It’s been a few months now since Heated Rivalry (the smutty Canadian LGBTQ+ hockey romance that took those with an HBO Max subscription by storm) became the topic of television conversation. While that show won’t be able to return in time for the 2026 TV schedule, I do love that the creator also has something brand new in the works, though I am surprised at the subject of his new series.
What New Show Is Heated Rivalry’s Creator Working On?
Though author Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series was already popular, the stories were propelled into a much bigger spotlight when writer/producer/director Jacob Tierney (who’s also known for starring on Letterkenny) bought the rights and turned the second novel, Heated Rivalry, into the sexy LGBTQ+ focused show that millions around the world have come to know, love, and want more of.
While Heated Rivalry Season 2 is, indeed, on the way, it’s now been announced by Deadline that Tierney is also preparing to work his writing, producing, directing magic on a new series, which sounds like it’s going to be very different from the one that’s made him a hot commodity. He and production partner Brendan Brady have teamed with Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films for Alexander, which will follow the life of a teenaged Alexander the Great.
Like his previous hit show, this upcoming drama is also based on a book, this time Annabel Lyon’s 2009 novel, The Golden Mean. The historical novel looks at the friendship between the young “volatile” prince Alexander and his mentor, the philosopher Aristotle, “amid palace intrigue, forbidden love, brutal war and ruthless ambitions,” all while “their unlikely friendship shapes an empire and alters the course of history.”
I mean, how different can you get from a modern sports romance, right? Luckily, Tierney is planning to write and direct all of the episodes for the show, which has already received a straight to series order and will be available for those with a Netflix subscription once it’s ready for the eager eyes of history buffs. Though I haven’t read the book that the drama is based on, I have no doubt that he’s up to the monumental task of making 342 B.C. look and sound as intriguing as it should.
Honestly, while it’s clear that this will be a different animal from his previous series, the description makes it sound like viewers could be in for a youth-leaning version of Game of Thrones, with maybe a dash of HR thrown in, and there’s no way to be mad at that idea if you love good TV.
Tierney said that he “fell in love” with the book quite a while ago and had wanted to adapt it ever since, while Netflix Head of U.S. and Canada Scripted Series, Jinny Howe, noted that this will be a “high stakes drama” with “raw, modern energy that feels both epic and incredibly intimate.” Well, as excited as I am for the second season of Heated Rivalry, consider me sold on Alexander, as well!
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