Tag: heels

‘Heels’ canceled by Starz after two seasons

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Heels is not moving forward with a third season.

Variety reported on Monday that Starz has canceled Heels after two seasons. The show’s series finale aired on September 15.

The show had centered around Jack Spade (Stephen Amell) inheriting a local independent wrestling league from his father as he attempts to keep the company afloat. The cast also featured Alexander Ludwig as Ace Spade, Jack’s younger brother, and Aliison Luff as Staci Spade, Jack’s wife.

Ratings for the show had fallen in its second season, opening with a 0.046 on July 28 and ending with a 0.040.

CM Punk also had a part on the show as recurring character Ricky Rabies. Former pro wrestler AJ Lee, Punk’s wife, also made an appearance during the second season.

According to Variety’s report, other shows canceled by the network include ‘Run the World’, ‘Blindspotting’, and ‘The Venery of Samantha Bird’. Another pro wrestling-themed show, Young Rock, was canceled after three seasons earlier this year by NBC. That show focused on different time periods of The Rock’s life, interacting with various pro wrestling stars and celebrities.

CM Punk, AJ Mendez appear in Heels season 2 trailer

Posted on by Ian Carey

A trailer for the upcoming season of Heels has been released. 

The second season of the show premieres July 28 on the STARZ app. Punk is set to reprise his role as Ricky Rabies and AJ Mendez will debut on the show playing Elle Dorado. Both were shown in the season two trailer helping to train the character of Crystal Tyler played by Kelli Berglund

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvrF5CS_QnI

Season two begins after a spectacular showing at the South Georgia State Fair, and the Duffy Wrestling League’s popularity is suddenly on the upswing. Hoping to seize the opportunity, Jack and his cohorts prepare for a possible business deal with a new streaming service that may propel them onto a national stage. But the past and its tragedies threaten to upset everything when Ace leaves Duffy and the Dome in his rearview, meanwhile rival promotion Florida Wrestling Dystopia’s vengeful frontman Gully comes calling,” reads a description of the show. 

The first season of the show aired from August to October 2021 and consisted of eight episodes. It has a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Stephen Amell will reprise his role as Jack Spade while Alexander Ludwig returns as his brother, Ace. Other roles include Alison Luff as Staci Spade, Mary McCormick as Willie, Allen Maldonado as Rooster, Robby Ramos as Diego Cottonmouth, Trey Trucker as Bobby Pin, Mike O’Malley as Charlie, Roxton Garcia as Thomas Spade, David James Ellito as Tom Spade and Alice Barrett Mitchell as Carol Spade. 

CM Punk, AJ Mendez set for Heels season two

Posted on by Ian Carey

CM Punk and AJ Mendez are both set to appear in season two of Heels. 

Starz announced on Friday that the show’s second season will begin airing on Friday, July 28. Punk is listed to return as Ricky Rabies and his wife, AJ Mendez is set to debut on the show in the role of Elle Dorado.

Series creator Michael Waldron told TV Line in 2021 that the evolution of Kelli Berglund’s character (Crystal Tyler) in season one opens the door for women’s wrestling to be featured more in season two. 

“You can argue that some of the best matches and storylines [in wrestling] are happening in the women’s division. There’s that same opportunity for growth and expansion within the DWL, so it’s going to be interesting to see what Jack does with them,” Waldron said. “Kelli Berglund is obviously incredible, and what it would be like to bring in some rivals for her could be a lot of fun.”  

Mendez’s credits on IMDB already include 2019’s Rabid and The Madden 16 mini-series in 2015. She received her first writing credit in 2022 for her work on Blade of the 47 Ronin along with John Swetnam, and her longtime writing partner, Aimee Garcia. 

Mendez and Garcia run Scrappy Heart Productions, which has produced a comic book based on the Netflix series GLOW, A Dungeons and Dragons comic book, and the upcoming Eastside Saints comic.  

Season one of Heels consisted of eight episodes and aired from August to October 2021. It holds a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

AEW’s CM Punk set for season two of Starz’s ‘Heels’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

CM Punk is returning to Starz’s Heels for season two of the series.

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Punk will be part of the filming for season two of Heels. Punk appeared in two season one episodes as his character “Ricky Rabies.”

“CM Punk will be part of the filming of the second season of the TV show ‘Heels’ on Starz,” Meltzer wrote. “Filming is over the next several weeks. That may be why he wasn’t on either show [AEW Dynamite or Rampage] taped in San Antonio this week.”

Heels, which stars Stephen Amell, premiered on Starz in August of last year. It was announced last November that the show had been renewed for a second season, with production set to begin in 2022.

The first season consisted of eight hour-long episodes.

Here’s the description for Heels:

Two brothers and rivals — one a villain, or ‘heel,’ in the ring; the other a hero, or ‘face’ — war over their late father’s wrestling promotion, vying for national attention in small-town Georgia.

Punk hasn’t appeared in person on AEW television since Revolution. At the March 6 pay-per-view, Punk defeated MJF in a dog collar match.

Starz renews ‘Heels’ for a second season

Posted on by Skylar Russell

Following the first season’s conclusion in October, popular pro wrestling-based drama Heels has been renewed for a second season by Starz.

Production will begin in 2022, but a start date for the second season wasn’t announced.

Stephen Amell, the show’s main character, is set to reprise his role as Jack Spade. It’s unknown if CM Punk (Ricky Rabies) will also return to the show.

According to Deadline, Trey Tucker (Bobby Pin) and Robby Ramos (Diego Cottonmouth) will become series regulars while producer and showrunner Mike O’Malley will return and will also be reprising his role as the series’ main antagonist, Charlie Gully.

