‘The Golden Mean’ Series at Netflix Taps ‘Heated Rivalry’ Creator

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Following the success of his previous series, Heated Rivalry, Jacob Tierney is creating a new show for Netflix set in Ancient Greece. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Netflix has ordered a full series of Alexander, which is based on Annabel Lyon’s 2009 novel, The Golden Mean. The show will focus on the connection between Alexander the Great and his teacher, Aristotle. The series is described as:

The powerful Athenian empire is falling apart just as Aristotle, one of history’s most brilliant thinkers, begins teaching Alexander, a passionate but unpredictable prince, in Macedonia. Their unexpected bond develops against a backdrop of palace secrets, dangerous romance, fierce battles, and relentless power grabs, ultimately forging an empire and changing the world forever.

Tierney will be the writer and director of the series, and will also serve as an executive producer alongside Brendan Brady, who previously worked on Heated Rivalry. Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan’s production company, Aggregate Films, is joining as another executive producer. Tierney shared a statement about the series and its partnership with Netflix and Aggregate.

I first discovered Annabel Lyon’s novel, The Golden Mean, a long time ago, and I’ve wanted to adapt it into a series ever since. Brendan and I are thrilled to be working with Aggregate and Netflix to finally bring this captivating story to the screen.

The ‘Heated Rivalry’ Impact


Crave/Warner Bros.

Jacob Tierney is the co-creator of the popular comedy series Letterkenny and was an executive producer on its spin-off, Shoresy. His most recent show, Heated Rivalry, quickly became a global hit after launching in November 2025. Fans are eagerly awaiting Season 2, which is currently being written and scheduled to begin filming in August 2026. The new season will be based on The Long Game, the sixth book in the Game Changers series, and will continue the story of Shane Hollander and Illya Rozanov. Heated Rivalry Season 2 is projected to premiere in April 2027.

Given the success of HBO’s Heated Rivalry, it’s no surprise Netflix is pursuing a similar project and has given creator Tierney significant funding to do so. This new series, set in Ancient Greece, will cost more to produce than Heated Rivalry, but Netflix is willing to invest if it can attract a comparable audience. This announcement comes shortly after Netflix decided not to acquire Warner Bros., following a new offer from Paramount Skydance. If Netflix had acquired Warner Bros., it would have also gained access to the international streaming rights for Heated Rivalry (excluding Canada).

The new series isn’t connected to the 2004 film Alexander starring Colin Farrell. This is the second major production about Alexander the Great that Netflix has released in the last five years, following the 2024 docudrama Alexander: Making of a God. Both the earlier film and the docudrama faced criticism from some viewers for portraying Alexander the Great in a same-sex relationship. This same issue is likely to arise with the new series, but the popularity of Heated Rivalry suggests that controversy won’t significantly impact its success.

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After Netflix appointed Alexander as head of U.S. and Canada scripted series, Jinny Howe commented on the company’s agreement with Tiereny.

Jacob Tierney is a highly sought-after and talented creator, and we’re excited to be collaborating with him on Alexander. We were immediately impressed by his take on Annabel Lyon’s popular novel. The series offers a fresh, energetic, and both grand and personal look at the classic relationship between a teacher and their student. We believe this intense drama will connect with viewers around the world, and we’re eager to produce it alongside Jason Bateman and the team at Aggregate Films.

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2026-03-05 23:48