10 Best TV Shows Like Heated Rivalry for Romance Fans
If Heated Rivalry left you wanting another romance where two men's feelings drive the whole story, you are in the right place. This list gives you ten series, ranked from the strongest romance at the top to the most tentative at the bottom, with what each show is about, why it sits where it does and where to watch it in the UK and US.
Heated Rivalry is the reference point for every pick here. Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US premiered the six-episode first season on 28 November 2025, and Sky Atlantic and NOW brought it to UK viewers on 10 January 2026. The series is adapted from Rachel Reid's Game Changers books, and its title comes from the second book in that series. Jacob Tierney created, wrote and directed the show, which follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two hockey players whose rivalry becomes something much more private.
That reference point sets the yardstick. Each entry is judged on whether the romance sits at the centre of the story rather than in a subplot, whether the leads have real chemistry and the show trusts it enough to slow down, whether the wider world adds pressure instead of decoration, and whether the ending feels earned. Those are the qualities that made Heated Rivalry such a talking point, so they are the standard used throughout.
The appeal of Heated Rivalry is not only the hockey. It is the way the romance builds from hostility and competition into trust, with long stretches of looks, silences and small decisions that carry as much weight as the big scenes. Viewers who finish it often want the same thing again rather than another fast-paced plot, which is why this list leans towards shows where a couple, or the friendship at the centre of the story, has time to develop.
Not every pick is a conventional romance. One entry is a reality series rather than a scripted drama, and that difference is flagged in its own section. The list mixes streaming originals with shows from HBO, AMC, Showtime and Canadian broadcasters, and the settings run from 1950s Washington to a Swedish boarding school.
There is also a practical side. Smiley is a single eight-episode season, so it works well for a weekend, while longer runs such as Heartstopper and Schitt's Creek will keep you busy for a month. Availability changes often, so check your local listings before you sign up for anything.
Each entry gives a short premise without major spoilers, two paragraphs of editorial analysis, the reason it holds its position, who it suits and where to watch it. Let's get into it 👇
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10. Love, Victor
Love, Victor follows Victor Salazar, a teenager at Creekwood High, the school first seen in Love, Simon. Victor is still working out who he is, and what he wants is simple to say and hard to do: to be honest with his family and friends without losing them. The show is built around his first crushes, his friendships and the slow process of coming out on his own terms, so every small decision carries real weight.
The performances carry the show, and the teenage characters feel young rather than written for a grown-up audience. Victor's awkwardness reads as real, and his friendships give him places to be honest before he is ready to be honest with everyone else.
The writing is warm and gently funny, but it repeats its emotional beats, and some storylines are held back for later seasons. The third and final season ends the story on a clear note, which helps the whole run feel complete.
Why it ranks here: It ranks tenth because its romance is the most tentative on the list and the least interested in tension. It sits below Queer as Folk, which is bolder and more adult, and its gentler tone is what keeps it from moving up.
Who should watch: Viewers who want a warm coming-of-age romance set in a school and family setting, and who prefer a gentler tone.
Where to watch: Hulu in the US. In the UK, Disney+ (Star) carried the first season, so check your local listings for later seasons.
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9. Queer as Folk
The 2022 Queer as Folk follows a group of queer friends, with Brodie Beaumont, played by Devin Way, at the centre. Brodie's romantic and sexual life is tangled up with his friendships, his family and his ambitions, and the show keeps asking how much of himself he is willing to show the people around him. Mingus, Ruthie and Noah form the rest of the circle.
The show is frank about sex and desire, closer in tone to the 1999 British original than to a polished network drama. Devin Way gives Brodie an edge that keeps him watchable even when his choices are poor, and Ryan O'Connell brings sharp, observational wit as Julian.
The writing is messy and sometimes overloaded, with more threads than eight episodes can fully develop. Its best moments are between friends rather than couples, which gives it a different energy from the single focused romance of Heated Rivalry.