Amell tweeted, “I want my belt back.” along with a GIF of the season two announcement, seen below:

Starz president and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch told Deadline that he is excited to get the next season underway.

“It’s clear from the critical and fan acclaim that the stories and characters from the Duffy Wrestling League have made a connection with audiences bringing a community that is not often found to premium TV, I’m excited for our amazing cast and executive producers to get back into the ring together for a second season,” he said.

I want my belt back. pic.twitter.com/T9KqoJgEmJ

— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) November 3, 2021

VIDEO: Starz reveals trailer for pro wrestling drama ‘Heels’

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A new trailer has been revealed for Starz’s upcoming pro wrestling drama Heels.

The show, which stars Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig, will premiere on August 15 at 9 pm ET across all Starz platforms. The story focuses on a family-owned Georgia wrestling promotion that is run by feuding brothers, played by Amell and Ludwig. In the trailer, they are seen feuding both in the ring as a babyface (Ludwig) and a heel (Amell) as well as outside the ring. The trailer can be seen below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKFfSSXavYc

The series also stars Alison Luff, Mary McCormack, Kelli Berglund, Chris Bauer, Allen Maldanado, and James Harrison. The show is written by Michael Waldron, with Mike O’Malley serving as showrunner.

Amell, most recognized as playing the Green Arrow for eight seasons on the CW show of the same name, has taken part in pro wrestling matches in the past. At SummerSlam 2015, he teamed with Neville (PAC) to defeat Stardust (Cody Rhodes) and Wade Barrett. In Ring of Honor, he teamed with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks to defeat Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky, and Flip Gordon at Survival of the Fittest 2017. At All In a year later, he lost to Christopher Daniels in a singles match.

Starz announces premiere date for pro wrestling drama ‘Heels’

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Starz has announced the premiere date for their upcoming wrestling drama series Heels.

The television network announced that the series will premiere on August 15 at 9 pm ET. A trailer has been released, which can be seen below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l05pR_4wUKw

The show stars Stephen Amell (Green Arrow) and Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games, Vikings) as brothers who battle over their late father’s wrestling promotion in a small town in Georgia. CM Punk is also part of the cast as Ricky Rabies, a wrestler. 

Amell has taken part in matches for WWE, ROH, and for what would eventually become AEW. At SummerSlam 2015, he teamed with Neville (PAC) to defeat Stardust (Cody Rhodes) and Wade Barrett. In Ring of Honor, he teamed with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks to defeat Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky, and Flip Gordon at Survival of the Fittest 2017. At All In a year later, he lost to Christopher Daniels in a singles match.

Heels will be produced under Paramount Television, Lionsgate Television, and LBI Entertainment.

CM Punk to appear in Starz pro wrestling drama series ‘Heels’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Image: Stephen Amell

CM Punk will be playing a part in Starz’s scripted pro wrestling drama series “Heels.”

On social media today, “Heels” star Stephen Amell posted a picture of him and Punk in a wrestling ring and wrote: “Please welcome @CMPunk to @HeelsSTARZ — He was a little rusty in the ring yesterday, but I assured him it was just like riding a bike.”

Punk had noted earlier this month that he was quarantining as a mandatory safety procedure for a job.

PWInsider reported that they were told that Punk “will return to the ring as an adversary of” Amell on “Heels” and that the word is Punk’s character could be a recurring one.

“Heels” is “about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals, Jack (Amell) and Ace (Alexander Ludwig) Spade, war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy (Ludwig) and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel (Amell). But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.”

Amell formerly starred in The CW’s “Arrow.” He’s also had three pro wrestling matches, facing Christopher Daniels at All In in 2018, teaming with Bullet Club for ROH in 2017, and teaming with Neville against Stardust & Wade Barrett at WWE SummerSlam 2015. Amell was part of Cody Rhodes’ entourage accompanying him to the ring at AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view in February 2020.

When “Heels” will be premiering hasn’t been announced. The show was given an eight-episode order by Starz.

Stephen Amell to star in pro wrestling drama series ‘Heels’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Stephen Amell’s next acting role will be professional wrestling themed.

Deadline first reported today that Amell will star in the pro wrestling drama series “Heels.” The show will air on Starz and has been given an eight-episode order. Each episode will be an hour long.

Deadline notes that the show “is about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals — one of them played by Amell — war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel (Amell). But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.”

Amell plays Jack Spade on the show. The character is described as “the charismatic villain, or heel, of the Duffy Wrestling Association (DWA). In the real world, he’s its hard-working owner, a husband and father trying to make ends meet while fighting to realize his impossible dreams. He has the mind of an artist in the body of a warrior, and a Steve Jobs-ian need for perfection — and for control. He says he’ll do whatever it takes to build the DWA into an empire. Will he go so far as to risk his marriage, or his relationship with his brother?”

Mike O’Malley is the showrunner of “Heels.” It’s being written by Michael Waldron.

Amell tweeted to Cody Rhodes about the series: “Hey @CodyRhodes — wanna come and help me make a tv show?”

Cody then responded: “Congratulations!..and yea, of course”

Amell currently stars in “Arrow.” Its final season will premiere on October 15.

Amell made his in-ring debut by teaming with Neville against Cody (as Stardust) & Wade Barrett at SummerSlam 2015. Amell, Cody, The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega faced Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky & Flip Gordon at an ROH show in 2017.

At All In last September, Amell had his first singles match. He faced Daniels at the event.