History Series / Heels

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: The show claims that UsefulNotes/{{Ted Turner}}'s decision to put Wrestling/{{WCW}} on TBS as the first time wrestling was ever broadcast nationwide. In fact TBS had been broadcasting the predecessors to WCW such as Jim Crockett Promotions and GCW for years prior to this; not to mention [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} WWF's]] national expansion years earlier. It also implies that Turner did not see wrestling as a big deal as he repeatedly skips meetings with Tom Spade, when in fact Turner was a huge wrestling fan and kept JCP[=/=]GCW[=/=]WCW on his network for years when it was not profitable and there was immense pressure within the company to cut them. There was also no consideration ever given to grantng the broadcasting deal to a small town indie rather than the second-biggest promotion in America.

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: It's revealed in the Season 2 premiere that Ace's first match was against Jack in the main event of a Tom Spade memorial event. For a rookie in that kind of position, even if it was intended to be DWL's final ever show, the priority would have been to hide Ace's limitations, most likely in a tag match partnered with Jack against two veterans who could carry him.

In November 2021, the show was renewed for a second season, which premiered on July 28, 2023. In September 2023, 10 days after the second season finale, the show was cancelled; in response, executive producer and showrunner Mike O'Malley publicly expressed interest in finding a new network for the show's third season, stating, "We did not intend, nor do we intend, for [the season 2 finale] to be the last episode of the show."

In November 2021, the show was renewed for a second season, which premiered on July 28, 2023. In September 2023, the show was cancelled 10 days after the second season finale; in response, executive producer and showrunner Mike O'Malley publicly expressed interest in finding a new network for the show's third season, stating, "We did not intend, nor do we intend, for [the season 2 finale] to be the last episode of the show."

Creator/StephenAmell and Creator/AlexanderLudwig star as Jack and Ace Spade, two brothers who wrestle for the DWL, respectively playing {{heel}} and {{face}} wrestlers. In addition to wrestling, Jack is also the owner of the DWL, and is struggling to keep the promotion afloat amid stiff competition from larger and edgier wrestling groups, and keep control of his wrestlers.

Creator/StephenAmell and Creator/AlexanderLudwig star as Jack and Ace Spade, two brothers who wrestle for the DWL, respectively playing {{heel}} and {{face}} wrestlers. In addition to wrestling, Jack is the owner of the DWL, and is struggling to keep the promotion afloat amid stiff competition from larger and edgier wrestling groups, and keep control of his wrestlers.

[[caption-width-right:262:Heels promotional poster from Starz]]

Airing on Creator/{{Starz}}, ''Heels'' is a fictional look into the world of {{Professional Wrestling}} that stars Creator/StephenAmell and Creator/AlexanderLudwig as brothers Jack and Ace Spade.

In addition to wrestling, Jack Spade is struggling to keep the Duffy Wrestling League afloat. Facing stiff competition from larger and edgier wrestling groups, Jack struggles to keep control of the wrestlers, finances, and his family.

Jack's wife, Staci, struggles with the impression of pro wrestling, Jack's priorities, and raising their son, Thomas.
The Spade family is rounded out by Carol Spade and her late husband, Tom "King" Spade.

Other members of the Duffy Wrestling league include rookie Bobby Pin and veterans Rooster Robbins, Apocalypse, Diego Cottonmouth, and Big Jim Kitchens. Crystal Tyler (Creator/KelliBerglund) is Ace's valet who wants to be a wrestler herself. Willie Day (Creator/MaryMcCormack) is Jack's business partner, an experienced wrestling promoter.

"Wild" Bill Hancock (Creator/ChrisBauer) is a self-destructive big-league wrestler with roots in Duffy and a past with the Spades and Willie Day. Phil Brooks (Wrestling/CMPunk) portrays Ricky Rabies, an aging wrestler brought in on occasion.

The show was renewed for another season in November 2021. Season 2 started on July 28th, 2023.

* CareerEndingInjury: Bobby Pin's broken leg turns out to be more severe than it initially appeared, and require surgery. Although it's not explicitly said that his career is over, it's pretty clear he's not going back to the ring any time soon and he get's moved into a colour commentator position instead.

* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: It's revealed in the premiere of Season 2 that Ace's first match was against Jack in the main event of a memorial event for Tom Spade. For a rookie in that kind of position, even if it was intended to be DWL's final ever show, the priority would have been to hide Ace's limitations, most likely in a tag match partnered with Jack against two veterans who could carry him.

* CelebrityParadox: InUniverse WWE does exist as they have referenced the company which causes this trope as Wrestling/CMPunk who was a major name for WWE as one of their top guys during the early 2010's, plays Ricky Rabies.
** Likewise in one episode Jack talks about how he once tagged Wrestling/DwayneJohnson in a tweet in order to get his attention. A few episodes later Jack goes on a wrestling podcast where the podcaster is played by Wrestling/MickFoley who famously feuded with The Rock in the 90s and was even the first person The Rock won the title from. For that matter The Rock had at one point had two pay per view matches against CM Punk.

** Wild Bill is getting old and his body can barely handle the abuse it sustains in the ring. He should retire but he really knows nothing else and still hopes that he can be a star again. This is lampshaded when he meets some old wrestling buddies of his and they have all been retired for years.
* LegacyCharacter: Wild Bill's valet [[PlayboyBunny Bunny]] [[MsFanservice Bombshell]] was played by a string of strippers. Crystal becomes the latest incarnation.
* NeverTrustATrailer: The trailer for the series shows a sequence where Ace and Jack are standing calmly next to each other, then the camera rotates to show they are at the curtain and they suddenly grab each other by the throat. The implication is that this is a worked confrontation for the fans. However, in the actual episode it is revealed to be a real confrontation between them when Ace says the wrong thing.

* NightmareSequence: Ace has a truly horrific one in the season 2 episode "Discord" involving [[spoiler:Crystal, Bobbi taking revenge for breaking his leg, and Tom Spade]]

* PottyEmergency: Jack and Ace end their performance by disappearing in a cloud of smoke. They are actually hiding under the ring. Then Jack realizes that he has to pee really badly but he cannot leave the hiding place until all the spectators have left the arena. Ace suggests that Jack just pee in his pants. We never find out if Jack was able to hold on.

* StylisticSuck: A flashback shows Bill playing an angel in a low-budget Christian movie based on a trashy romance novel. In the grand tradition of wrestlers not named Johnson or Cena appearing in movies, it's awful.

* CelebrityParadox: InUniverse WWE does exist as they have referenced the company which causes this trope as Wrestling/CMPunk who was a major name for WWE as one of their top guys during the early 2010's plays Ricky Rabies.

* TheResenter: Willie is pretty hostile to Crystal and her attempts to be more than a valet. It's eventually revealed that Willie was once very much like Crystal as Wild Bill and later Tom Spade's valet who aspired to be a wrestler. Tom promised Willie that he would let her wrestle but never did, and when she got too old to valet and moved into a backstage role, neither he or Jack would take any creative input from her. As such she's jealous of Crystal getting opportunities she didn't and passive-aggressively refuses to help her recruit female wrestlers for DWL's effectively non-existent women's division. Eventually Gullis offers Willie a golden ticket to join FWD as Crystal's onscreen manager, but Willie knows she can't coax Crystal away from DWL, which only deepens her resetnment.

* DarkerAndEdgier: InUniverse, when Ace returns to DWL he adopts a new gimmick as a black-clad [[TheAtoner Atoner]] AntiHero called "The Condamned".

* TookALevelInKindness: After a humbling road trip, Ace decides its finally time to grow up. He gets a job in a nursing home and starts making a real effort to treat people better and think before he acts.