Ring the bell! It's time to watch Heels, and check out the latest prestige TV show to take on the world of pro wrestling. And it's coming from Michael Waldron, who was behind Marvel's Loki show.
So, if you've got a G.L.O.W.-shaped hole in your heart and mind, it looks like Heels may fill it.
Heels episode 1 will broadcast today (Sunday, August 15) at 9 p.m. ET. Further episodes will air at the same time on the subsequent weeks.
It's on Starz.
But first things first, let's get some nomenclature out of the way. A "heel," you see, is the villain. You could call The Joker and Bane heels, if you so chose. The good guy fighting that heel? That's called a "face" or "babyface." And the first episode of Heels is titled "Kayfabe," which is the term of the reality of the industry.
And in the first trailer for Heels, we see that some people are having a hard time telling the difference between real life and kayfabe. From the looks of it, Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig) believes that fans are cheering for him, but his brother Jack Spade (Stephen Amell, who has wrestled before in real life) created his brother's character and believes he owns that.
This is just one of the many dramas in small-town Duffy, Georgia, where the Duffy Wrestling League is a local promotion that fans go to to cheer and boo their lungs out. DWL was built by thier father, and Jack Spade is lost in the drama of it all.
Questions inherent in the trailer include "can DWL fill the pockets of these squared-circle warriors?" and "will Ace wind up leaving the family business for bigger and brighter pastures.
Wrestling fans may remember Stephen Amell as a fan of the industry who got in the ring, from his one-match appearance in WWE, and his matches at ALL IN (aka All Elite Wrestling pre-Dynamite) and Ring Of Honor.
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Heels will also feature former WWE Champion CM Punk, who is rumored to appear back in the ring soon for WWE rival All Elite Wrestling, playing a character called Ricky Rabies. Other industry legends, such as Mick Foley (fka Mankind) will appear in the series.
Here's everything to know about how to watch Heels, check out the series trailer:
How to watch Heels anywhere, with a VPN
Just because Starz isn't available everywhere doesn't mean you need to miss Heels. Watching along with the rest of the internet can be pretty easy. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from wherever you go.
We've evaluated many options, and the best VPN is ExpressVPN. It meets the VPN needs of the vast majority of users, offering outstanding compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds. It's also affordable at $12.95 per month. (Signing up for longer periods of six months or a year reduces the cost even more.)
How to watch Heels in the US
American fans can watch Heels episode 1 at 9 p.m. ET today (Sunday, August 15) on Starz.
If you've already cut the cord, you can watch Heels S01E01 online via Amazon Channels, where Starz is an ad-on. You can also subscribe to Starz through your streaming or cable provider, or ala carte at Starz.com.
Fubo TV, Hulu With Live TV, YouTube TV and AT&T TV.
Of these options, we recommend FuboTV, one of the best streaming services on the market.
Heels cast
The cast of Heels is headlined by Amell as Jack Spade and Alexander Ludwig as his brother Ace. The rest of the cast that will recur in all 8 episodes is as follows:
- Kelli Berglund as Crystal
- Nigel Crocker as Wild Card McGee
- Roxton Garcia as Thomas Spade
- James Harrison Jr. as Apocalypse
- Melissa LeEllen as Emily
- Alison Luff as Staci Spade
- Mary McCormack as Willie
- Joel Murray as TBA role
- Robby Ramos as Diego Cottonmouth
Additional shorter-term appearances include:
- Chris Bauer as Wild Bill Hancock
- Phil "CM Punk" Brooks as Ricky Rabies
- Mick Foley as a podcaster
