Thanks to hockey hunks 鈥� and their love stories 鈥� are having a moment. Prime Video鈥檚 鈥淥ff Campus鈥� is the next show hoping to score with viewers.
This series, which started streaming Wednesday and is based on a collection of romance books written by Elle Kennedy, follows the steamy love lives of members of a college hockey team. Like a different romance series, each season will focus on a different couple鈥檚 story.
We begin 鈥淥ff Campus鈥� with the story of team captain Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells, played by Belmont Cameli and Ella Bright. After an embarrassing encounter 鈥� Wells, working as a janitor, stumbles upon Graham naked in the locker room 鈥� the two make an arrangement. They will pretend to date, to make the guy Wells is really interested in jealous, and in turn she will tutor Graham in a class he’s having trouble with. Their deal soon leads to something more.
Room for more than one 鈥榟ockey show鈥� on TV
鈥淥ff Campus鈥� began production about a year ago, before 鈥淗eated Rivalry鈥� 鈥� the phenomenon about gay pro hockey players, 鈥� made its HBO debut. There will inevitably be comparisons between the two shows. But the actors in 鈥淥ff Campus鈥� say there is room for more than one hockey series.
鈥淭here鈥檚 new shows and movies about American football all the time. Nobody鈥檚 like, Oh great, here comes another 鈥楻emember the Titans,鈥欌�� Cameli said. 鈥溾�楬eated Rivalry鈥� had a ton of success and it deserved it and those guys are great. I鈥檓 thrilled for them.鈥�
鈥淥ff Campus鈥� creator and showrunner Louisa Levy is impressed that 鈥淗eated Rivalry鈥� is breaking barriers with its storytelling.
鈥淣ot only is it another hockey show, it鈥檚 a queer hockey show, which is amazing. And it鈥檚 also very different from our show,鈥� Levy said. 鈥淥ur show is in college. Our show follows a group of friends. It鈥檚 a different kind of romance.鈥�
The success of the Canadian-made 鈥淗eated Rivalry鈥� is also a source of pride for another 鈥淥ff Campus鈥� actor, Stephen Kalyn.
鈥淪eeing another Canadian creator make such a very popular and hit show, it鈥檚 really inspiring, honestly,鈥� said Kalyn, who plays Dean Di Laurentis. 鈥淚鈥檓 just proud. I鈥檓 a proud Canadian.鈥�
Honing their hockey skills
鈥淥ff Campus鈥� mostly follows its hockey players’ lives off the ice. Still, they wanted to make the action look realistic.
鈥淲e did ask all the guys to put themselves on tape skating to make sure that they could at least stand on ice before we shot, because it is important. We want it to feel organic,鈥� Levy said. 鈥淭here are certain things that you can cut around and certain things that are a little bit harder.鈥�
Before filming, the actors were put through a two-week hockey boot camp to get comfortable on skates and the ice. A former hockey pro, Dave Tomlinson, was brought in to help them learn the basics.
鈥淲e did a lot of the close-ups as we鈥檙e skating,鈥� said Jalen Thomas Brooks, who plays John Tucker. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no like, pretending to skate. We鈥檙e all on skates moving, actually striding. But when it comes to the big, big sequences, those are sometimes stunt doubles.鈥�
Kalyn has actual hockey experience and could perform more of his own moves on camera.
鈥淚 grew up playing hockey my whole life, so it鈥檚 such a treat to be able to play hockey and act 鈥� the two things that I love,鈥� Kalyn said.
Next up on the ice
Season 2 of 鈥淥ff Campus鈥� begins filming very soon, and will star Cipriano. A video of him surprising India Fowler with the news that she got the part of his love interest, Grace Ivers, was recently released online.
While Cipriano is 鈥渆xcited for Logan to meet Grace at some point,鈥� he’s focused on celebrating the release of Season 1.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need to think about the future right now,鈥� he said.
Cameli is looking forward to his co-stars getting their own major storylines.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e all really prepared for whenever their turn is up next,鈥� Cameli said. 鈥淚 love these guys. I mean, they鈥檙e are all like so talented and skilled and sweet, and they are just really great people. You know, do they ask me for advice all the time about everything? Yes. Am I giving them brilliant nuggets constantly? Absolutely.鈥�
Unlike 鈥淏ridgerton,鈥� where the couple du jour only pops up here and there on the show after their season has played out, Cameli and Bright say they’re sticking around.
鈥淲e’re not going anywhere,鈥� promised Bright. 鈥淚鈥檓 just excited to see Hannah and Garrett in their relationship and what challenges that they might overcome being together.鈥�
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