'Slo Pitch' returns to Crave as a half-hour comedy, premiering September 25

The Toronto web series "Slo Pitch" is returning to screens this week as a half-hour comedy on Crave, backed by PageBoy (Elliot Page's production company) and the Canadian streamer.

The original show premiered in 2020 as a micro-budget queer comedy about a beer-league softball team drowning in off-field drama. Co-created by Karen Knox, Gwenlyn Cumyn, and J Stevens—who drew inspiration from his own amateur sports experiences—it ran for two seasons before its creators reluctantly moved on. Crave and PageBoy resurrected the project in 2025, transforming it into a full half-hour format.

Knox, who co-created the series and stars as Boris, a German beer-hound, pushes back against early comparisons to "Heated Rivalry." "There are two commonalities: it is a sports show, and it is a queer show—but that's it," she said. "There are no sexy hotel-room scenes in Slo Pitch. The best you're going to get is a sloppy makeout in a mildewy equipment shed or sex in a Cadillac parked behind a Mississauga Taco Bell."

The show channels the spirit of "Animal House" and "Superbad" rather than prestige sports drama. As co-creator Gwenlyn put it: "Slo Pitch isn't sexy, but it's very horny."

Cast crossover with "Heated Rivalry" signals Crave's building "television cinematic universe." Nadine Bhabha, who stands out as Elena on "Heated Rivalry," also appears in "Slo Pitch" and wrote several episodes. Emily Hampshire, who plays "Slo Pitch's" main villain, is joining "Heated Rivalry" for season two.

Knox notes that beer-league softball is deeply woven into Toronto's queer community. "You cannot show up at a park in the summertime in the GTA without running into a queer beer league," she said. "Pretty much everybody in my community is either playing on a team or has dated somebody who's played on a team."

"Slo Pitch" premieres on Crave September 25.