Jacob Tierney has discussed the initial pushback he faced for including sex scenes in Heated Rivalry season one.
Since November, the gay hockey romance series – which stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams – has captured the undivided attention of the gays, girls and theys worldwide.
Based on Rachel Reid’s hit novel, Heated Rivalry follows Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie), two elite professional hockey players who have a fierce rivalry on the ice but harbour a secret romantic relationship behind closed doors.
The official synopsis reads: “What begins as a secret fling between confused teenagers at 17 evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery. Over the next eight years, as they chase glory on the ice, they struggle to navigate their feelings off it.
“Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, Shane and Ilya must decide if there’s room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile – and powerful – as real love.”
Since gracing our TV and laptop screens, Heated Rivalry has become a smash hit due to its decade-spanning love story, music choices, and chemistry-filled performances from Storrie and Williams.
However, the most popular element of the series has been its jaw-dropping NSFW content, with many of Shane and Ilya’s passionate trysts consistently going viral on social media.
While Heated Rivarly’s explicit gay sex scenes have become the standout star, so to speak, they initially faced pushback from studio execs in the show’s early stages.
In a recent interview with Slate, the show’s creator and writer, Tierney, reflected on his experience pitching the series, revealing that some of the high-ups suggested he wait until season two to feature Shane and Ilya’s sex life.
“I was like, ‘What are you f**king talking about?! These books are porn. You think that the audience is here despite that? They’re here for this. This is what they want,” he told the news outlet.
Tierney went on to say that he was glad that he trusted his gut, adding: “I think that, had I followed the advice or the notes I was getting, I would have made a show that would have not pleased people, especially that core fan base.
“I certainly don’t think we would have gotten the reaction that we’re currently getting.”
Tierney’s latest interview comes a week after Crave and HBO Max – with the help of Storrie and Williams – announced that the series would be returning for a second season.
“Season two. Heated Rivalry. Confirmed,” Storrie exclaimed in an announcement video, with Williams teasing a “hotter, wetter, and longer” season.
While we’re still a ways away from Heated Rivalry season two, Tierney has teased what fans can expect in a handful of interviews.
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the 46-year-old creative said: “We’re following Shane and Ilya. That’s not gonna be a shock. There’s certainly a possibility we’ll have additional resources, and we can do some things that we would want to do.”
In another interview with Gold Derby, Tierney gave us an idea of how long season two would be while addressing calls for it to be longer than six episodes.
“I don’t know if you’re going to get that. But you’re going to get a lot of content. Everyone’s pretty committed to this universe, in this world. So it’s going to be OK. It’s going to be good,” he explained to the news outlet.
The season one finale of Heated Rivalry airs on 26 December.
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