Heated Rivalry, the most talked-about Canadian television show of the decade, has struck a chord with audiences worldwide. Its creators, Jacob Tierney and Rachel Reid, recently discussed the appeal of their gay hockey romance drama, which scores with both women and gay men, and has just been renewed for a second season.
A New Paradigm in Canadian Television
The show, aired on Crave, has successfully broken streaming records and has become a hot topic on social media. Its steamy love scenes between Canadian and Russian rivals, Shane and Ilya, have inspired numerous articles and discussions on its appeal to both men and women attracted to men.
The Minds Behind Heated Rivalry
Heated Rivalry is the creation of Toronto-based Jacob Tierney and Halifax writer Rachel Reid. The show is based on Reid’s books, ‘Game Changer’ and ‘Heated Rivalry’. The creators recently spoke with The Globe and Mail about the intersectional horniness they have sparked with their show and its mass appeal.
The Appeal of Gay Hockey Romance
When asked why women, in particular straight women, are interested in stories about romance and sex between gay men, Reid shared that, for many women, enjoying erotica or romance that involves a woman can sometimes be challenging due to their past experiences with men. She believes that stories like Heated Rivalry offer a nice escape for women attracted to men, as it does not involve a female character with whom they can directly relate.
Tierney added that there’s something about women being turned on by male vulnerability which is not present in traditional male-female romance where men are often portrayed as classic, masculine and stoic. In male-male romance, there’s much more vulnerability, which appeals to women.
Reid’s ‘Cute Smut’
Reid has embraced the term “cute smut” on her website to describe her writing. The term is often used dismissively to describe the genre of erotic romance or high-heat romance. Reid acknowledges that her books contain quite a bit of sex, but clarifies that it’s separate from erotica.
Gay Male Romance through a Gay Man’s Lens
Jacob Tierney identifies as gay and shared his perspective on reading and adapting Reid’s books. He noted that the tradition of authors writing male-male romance goes back a long way. He believes that the intersection of women and gay men in a world run by straight men can often be underestimated.
When adapting the books for television, Tierney remained faithful to the original narrative, with minor changes based on his personal lived experience as a gay man. The main change he made was to adapt the first book, ‘Game Changer’, as the third episode of the series.
The Impact of Heated Rivalry
The explosion of interest online around Heated Rivalry has been a pleasant surprise for both creators. Tierney believes that the joyfulness, fun, and sweetness of consensual sex portrayed in the series is a refreshing change from the sexual violence often displayed on television.
Though the online attention has been overwhelming at times, Reid maintains a grounded perspective, noting that outside of the online world, her life in Nova Scotia remains largely unchanged.
