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By Marni Rose McFall
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Heated Rivalry, the queer Canadian romance show, has taken the world by storm and captured the attention of audiences everywhere.
Now, much to the joy of the show’s legion of loyal fans, Heated Rivalry could be getting a special extra episode. This is what we know so far.
Why It Matters
Heated Rivalry debuted on Crave on November 28 and has launched an online frenzy, fast catapulting its stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie to global stardom. The show's immense popularity has quickly catapulted it to becoming a cornerstone of the cultural lexicon, with the likes of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani mentioning it in a recent speech.
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The show was created, written and directed by Jacob Tierney and stars Williams and Storrie as rival professional hockey players, Shane Hollander from Canada, and Ilya Rozanov from Russia.
The pair have a high-profile professional rivalry on the ice. Off the rink, though, they’re hiding a blossoming secret romance. And the show isn’t just popular but critically lauded with the series’ fifth episode boasting a perfect 10/10 score on IMDb.
What To Know
Following the release of the show’s hit first season, fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the show's second season.
But a new installation could be on its way before that.
Bell Media’s vice president of content development and programming, Justin Stockman, said that they would love to do a standalone episode.
"We’re going to see what’s feasible," Stockman told The Toronto Star.
"If [Tierney] can find a way to make the source material work in a way that gets us something sooner or something special, I’m sure he will."
Stockman said that he would love to have this back for the holidays next year.
However, he’s not sure that will work. "We can’t rush the process. We won’t be able to repeat the magic if we push him," he said.
The TV show Heated Rivalry is based on the book series Game Changers, by Rachel Reid. There have already been six books published in this series, with a seventh on the way, set to be released this year. So, there’s plenty of material to pull from for adaptations, and for fans to read as they await the next Heated Rivalry show installment.
What We Know About Heated Rivalry Season 2
Heated Rivalry has been renewed for season 2, which is unsurprising given the show's immense popularity.
A specific release date has not yet been confirmed, but Tierney did speak to Variety about the second season. "It can’t be same time next year, because this time last year I’d written five of these, and this time this year I’ve written zero of them," he told Variety. "So it’s going to be a little bit later, but it’s still going to be soon."
"We understand that everybody’s goal is to not do two years between seasons," he added. "And at the same time, I don’t want to put out a rushed s***** second season just because the show is very popular. But we’re very aware that our creative partners are enthusiastic and don’t want to wait too long. We’re getting back to work!"
What Happens Next?
The seventh book in the Heated Rivalry series is set to be released on September 29, 2026.
That show will continue Hollander and Rozanov’s story.
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