Russell T Davies claps back at Heated Rivalry v. Queer as Folk comparisons

Russell T Davies has shared a rave review about Heated Rivalry following a "snooty" review that compared "tedious" queer hockey series to Davies's "masterwork" Queer as Folk (1999). And I oop!

For context, the hit Crave/HBO Max series by showrunner Jacob Tierney — based on the original novels by Rachel Reid — only came out to U.K. audiences on Saturday, January 10. That same day, a review from The Guardian called Heated Rivalry "tedious," remarked on how much "young men banter" one could withstand, and criticized the show for not delivering as much "character development or emotional investment" as needed. In the last paragraph, The Guardian compared the queer hockey TV show to Russell T Davies's "masterwork" Queer as Folk, adding that "both actors and viewers deserve more."

Well, Davies couldn't disagree more.

"LOVED THIS. Absolutely excellent!" Davies wrote in an Instagram post shared four days after The Guardian review. "Yes, gay, okay, hooray, but never mind the sex, this is a love story, a great big classic love story. And it's a really classy production, great acting, direction, lighting, music, design (the real scandal is the property porn, oh those apartments!)."

The legendary screenwriter and producer went on, "And so many gorgeous details. Too many pillows on the bed. The camera's gay gaze (that's so rarely done right). Men watching TV with their hands down their pants. And the killer line being delivered in Russian, by Svetlana, about Jane. Wonderful. And it's such bold storytelling - the wild swing of Ep.3, the rabble-rousing joy of Ep.5, the sheer patience of Ep.6."

"Sometimes there's a fabulous lack of drama; traditional confrontations have all the steam taken out of them, replaced by proper, adult conversation," Davies wrote, in conclusion. "A gorgeous show, and in an age when @glaad reports LGBTQ+ representation falling under a hostile regime, Canada surges ahead into a bold new world. Magnificent!"

In the comments section, journalist Paul Brand acknowledged "a snooty review in the Guardian yesterday that totally missed. the point!"

Davies replied, "Oh this is made for snooty reviews. And audience delight!"

Comments section under Russell T Davies's Instagram post about Heated Rivalry.Instagram (@russelltdavies63)

Actor François Arnaud, who played Scott Hunter on Heated Rivalry, commented with three heart emojis. Jacob Tierney, showrunner of Heated Rivalry, expressed his gratitude. "My king [bowing emoji] thank you so much for this."

"You are the king!" Davies wrote in response to Tierney's comment. "I worship you! [heart emoji]."

Heated Rivalry is now streaming on HBO Max.