The controversial series 'Heated Rivalry', which has been praised by fans as 'astonishingly good', is finally coming to UK television. The steamy romantic drama, adapted from a best-selling book series, has secured a broadcasting deal with Sky and streaming platform NOW across the UK and Ireland. It will be available from Saturday, 10th January.
The show centres on two competing ice hockey players, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), who are among the biggest stars in the Major League. Despite their rivalry on the rink, the pair embark on a clandestine romance as rookies, which slowly blossoms into an unshakeable romantic connection spanning several years.
The series has already proved successful on Australian service Crave and American platform HBO Max, and work on a second series is underway. However, it has also generated significant controversy, particularly regarding its portrayal of gay intimate scenes. Actor Jordan Firstman criticised the show, saying it 'is not how gay people f***', but later apologised and reconciled with the cast.
Despite the controversy, 'Heated Rivalry' has earned glowing reviews, achieving a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critical consensus describes it as 'an all-consuming, steamy, dreamy love fest of true queer intent'. RogerEbert.com praised it as 'one of this year's most enjoyable' shows, and fans have called it 'brilliant TV'.