Why it ranks here: It ranks ninth because it is the most candid entry in the lower half and gives an adult audience a different kind of queer story. It beats Love, Victor on frankness and ambition, but it sits below Schitt's Creek because its romances were left unfinished when Peacock cancelled it after one season.
Who should watch: Adult viewers who want a bolder, more candid take on gay friendship and romance.
Where to watch: Peacock in the US. In the UK, StarzPlay carried the series from 1 July 2022, so check your local listings for current availability.
8. Schitt's Creek
Schitt's Creek follows the Rose family, who lose their fortune and end up living in a small town called Schitt's Creek. Johnny Rose, played by Eugene Levy, and his wife Moira, a former soap star played by Catherine O'Hara, have to adjust to life without luxury. Their adult children, David and Alexis, find their own way forward, and David's relationship with Patrick Brewer, who manages the local motel, becomes one of the show's emotional centres.
The comedy works because the Roses are funny without being cruel. Eugene Levy plays Johnny with deadpan restraint, and Catherine O'Hara makes each of Moira's entrances an event. The David and Patrick romance is handled patiently, with small gestures and real uncertainty rather than a rushed reveal.
The first season takes time to find its footing, and some early jokes lean on the family's wealth. By the later seasons the writing is confident, and the couple feels like part of the furniture. The show won Outstanding Comedy Series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.
Why it ranks here: It ranks eighth because it is the most secure romance on the lower half of the list, with a clear arc and a satisfying finish. It sits above Queer as Folk because its romance is more developed, and below Looking because that show takes greater risks with adult relationships.
Who should watch: Viewers who want a funny, comforting romance with a satisfying ending.
Where to watch: Check your local listings in the US and UK. Netflix UK was scheduled to drop the series in May 2026, so availability there may have changed.
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7. Looking
Looking follows Patrick Murray, played by Jonathan Groff, and his friends Agustín and Dom, as they navigate dating, work and the question of what they want from their lives. Set in San Francisco, the HBO series treats its gay characters as ordinary people with unfinished plans. Its romantic storylines often start with an attraction and end with a question, which is part of the show's appeal.
Groff gives Patrick a nervous, self-conscious energy that makes his indecision feel real. Murray Bartlett brings warmth to Dom, which keeps the show from becoming bleak even when the romances go wrong.
The show lingers on the same unhappiness at times, and a few plotlines move more slowly than the material deserves. Looking: The Movie, broadcast on HBO in 2016, serves as the series finale and gives the group a clearer ending.
Why it ranks here: It ranks seventh because it is the most grounded drama in the list's lower half. It sits above The Boyfriend, a reality series, because its characters are developed across two seasons, and below Schitt's Creek because its romantic outcomes are less satisfying.
Who should watch: Viewers who prefer grounded, character-driven romance and do not need every relationship to end happily.
Where to watch: HBO in the US. In the UK, check your local listings.
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6. The Boyfriend
The Boyfriend is a Netflix reality series, not a scripted drama. Ten gay men live together in a house called the Green Room, run a peppermint-coloured coffee truck and work out who might become someone's boyfriend. Studio hosts react to the action in real time. Season two moved the house to Hokkaido for two months, with a new group of men, and premiered on 13 January. Coverage of the show describes it as Japan's first gay romance reality series.
The format is both the appeal and the limit. Watching men try to find a partner in an unfamiliar setting gives the show an openness that scripted romances rarely offer, and the coffee truck gives the house a shared task to keep it moving.
Romance here depends on who chooses whom, so the story can stall when the group has nothing to decide. Viewers who want a slow-burn story will find it less satisfying than Heated Rivalry, but it shows a side of gay dating in Japan that is rare on screen.
Why it ranks here: It sits sixth because it offers a different kind of queer romance rather than a stronger one. It beats Smiley because it has a larger cast and a wider range of relationships, but it sits below Looking, where the emotional choices are written rather than shaped by a format.
