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Heated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney to release behind-the-scenes
book

   CBC Books | Posted: April 17, 2026 7:02 PM | Last Updated: 1
   hour ago

   The nonfiction book I’ll Believe in Anything will be published
   on Oct. 13

   Image | Jacob Tierney

   Caption: Jacob Tierney is releasing a new behind-the-scenes
   book about his hit show Heated Rivalry this fall. (Vivian
   Rashotte/CBC)
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   Jacob Tierney, the Montreal filmmaker and creator behind the
   hit television show Heated Rivalry, is pulling back the curtain
   on the show’s success with a new book that offers a
   behind-the-scenes look at how it was made.
   I’ll Believe in Anything, set for publication on Oct. 13,
   promises to take readers deep into the creative process,
   according to details shared by publisher Little, Brown and
   Company.
   It says the book will reveal how Tierney, his producing partner
   Brendan Brady, and their Toronto-based production company,
   Accent Aigu, brought the series to life.
   The series, which premiered on Crave and HBO in late 2025,
   quickly became a global phenomenon.
     * Why are women so into the man-on-man romance in Heated
       Rivalry?

     * Smash hit Heated Rivalry offers 'reprieve' for LGBTQ+
       community, creates conversation among hockey fans

   Based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling Game Changers series, it
   follows the complicated relationship between rival professional
   hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
   Hollander, a Canadian, skates for the fictional Montreal
   Voyageurs, while the Russian-born Rozanov plays for the Boston
   Bears.
   Both are at the peak of their careers, but their once-casual
   secret romance begins to deepen, forcing them to confront an
   impossible choice between their devotion to the sport and their
   growing love for each other.
   Hollander's character is played by Canadian Hudson Williams,
   and Rozanov's by American actor Connor Storrie.

   Image | TV-Screen-Awards-Rule-Change 20260327

   Caption: (Evan Agostini/The Canadian Press)
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   I’ll Believe in Anything will explore elements that helped
   influence how romance novels can be adapted for the screen,
   including the production’s casting, set and costume design and
   carefully choreographed intimacy scenes.
     * Heated Rivalry top book in Canadian fiction for 13th
       straight week. What other titles are readers buying?

     * Shows like Heated Rivalry help create safe spaces for
       P.E.I.'s LGBTQ+ community, advocates say

   The publisher says the book will also answer questions it says
   fans have been asking since the show’s debut: how Tierney wove
   together characters Ilya and Shane’s intense rivalry with Scott
   and Kip’s love story to craft a defining television moment, and
   even the origins of the now-iconic Canadian "Olympic" fleece.
   I’ll Believe in Anything will also compile the complete scripts
   for all six episodes of the first season, each accompanied by
   Tierney’s own notes unpacking key creative decisions and hidden
   details within pivotal scenes.
   LISTEN | Full interview with Heated Rivalry costume designer
   Hanna Puley:

   Media Audio | As It Happens :

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   pages.
   The breakout drama has since earned 18 Canadian Screen Award
   nominations, including nods for Best Writing, Best Direction
   and Best Drama Series.
   It has also been nominated for a Peabody Award and captured the
   GLAAD Award for Outstanding New Television Series.
   Heated Rivalry was also on the Canada Reads 2026 longlist.

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