While selecting the single best show of 2025 might seem impossible, as an entertainment editor, I felt I could at least narrow the list down to a top ten. And, yes, there were plenty of great shows that didn't make my list. But in picking my top streaming selects of 2025, including Severance, The White Lotus and The Pitt, I omitted one show which left readers in an uproar. I'm of course talking about Heated Rivalry.
I Left This Steamy Series Off My 'Top 10 Shows of 2025' List and People Were *Not* Happy
Okay, guys, I get it already
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Published Jan 6, 2026
Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max
First of all, my list of the best shows of the year (in no particular order): Adolescence, Severance, The Pitt, Hacks, The White Lotus, The Studio, Boots, Paradise, Pluribus and Overcompensating.
When we posted my picks on PureWow's Instagram, there were plenty of comments that agreed with the choices. "Pluribus is my fave." "So bummed Boots isn't coming back." "Paradise is the best series I've ever watched 100%."
As expected, there were suggestions for other shows. "What about Presumed Innocent? That was hands down my favorite this year." "One of my other favorite shows this year was Tim Robinson’s The Chair Company on HBO." "Wait, where is Palm Royale?" "Lena Dunham's Too Much!"
But the one omitted show that dominated the discussion? HBO's sexy and steamy "hockey" series, Heated Rivalry.
Just in case you haven't seen the show (or the NSFW memes), Heated Rivalry is a Canadian romance series that hit HBO back on November 28. Based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels, it follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two of the biggest hockey stars. They’re fierce competitors on the ice, but off the ice? There’s an undeniable spark. Cue the shower scenes and ugly cry season finale confessions.
Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max
The thing is, I hear you. The show is great. It's sexy and moving and meaningful. As a gay man, it's unbelievable to see this kind of story and representation on screen. It has a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. And it doesn't hurt that it seemingly came out of nowhere (it was picked up by HBO last minute and got nearly zero advance press).
If I could go back in time, maybe I'd have picked 11 shows instead of 10. (Maybe Overcompensating would've lost its spot on the list...) But regardless, Heated Rivalry's omission doesn't make Adolescence or Pluribus any less groundbreaking. It just means it was a really, really good year for TV.
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