I'll Believe in Anything: The Making of Heated Rivalry Season 1

by Jacob Tierney

From Jacob Tierney, the creator of Heated Rivalry, in partnership with Brendan Brady and Accent Aigu, comes I'll Believe in Anything, an official and complete collection of annotated scripts for the biggest cultural sensation of the year, with all new exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

Based on Rachel Reid's blockbuster Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry premiered on Crave and HBO in late 2025 and immediately took the world by storm. I'll Believe in Anything takes readers behind the curtain, showing how Tierney, his producing partner Brendan Brady, and the entire Accent Aigu team drew on a deep reverence for Reid's work, impeccable casting, clever sets and costume design, and thoughtful sex scene choreography to both rewrite the playbook for adapting romance novels to the screen and obliterate the long-held misconception that queer love stories have limited appeal.

I'll Believe in Anything answers all the questions fans of this groundbreaking series have been asking. How did Tierney interweave Ilya and Shane's rivalry with Scott and Kip's love story to create the ultimate television moment? Where did the idea for that incredible Canadian Olympic fleece originate? And what does it look like for a full team, led by Tierney and Brady, to plan, choreograph, and film some of the best sex scenes in television history? Featuring annotations on scene directions, intimacy choreography, costume insights, and more, alongside Tierney's never-before-seen scripts, this book gives fans a brand-new way to come to the cottage!

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Romance, Sports, Hockey, Queer, M M Romance

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2026

About the author

Jacob Tierney is an acclaimed film and television creator and co-president of Accent Aigu Entertainment, the production company he co-founded in 2023. A visionary showrunner, he created, wrote, directed, and executive produced the internationally celebrated, award-winning Crave original series Heated Rivalry . The series has earned 18 Canadian Screen Award nominations, including Best Writing, Best Direction, and Best Drama Series. It has also been nominated for a Peabody Award and won the GLAAD Award for Outstanding New Television Series, among others. Tierney is next set to write, direct, and executive produce Alexander for Netflix. He also served as an executive producer on The Traitors Canada for its first three seasons.

Tierney co-developed, co-wrote and directed every episode of the hit series Letterkenny and directed the first two seasons of its spinoff Shoresy , earning him 10 Canadian Screen Awards and cementing his reputation as a defining voice in television. Before his rise as a powerhouse in TV, Tierney wrote and directed four feature films, including Twist (Venice Film Festival premiere), The Trotsky (Genie Award for Best Original Screenplay) and the cult classic, Good Neighbours . He also executive produced the 2023 feature War Pony , which won the prestigious Caméra d'Or Award for Best Feature at the Cannes Film Festival.

Recognized for both his creative impact and cultural influence, Tierney is the recipient of the Cultural Innovator Award from the Departure Festival + Conference and the Cultural Impact Award from The NYC LGBT Community Center.

Jacob Tierney co-founded Accent Aigu Entertainment with writer, director, and producer Brendan Brady. The company leverages their extensive experience in the Canadian television and feature film industry to deliver content with broad appeal across the U.S., Canada and International markets.

Prior to starting AAE, Brendan and Jacob worked together for four years on over forty episodes of the hit television series Letterkenny and its spinoff show, Shoresy . Through harsh winter nights and long summer days, they realized they had complementary abilities and a shared sense of creative and professional ethos, making Accent Aigu Entertainment a natural next step.

Reviews

[Courtney]

🎵Life is worth living🎵 Am I unhealthily obsessed with this show? Yes. Is it a problem? No.

A problem is something you can fix.

[Nott]

Me, plotting 6 month in advance about how I'm going to acquire this book, while being in Russia

[Lance]

you have no idea the things I'd be willing to do to have this in my hands

[Dannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

YEAH i read it in one sitting - but i also have over half the script memorized so leave me alone

[≪ ◦•◦ cait ◦•◦ ≫]

time to go back to the cottage, i surprisingly did manage to get away for a while.

i pre-ordered this the second we were able to
&& it just arrived.
i NEVER buy physical copies bc i have no where to store them (safely) rn but clearly i didn't care at the time. 🤷🏼‍♀️

i have soo many arcs rn to get through, but mayyy have to sneak a couple pages in here and there. 😇

[haddy ｡⋆୨୧˚]

never been a nonfiction girlie till now

[Bayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s just so exactly what you would hope this is. Which is a text based DVD commentary track from the creator.

