rewrite this title Off Campus TV Review: Prime Video finds their own hockey romance series based on the best-selling romance novels

Plot: A college-set romantic drama chronicling the unexpected love story between a music student and the university’s star hockey player, exploring themes of love and the complexities of adulthood through deep friendships and enduring bonds.

Review: It looks like Heated Rivalry not only created a resurgence in popularity for adaptations of romance novels but especially for hockey-themed ones. On the heels of the hit Canadian series earlier this year, Prime Video is donning skates and entering the rink with its own series, which is gaining as much critical acclaim and fan buzz as the HBO Max drama. Off Campus boasts an up-and-coming cast of young talent who dig into the earnest story of two attractive college students who pretend to fall for each other, only to inevitably develop real feelings. While mining some of the genre’s tropes, Off Campus manages to skirt stereotypes and cliches with a believable story and strong performances.

Off Campus centers on Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), a scholarship student at Briar University who is a talented musician. She has a crush on Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston), a local musician who works at the bar where Hannah bartends, one of her many needed jobs to keep her tuition going. Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) is Briar U’s star hockey player, recently drafted by the Boston Bruins. When Garrett needs a tutor, he turns to Hannah, but she also becomes his fake girlfriend so Graham can appease those around him and focus on hockey. Of course, sparks fly, and the pair begin to really fall for each other. This is the central plot of the first season and gives a solid showcase to both Bright and Cameli, who share a lot of physical chemistry while delivering a believable romance that avoids the pitfalls of countless times this plot has been used on screen.

Where Heated Rivalry kept the material dramatic and, at times, very serious, Off Campus is lighter and more fun. At first, I felt myself trying to pull away from the formula carried over from romance novels, including every possible cliche plot device you could think of, including the nerd and jock falling in love and the multiple cute accidents that force the two together. But Off Campus works by not treating those moments as showcase moments, but as organic parts of the overall story. It also helps that while there is plenty of eye candy for the ladies, the series does not shy away from showcasing lots of full frontal nudity of both sexes. Yeah, there is a workout scene in the first episode set to an AC/DC song, with the male characters exercising and close-ups of their sweaty chests, but these types of moments keep the show’s spirit lively rather than serving as its central focus.

In addition to Bright and Cameli, the cast of Off Campus is populated by well-rounded characters who could easily take over the limelight in subsequent seasons. From Hannah’s best friend, Allie (Mika Abdalla), to Garrett’s teammates, John Logan (Antonio Cipriano) and John Tucker (Jalen Thomas Brooks). The series also digs into more than just sex and romance, though they are what are clearly driving audiences to watch Off Campus. What keeps them tuning in is the realism, including past trauma that both Hannah and Garrett must contend with. Garrett’s father, Phil (Steve Howey), is a former NHL champion who is abusive in his desire for Garrett to reach his level of success as an athlete. Hannah has her own trauma that comes back to haunt her attempts to craft a pop song to support her tuition. Both Garrett and Hannah come together and pull apart as the season progresses, with the emotional fallout equalling the level of heat they generate when things become sexual.

Showrunner Louisa Levy makes sure to invest as much in the realism of the characters from Elle Kennedy’s book series as she does in making Off Campus fun to watch. Romance enthusiasts will appreciate how Off Campus maintains the novels’ thematic feel on screen, while those of us who are not usually fans of the genre will find things to enjoy as well. Because these characters are in college, Off Campus could have turned into another YA soap opera we see often on network television or big screen rom-coms, but directors Silver Tree (The Pitt), Sam Bailey (Ironheart), Erica Dunton (You), and Dawn Wilkinson (The Better Sister), all veteran helmers of marquee dramas, approach the series as a drama rather than a romance. The soundtrack features classic rock and pop hits, with some music performed by Hannah, giving the series a more serious tone than Glee. Overall, the balance is impressive, as Off Campus evokes the hallmarks of the romance genre without being beholden to them.

While you will see moments where this series could have turned into She’s All That or any number of formulaic romantic movies, Off Campus delivers a very watchable and fun show that is not afraid to get naked and have fun with the genre. The solid performances from both Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli, along with the impressive supporting cast, make this a show that couples can watch together without either person reaching for their phone. With far better writing than the genre typically gets, it is no surprise that a second season has already been greenlit. Come for the nudity and stay for the interesting characters who elevate the story beyond ‘guy meets girl.’

Off Campus is now streaming on Prime Video.

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