Some of the most uncomfortable relationship stories start with a simple “what if?” and that exact kind of curiosity helped spark the idea behind Alice & Steve. While speaking with Collider as part of our Summer Preview Event, creator and writer Sophie Goodhart opened up about how a casual conversation with a friend unexpectedly became the foundation for the upcoming series. In addition to our conversation with Goodhart, Collider is thrilled to bring you three new exclusive images from Alice & Steve.

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Goodhart, whose previous work includes episodes of Sex Education and Rivals, explained that she has always gravitated toward intergenerational stories and complicated family dynamics. While discussing dating with a friend, the core premise for Alice & Steve suddenly clicked into place. Goodhart told Collider's Maggie Lovitt:

“I love writing intergenerational stuff. I was actually talking to a friend, a single male friend, and I was talking about how he's dating younger. And then I just sort of was like, ‘Oh my God, imagine if this was to happen, if a friend was to go out with someone’s daughter.’”

According to Goodhart, the idea came together remarkably quickly after that realization. She revealed that she had a general meeting scheduled with producers shortly after the concept first entered her head, eventually pitching the series before much of it had even been written. “It was like, I had the idea about a week before I was having a general meeting,” she said. “And then I pitched the idea in the general, and I hadn't really written anything.”

‘Alice & Steve’ Changed as the Cast Came Together

While the original pitch focused mostly on the central premise, Goodhart explained that the characters themselves evolved significantly once casting began. She specifically pointed to Nicola Walker and Jemaine Clement joining the project as major turning points in shaping how the series ultimately developed. “The original pitch was just really the kind of the premise,” Goodhart said. “Once we'd also attached Nicola quite early, I had her in my head when I was writing, which was so helpful. And then once we got Jermaine, I also could write with him in mind.”

That collaborative evolution became one of the defining parts of the writing process for Goodhart, who described the experience of watching the project fully come together as both surreal and exciting. Alice & Steve also marks the first project where she served as the sole writer, something she described as both nerve-wracking and rewarding. “This is the first thing that I'm the only writer,” Goodhart said. “And that's just been so exciting.”

Goodhart Says ‘Alice & Steve’ Is Entirely Character Driven

One of the most interesting details Goodhart shared about the series involved her approach to writing the characters themselves. Rather than building the show primarily around plot mechanics, she explained that the emotional perspective of each character guided the structure of the scripts. “I’m totally character driven,” Goodhart said. “When I write the drafts, I’ll write a draft from each character’s sort of point of view. So I’ll do the Alice pass and then the Steve pass and then the Izzy pass.”

That approach also allows the audience's perspective to shift naturally throughout the writing process, something Goodhart says became one of her favorite aspects of developing the series. “I really like the idea of us discovering that we're rooting for a different character and not always being within one person's head,” she explained. By the time filming began, Goodhart said the long development process ultimately became an advantage rather than a frustration, giving her confidence in both the characters and the larger emotional direction of the show.

Alice & Steve is set to premiere on June 8 on Hulu. Check out our exclusive first look above, and come back to Collider in the coming days for exclusive reveals from the season's most anticipated television and film releases as part of our Summer Preview Event.

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