Who should watch: Viewers who enjoy reality dating shows and want a gay romance story from a different cultural setting.
Where to watch: Netflix. Check your local listings for UK and US availability, as regional details were not confirmed for this article.
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5. Smiley
Smiley is a Spanish romantic comedy on Netflix, based on a play by Guillem Clua. Álex, a bartender, uses dating apps and hopes to find something real. One night he leaves a long voice message for a man who has stopped replying, but he dials the wrong number. The number belongs to Bruno, an older architect with traditional ideas about romance. The two men meet, are drawn to each other and then hold back out of fear of rejection.
Carlos Cuevas plays Álex with a jittery honesty that makes his nerves land, and Miki Esparbé gives Bruno a guarded charm that grows more appealing as the walls come down. Their chemistry is the reason to watch.
Eight episodes leave little room for the couple's history, and the wrong-number set-up is funny but slightly contrived. The show works best when it is quiet and specific, and it hurries when it reaches for bigger romantic gestures.
Why it ranks here: It sits fifth because it is a tight, charming romance with real chemistry, but a single eight-episode season keeps its stakes smaller than the entries above it. It beats The Boyfriend because its romance is scripted and built around two central characters, and it falls short of Heartstopper because it has less room for the couple to change over time.
Who should watch: Viewers who want a short romantic comedy with a bittersweet edge and a slow-burn pairing.
Where to watch: Netflix. Check your local listings for UK and US availability.
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4. Heartstopper
Heartstopper follows Charlie Spring, an openly gay student at a boys' school, and Nick Nelson, a rugby player who becomes his friend. The friendship slowly becomes something more, and the story follows them through first crushes, coming out and the pressure of school life. The series is adapted from Alice Oseman's graphic novels, which began as a web comic before they were published in print.
Joe Locke and Kit Connor make Charlie and Nick feel like real teenagers, with the awkwardness and hesitation that come with a first real attraction. The show is gentle but never naive, and it handles anxiety, family pressure and consent with care.
Its strongest episodes are the quiet ones, where friends talk through a problem and the central pair learns to trust each other. Later seasons widen the cast, which dilutes the central story. In April 2025 Netflix said the story would end with a feature film instead of a fourth season.
Why it ranks here: It ranks fourth because it has the warmest and most hopeful romance on the list, and its three seasons give the couple room to grow. It sits above Smiley and The Boyfriend for that reason, and below Interview with the Vampire because that show brings more ambition and darker stakes.
Who should watch: Viewers who want a sweet, hopeful romance with a clear emotional focus.
Where to watch: Netflix. Check your local listings to confirm availability in your region.
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3. Interview with the Vampire
Interview with the Vampire is an AMC drama based on Anne Rice's 1976 novel. Louis, played by Jacob Anderson, tells his story to a journalist, Daniel Molloy, played by Eric Bogosian. He describes how Lestat, played by Sam Reid, turned him into a vampire, and the two immortals spend decades bound together by love, resentment and power. The story moves between past and present, which gives each revelation more weight.
Sam Reid's Lestat is the engine of the show: flamboyant, cruel and seductive. Jacob Anderson gives Louis a wounded intelligence that makes both his devotion and his anger believable, and the gothic production design gives the relationship a sense of history.
The show is darker and more violent than most romances on this list, and its central bond is built on control as much as desire. Viewers who want a clear happy ending may find it unsatisfying, but Season 3 has been renewed and is set to focus on Lestat's story.
Why it ranks here: It ranks third because it has the most ambition and historical weight of the entries outside the top two. It beats Heartstopper for that reason, but it sits below Young Royals and Fellow Travelers because its romance is darker and less purely romantic, and its focus on power makes the couple harder to root for.
Who should watch: Viewers who enjoy gothic drama and morally tangled relationships in a vampire setting.
Where to watch: AMC and AMC+ in the US. Check your local listings for the UK.
