Watch: Heated Rivalry's Hudson Williams Details Receiving Messages From Closeted Pro Athletes After Show's ReleaseHudson Williams has been scoring some meaningful private messages. In fact, the Heated Rivalry actor, who plays closeted gay hockey star Shane Hollander opposite Connor Storie (Ilya Rozanov) on the Crave/HBO Max show, revealed that he has received multiple DMs from closeted LGBTQ+ athletes who appreciate the show. "The people who reach out, somewhat anonymously, who are like, 'I'm a professional player still, and I'm still in the closet,'" Hudson said in a Jan. 7 clip from his appearance on Andy Cohen's SiriusXM show Radio Andy. "They're [also] reaching out to Rachel [Reid], our author, who will then kind of relay these lovely anonymous emails." The 24-year-old added of the hockey, football and basketball players he's heard from, "Sometimes they're just reaching out privately through Instagram, and those ones are the ones that really just kind of hit you and go, 'Oh, so this is a fun show, and it's celebratory, but also sometimes it's just hitting people right in the nerve.'" But gratitude isn't the only emotion Hudson has felt in the six weeks since the show premiered for U.S. audiences on HBO Max. Indeed, he's fully aware that his viral popularity is "crazy." readHow Heated Rivalry's Connor Storrie Perfected Ilya Rozanov's Russian Accent "It definitely feels like an overnight rapid success," he said during an appearance on CNN News Central Jan. 7. "There was kind of a sprinkle of like, 'Oh, maybe it'll do well, or maybe it'll sell overseas.' And the level of the stratosphere it's reached is-it's a little overwhelming." And the Canada native-who bares nearly all during Heated Rivalry's NSFW scenes-admitted that his lack of privacy now "feels weird" and has required him to set some boundaries, adding, "The relationship with the fans is like, you know, you have to kind of draw the line at points." Ultimately, however, Hudson-who identifies as half-Korean, half-white-is simply honored that the show's success means better representation. Rob Latour/Shutterstock for The Actor Awards"I hope that little Asian kids are like, 'Ooh, I want to become an actor,'" he told GQ last month, before quipping about the idea of being a role model. "A role model for the next Asian kid that wants to get railed." While waiting for Heated Rivalry's second season, keep reading to see other TV shows that premiere soon. MTV/Paramount NetworksRuPaul's Drag Race (MTV) - Jan. 2This season, 14 sickening new queens enter the Werk Room to compete for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar," an official makeup collaboration with Anastasia Beverly Hills Cosmetics and a cash prize of $200,000 courtesy of the popular video game RuPaul's Drag Race Match Queen.
OxygenSnapped (Oxygen) - Jan. 4Season 36 of Oxygen's true crime series debuts Jan. 4.
Disney/Raymond LiuThe Rookie (ABC) - Jan. 6Nathan Fillion returns for season eight of the procedural.
Disney/Nino MuñozWill Trent (ABC) - Jan. 6Ramón Rodríguez and team return to solve more cases on season four.TLC/Warner Bros. Discovery1000-Lb Sisters (TLC) - Jan. 6Amy is deep in wedding-planning mode as she prepares to marry Brian in a Halloween celebration that promises to be anything but ordinary. From haunting details to a lively bachelorette bash in New Orleans, Amy is pulling out all the spooky stops to make her big day unforgettable. Tammy is embracing a life-altering new chapter of her own. Following her transformative skin-removal surgery, she's officially 'adulting' - taking on a volunteer position at an animal shelter, and more responsibilities than ever at nearly 40. She's also planning to move in with her girlfriend, Andrea, and their relationship takes center stage as Tammy steps into greater independence and new opportunities. Nevertheless, while love is in the air, tensions between the sisters are boiling over like never before. Family dynamics, envy, and personal growth collide, bringing the drama, heart, and humor that define 1000-Lb Sisters.PBS/YouTubeFinding Your Roots (PBS) - Jan. 6Twenty new celebrity guests will sit down with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to learn about their genealogical history and the journeys of their ancestors dating back hundreds of years when season 12 premieres.FOXBest Medicine (Fox) - Jan. 6The series centers on Dr. Martin Best (Josh Charles), a brilliant surgeon who abruptly leaves his illustrious career in Boston to become the general practitioner in a quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent summers as a child. Unfortunately, Martin's blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, and he quickly alienates the town, even though he's all they've got. Although Martin can expertly address any medical ailment or mystery in this idiosyncratic town, he's really just desperate to be left the hell alone. Instead, he keeps getting dragged right smack into the middle of their personal chaos, feuds and fant