Almost every page has some little tidbit. Some of them you will have heard before if you pay attention to Heated Rivalry related interviews, but some of them are just in the book. The interjections are sometimes funny, and sometimes about behind-the-scenes moments, and sometimes about creative decisions, and, my personal favorite, were the many times Tierney discussed how he came to decisions on structure related things. It’s just fun to see people thoughtfully discussing their art.

It’s also very fun to see the cut scenes and how dialogue or direction changed between page and filming!

I had so much fun. It reignited the Heated Rivalry brain worms. I also just like having a physical totem to have for the show specifically. It really was very good.

[Kaelynn Balestracci · Rating 5 out of 5]

help i love shane i love ilya i love them so much HELP

[nika · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

if it wasn't for my two boys….at the end of the day hollanov is the only thing that really matters.

[Stephanielikesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge Heated Rivalry fan and it was fascinating to see the TV show’s annotated scripts and how the actors infused life into the words.

I loved the insights that Jacob provides into the characters’ behaviour and motivations, as well as around the production of the show. There are so many interesting tidbits!!

Jacob notes that they had to make up a brand of ginger ale in the show because they couldn’t clear the rights for Canada Dry. As he notes, how ironic is it that they couldn’t use Canada Dry in a Canadian show.

Reading the annotated scripts reaffirms just how much dedication, commitment, and effort went into making the show.

This is a must-read for HR fans!

[Jess Svajgert · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, Jacob is wildly funny…I cackled so many times as I made my way through this. He jokes in a way you only can when you love something deeply. It’s clear how much care and intention he approached this script with.

Books are my love language and now fans of the show (and books!) can take the show on the go and revisit parts of episodes whenever they want.

Bonus: Rachel wrote a heartfelt but hilarious foreword! It was also heartwarming to see behind the screen at how much thought and care Connor and Hudson put into Ilya and Shane’s stories.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I can't have Unrivaled yet, I can at least have this

[marioncoin | coin.reads]

most anticipated release of october 🫵

[Eve]

gimme🫴

[Zephyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I watch the show a million times? Yes.
Can I quote full episodes? Also, yes.
But something about reading the scripts, having Jacob’s notes, and reading how the scenes were originally written and comparing it to the final show was like seeing magic happen in front of you. I also loved getting to read the scenes and lines that never made it into the show!

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asking for a friend , when will I feel normal about this damn show??

[Josefin · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I’ve been in complete disbelief the last 36hs that im actually holding this is my hands and reading it. Even cried a little ofc.

It feels like such an incredible luxury that Jacob wanted to invite us into his mind like this. I’ve loved every moment of getting to pour over all the details of this story. Jacob is, as we know, a very funny man, and I’ve laughed sooo much. Lots of things we already knew, but I’ve certainly had my mind blown a couple of times. Especially with the scenes that were completely cut and the things they add to the characters. Can’t wait to do a rewatch of the show with all the new information!

It should be noted that this has obviously been published very quickly and you can sometimes tell it’s a little rushed. There’s a few typos and a couple talking point gets repeated in different parts of the book.

And also, I’m greedy - I wanted more! There’s so many just tiny little parts that I’m still wondering about and lots of things not scripted that they mustve decided on later on to add and I would’ve loved to learn more about those.

[lana]

the cover was just revealed and it's so sweetie pie i need to take a nap on a highway

[Samantha {miss seems pretty sad}]

GIMME THIS RN AHHHHHH

(I have an unhealthy obsession with Heated Rivalry)

[Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a shock I'm giving this 5 stars haha
I love this show a lot and seeing the scripts and all the behind the scenes elements gave me so much joy.
I really liked all the notes from Jacob exploring if I had the budget I would have done x, y and z. So I trust him completely with season 2 and beyond, he has a vision, loves these books and wants to make it work.
Seeing small changes of dialogue was interesting seeing things cut or added by actors shows how certain takes just worked.
Certain phrases said by Cliff, Shane in hospital.
Hudson and Connor living these characters and improvising small bits here and there from the sorry in ep 5, gimmie a kiss and better in the hospital.
I could write essays about the love, trust and vulnerability Hudson and Connor have created together, the closeness and intimacy and work they did made this feel very real. I love their relationship a lot and I'm so happy it transcends beyond this show. As Jacob say it is magic alchemy. Shane and Ilya are my North star.

Yes I did cry at the tuna melt scene of course. Seeing the notes and having things be clear was painful, the push and pull between them kills. Shane needing things to be clear and direct yay autism and Ilya trying to push and have the domesticity without being vulnerable with words. That why it all crashes and burns...Shane panics and I cry.