2. Young Royals
Young Royals follows Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, played by Edvin Ryding, who is sent to Hillerska, an elite boarding school, and begins a relationship with a classmate, Simon Eriksson. Simon, a scholarship student and rising star in the school choir, is played by Omar Rudberg. Their romance develops under constant public scrutiny and affects everyone around them. The show runs for three seasons and eighteen episodes in total.
Rudberg gives Simon a quiet intelligence and a readiness to be hurt, and Ryding makes Wille's reserve feel like a real struggle. The school setting makes every glance feel urgent, because someone is always watching.
The seasons are uneven, and the middle run spreads attention across more characters than the central pair needs. When the show returns to Simon and Wilhelm, it is sincere, romantic and frank about desire.
Why it ranks here: It ranks second because its romance is warm and sustained across eighteen episodes, and it puts a same-sex relationship at the front of a teen drama with real consequences. It sits directly below Fellow Travelers, which has the stronger claim to the top spot, and above Interview with the Vampire because its romance is the show's purpose rather than one part of a darker world.
Who should watch: Viewers who want an emotionally rich story about first love under public scrutiny, with a royal and school setting.
Where to watch: Netflix. Check your local listings to confirm availability in your region.
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1. Fellow Travelers
Fellow Travelers is a Showtime drama that follows Hawkins Fuller, known as Hawk, a closeted fixer in 1950s Washington, D.C. Matt Bomer plays Hawk, and Jonathan Bailey plays Tim Laughlin, an idealistic man who becomes Hawk's lover. The first season begins during the McCarthy hearings, when being gay could cost a person their job and their freedom. The story spans three decades and is based on Thomas Mallon's novel.
Bomer keeps Hawk's guardedness and fear visible even in tender moments, and Bailey gives Tim an open heart that makes the relationship feel exposed to danger. The period detail never feels like a costume exercise.
Its three-decade scope means the story sometimes moves in jumps, and the later history is covered more quickly than the early years. The romance carries more weight than anything else on the list because its risks are both historical and personal.
Why it ranks here: It ranks first because its romance is the most emotionally sustained on the list, and the historical setting gives every choice a real cost. It beats Young Royals, the strongest entry directly below, for exactly that reason: Young Royals has warmth and a clear romance, but its stakes are mostly social and its story is shorter. Fellow Travelers keeps a secret relationship under threat for years, which is the same engine behind the tension in Heated Rivalry.
Who should watch: Viewers who want a mature, sweeping love story with a historical backdrop and a serious, emotionally heavy tone.
Where to watch: Paramount+ in the US, which carries the Showtime series. Check your local listings for the UK.
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Conclusion
Look back over the countdown and a pattern appears. The strongest picks treat romance as the thing that holds the story together, and they place it under real pressure, whether that comes from history, a royal school, a family or the rules of a secret life. Fellow Travelers, Young Royals and Interview with the Vampire each use the outside world to make a relationship cost something, which is the quality that gives Heated Rivalry its tension.
Heartstopper sits just below that group for a different reason. It is the gentlest pick on the list, and its warmth and careful handling of consent and communication make it a good choice for viewers who want hope rather than heartbreak. The lighter entries, including Schitt's Creek and Smiley, show that comedy can carry a romance as well as drama can.
Fellow Travelers takes the top spot because it gives a romance three decades to test itself. Young Royals comes close, and its warmth is hard to beat, but Fellow Travelers asks more of its couple and rewards the viewer for the wait. That is the same quality that made Heated Rivalry such a strong reference point: two people whose feelings are tested by the world around them, and who keep choosing each other anyway.
Now it is your turn. Which show did you watch first, and does it deserve a higher place? If you would rank these differently, share your order and tell us which show you would move to the top. Let us know your favourite below, and tell us if we missed a romance that belongs on this list.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Heated Rivalry based on a book?
Yes. Heated Rivalry is adapted from Rachel Reid's Game Changers series, and the title comes from the second book, published in 2019. Jacob Tierney created, wrote and directed the TV series, which premiered on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US on 28 November 2025. The first season has six episodes, and a second season has been renewed. If you want more reading in the same vein, the book guides linked in the You May Also Like sections are a good next step.
