Nearly 20 per cent of my first day back in the office was spent trying to remember my password. For the other 80 per cent, I was caught up in conversations with colleagues about the gay hockey TV series Heated Rivalry.

The graphic lust and love story of two players from opposing teams crossing more than hockey sticks has, in six episodes streaming on HBO Max, become the kind of viral hit that took The White Lotus two seasons and greater star power to achieve.

After a lifetime making do with the chaste Will & Grace and indie shows such as Looking and Josh Thomas’ Please Like Me on television, here is a gay male love story with the promise of a Hollywood happy ending, no Grace required.

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams from ‘Heated Rivalry’ presenting at the Golden Globes awards.Credit: CBS via Getty Images

In Heated Rivalry, the threat of violence, like in Brokeback Mountain, and the looming spectre of AIDS found in Fellow Travelers is replaced by an unapologetic love story, a banging soundtrack and enthusiastic physicality.

It’s understandable that most of my gay male friends are invested in this rare, sweat-soaked romance from Canada, but my straight female colleagues are demonstrating levels of obsession usually reserved for Taylor Swift songs.

One female colleague has........

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