Episode 5 is definitely my favourite and of course the cottage.
It's so beautiful, I can't wait for season 2 and generally am looking forward to what magic is created next.

[Ramona Mead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved being completely engrossed in the show again. Reading the scripts made me feel warm inside and calms my nervous system. I should have drawn it out over days instead of binging it in three sittings. But of course I couldn't.

This is a nice addition to my Game Changers series on my shelf but I will admit I was let down quite a bit. I was expecting a lot more juicy details about lines and scenes, especially those that differ from the books. For example there was no explanation as to why they went with bikes in the early hotel gym scene as opposed to treadmills that are in the book and Jacob's script. There are things I've been wondering that were never addressed. He talks about the intimacy coordinator and how those scenes are coreographsed "like a dance" but there's no specific details. I feel like the book was promoted promising a lot more than what we got. Perhaps it's because I'm perpetually online watching HR clips and interviews but there wasn't a ton of info in here that was new to me.

Still it was a fun read and I'll take what I can get. It made me want to go immediately into reading The Long Game (for the third time.)

[Francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’ai beaucoup aimé revisiter la série à travers le script, et voir ce qui avait été rajouté ou supprimé. Quelques détails auraient pu être gardés, comme le fait qu’Ilya ferme bien les stores à la fin de l’épisode 2, et une mention à Éric Bennett (comme quoi il est maudit celui-là), mais sinon les changements apportés par Hudson et Connor ont amélioré l’ensemble et ça a bien été noté par Jacob.

Il y a quelques répétitions mais au moins le réalisateur est consistant dans ses propos.
Jacob a un faible pour les costards, ça m’a fait rire, et il décrit quasi tous les personnages, surtout masculins, super hot (même Alexei!). J’ai aimé son explication de développer davantage le rôle des femmes qui sont des alliés des hommes queer. Yuna avait l’air plus chiante dans le script, heureusement que Christina a changé cette impression.

Quelques photos behind the scenes inédites sont sympas. Un bel objet collector, je pense revoir la série avec le livre sous les yeux.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai tellement hâte de voir la saison 2 !

[francesca · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love my family

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am too obsessed with this but loved the little insights into how things were shot and what was cut and why. I just wish there was even more haha

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s like watching the Mona Lisa get painted…………... Currently crying my eyes out. Fine I’ll rewatch.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to receive an ARC from Little, Brown. This book is a dream!! It’s absolutely chocked FULL of so many delicious tidbits, I am overwhelmed. So many wonderful insights and characters’ motivations and jokes. Loved it, exceeded expectations. ❤️‍🔥🏒

[Cammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I’m emotional! Shut up! We lament the fact that there aren’t really directors commentaries anymore and that’s how a lot of people learned about filmmaking, so I’m really grateful to not just have the scripts here, but also Jacob’s input. I think Heated Rivalry is one of the best romances of the 2020s and I’m really grateful to study something to see how this was done so well and really spoke to me in a way a lot of romances haven’t, even when I’ve wanted them to. I felt like a PA getting some mentorship.

Anyway. This really made me want to write another script! I was like oh I write my scripts like this so they can’t be so bad lmao. Not that they feel the same but that screenwriting feels more accessible, if that makes sense? A lot of the scripts I’ve read are either much older or aren’t in the genre I love. So this was great.

Also shout out to Julia for working on this, I know it must’ve been a dream for them. ❤️

[Jaclyn · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I loved reading the scripts and Jacob’s notes. However, if I was editing this book, I would’ve wanted notes added in places where there were none. I also would’ve wanted a bit more in the “How to Read This Book” section. I’m curious to know which draft of the scripts we were reading as four different drafts are listed in the beginning of each script except episodes 3 & 6. Finally, I would’ve loved for Jacob to just write a paragraph explaining when more changes are made. These scripts are not the final version we see on screen. He does address that occasionally in an annotation, but there are so many small differences that I’d love to know if the changes happened on the day of filming if a line didn’t sound right, in rewrites the night before, in post-production, etc… This is definitely a must-read for any fan.

[Ellie India · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this show, i love this book series so shock - have loved reading the scripts and finished this in less than a day. jacob and rachel are so funny. i love shane and ilya, i love how much jacob loves Scott Hunter (me too). i love how jacob talks about the relationship women & gay men. i am so excited for season 2 and to see the love and care put into all the other characters in the GC universe. (Ryan and Fabian especially!!!) also dying laughing at the note about the phone call in the cottage!!!!!! good for you Jacob 😉