Is Red, White & Royal Blue on this list?
No. Red, White & Royal Blue is not on this list. It is a film adaptation of Casey McQuiston's novel rather than a television series, and this article ranks TV shows only, so it does not qualify. If you enjoyed its royal romance, Young Royals at number two is the closest match here, because it also centres on a prince falling for someone outside his world.
Is there a hockey romance on this list?
No entry is set in hockey, which is the sport at the centre of Heated Rivalry. The closest match in tone is Fellow Travelers, which shares Heated Rivalry's focus on a secret relationship under pressure, although it is set in 1950s Washington. If you want sports romance specifically, the sports romance guide linked in the second You May Also Like section covers TV shows with athletic settings.
Is Fellow Travelers based on a book?
Yes. Fellow Travelers is based on Thomas Mallon's novel of the same name. The Showtime series was developed by Ron Nyswaner, who also wrote the screenplay for Philadelphia. It stars Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey and runs for eight episodes in its first season. In the US it streams on Paramount+. The show covers three decades, from the McCarthy hearings to the AIDS crisis, so it is a longer emotional commitment than most entries here.
Do I need to watch Young Royals in order?
Yes. The series has three seasons, and each one follows on from the last. The first season arrived on Netflix on 1 July 2021, the second on 1 November 2022, and the third in two parts on 11 March 2024 and 18 March 2024. Each season has six episodes, so the full run is eighteen episodes. Prince Wilhelm's arrival at Hillerska and his relationship with Simon Eriksson begin in season one, so start at the beginning and keep going to the finale.
Has Heartstopper ended?
Not with another TV season. In April 2025 Netflix announced that the story would end with a feature film instead of a fourth season. The first three seasons arrived on 22 April 2022, 3 August 2023 and 3 October 2024. The series follows Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, played by Joe Locke and Kit Connor, and is based on Alice Oseman's graphic novels. Watch all three seasons first, then keep an eye on Netflix for the film.
Do I need to see the 1999 Queer as Folk before the 2022 version?
No. The 2022 series is a reimagining of Channel 4's Queer as Folk from 1999, which was created by Russell T Davies. Its creator, Stephen Dunn, treated the original as a starting point rather than a direct sequel. The 2022 version has one season of eight episodes. It premiered on Peacock on 9 June 2022, and Peacock cancelled it in September 2022 for low viewership. Watching the original first adds context, but the new series has its own characters, including Brodie Beaumont and Mingus.
Is Schitt's Creek a romance show?
Not primarily. Schitt's Creek is a comedy about the Rose family, who lose their fortune and move to a small town. The romance between David Rose and Patrick Brewer is one of the most loved on television, but it sits alongside a wider story about family, business and the people of the town. The series ran for six seasons, from 2015 to 2020, on CBC in Canada and Pop in the US. If you want the romance first, focus on the later seasons, where David and Patrick's story is most developed.
Is Interview with the Vampire too dark for a romance fan?
It can be. Interview with the Vampire is an AMC drama based on Anne Rice's 1976 novel, and it is more violent and morally complicated than most romances. The bond between Louis, played by Jacob Anderson, and Lestat, played by Sam Reid, is built on control and resentment as much as desire. If you need a clear happy ending, Heartstopper or Young Royals will suit you better. If you can handle darker material, the show rewards patient viewers, and Season 3 has been renewed.
Is The Boyfriend a scripted drama?
No. The Boyfriend is a Netflix reality series. Coverage of the show describes it as Japan's first gay romance reality series, in which ten gay men live together in a house called the Green Room and work out who might become someone's boyfriend. Hosts react to the action in real time. The second season premiered on 13 January and moved to Hokkaido for two months. If you expect a scripted romance, adjust your expectations before you start.
More Places to Find Great Movies and TV Shows
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