Independent Wrestling Drama ‘Heels’ Sets Series Debut Date On Starz

The independent wrestling world is the setting for the new Starz original drama series Heels, which released its official trailer and key art today.

The series premieres on Sunday, August 15 across all Starz platforms, including at 9 PM ET/PT on Starz in the US and Canada. It will air day and date internationally on the StarzPlay premium streaming platform across its complete footprint in Europe, Latin America, and Japan.

Written and created by EP Michael Waldron (Loki, the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) with EP Mike O’Malley (Shameless, Survivor’s Remorse) as showrunner, Heels stars Stephen Amell (Arrow) as Jack Spade, with Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games, Vikings) playing his younger brother, Ace. Peter Segal (Get Smart, 50 First Dates, Tommy Boy, Shameless), who directs several episodes, also serves as EP.

Heels is a story 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 war over their late father’s legacy.

In the ring, somebody must play the good guy and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel. But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.

The drama series also stars Alison Luff as Staci Spade, Jack’s wife who learns that she has to contend with the emotional stakes her in-laws have invested in their wrestling goals and the demands it puts on her family; Mary McCormack as Willie Day, Jack’s business partner and the logistical brains behind the local wrestling organization; Kelli Berglund as Crystal Tyler, Ace’s valet and love interest; Allen Maldonado as Rooster Robbins, one of the best wrestlers in the circuit who always has something to prove and always backs it up; two-time Super Bowl champion James Harrison as Apocalypse, a been-around-the-block journeyman wrestler who’s been at it for decades and has no illusions of fame or glory; and Chris Bauer as Wild Bill Hancock, a larger-than-life former wrestling star who is now a high-level pro wrestling scout.

Along with Waldron, O’Malley and Segal, LBI Entertainment’s Julie Yorn (Hell or High Water, White Boy Rick, The Dirt), Chris Donnelly, and Patrick Walmsley will also serve as EPs. Heels is produced by Lionsgate TV for Starz in association with Paramount Television Studios.

Senior VP of Original Programming Samantha Offsay Nissen and Director of Original Programming Alex Alberts are the executives overseeing Heels on behalf of Starz. Director of Original Programming Jade-Addon Hall is the executive overseeing Heels on behalf of Lionsgate.