, a popular Irish BBC expat who has jumped ship to Baddingham's TV network, Corinium. 

Those are the biggest egos on the show but not necessarily the strongest players. Like every good period drama, there's a sprawling cast of friends, family and enemies, each vying for their own piece of the pie. 

Breakout Brit drama Rivals is streaming on Disney Plus and Disney Plus only in Australia but the talent on hand can be found across Australia's vast range of streaming services. David Tennant is most famous as Doctor Who (also on Disney Plus,) and Alex Hassell has a short but powerful role as Translucent on Amazon Prime Video's The Boys.  Take a look at how those services stack up against the competition in the table below.