Jacob Tierney on Heated Rivalry and Writing Queer Survival | It’s Open with Ilana Glazer

This week on It’s Open, Ilana sits down with Jacob Tierney. Best known as the writer and director of Heated Rivalry— the TV adaptation of Rachel Reid’s hockey romance that positively rocked the culture in 2025— Jacob is a staple in Canadian television. He created the beloved series Letterkenny and its spin off Shorsey, and now Jacob discusses his personal career journey from Canadian child-actor through his teenage years, against the dark backdrop of Miramax in the 90s, to the present, where his professional prowess and creative energy is impacting the culture. He and Ilana discuss writing queer stories in the industry today, the yearning of a weekly release, and his submitting to the connectivity of the universe. Enjoying It’s Open with Ilana Glazer? The best way to support the pod is also the easiest: Subscribe! It tells the platforms what we’re doing, which helps us grow, and ensures you never miss an episode. Loving it? Leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Thank you for being a part of our community. Host: Ilana Glazer Producers: David Rooklin, Annika Carlson, Madeline Kim, Kelsie Kiley, Glennis Meagher Video Producers: Lexa Krebs, Louise Nessralla Audio Producers: Nicole Maupin, Rachel Suffian, Rebecca O’Neill Lighting Director: Kevin Deming Editor: Tovah Leibowitz Graphics: Raymo Ventura Outro Music: Don Hur All Things It’s Open: linktr.ee/itsopenpod Instagram:   / itsopenpod   YouTube:    / @itsopenpod