“Exploring the Story Behind the Netflix Series ‘Forever'”

Forever on Netflix is the new show everyone is talking about — and for good reason.

Originally created by Mara Brock Akil, renowned for her work on Girlfriends and The Game, Forever has swiftly become a hot topic for discussions on young love, intimacy, and the characteristics of positive relationships from a young age. As the dialogue surrounding the show continues to echo Maddy’s memorable line from Euphoria, “wait, is this f***ing play about us,” it’s evident that curiosity about the show’s development has piqued interest among viewers.

Although many are aware that the series is loosely based on a book that’s been around for decades, not everyone is familiar with the true inspiration behind the storyline. Read on to discover the backstory of both the original Forever book and the subsequent Netflix adaptation.

Regarding real-life inspiration, there isn’t any for the Netflix series Forever apart from the Judy Blume novel that serves as its foundation. However, the show has always aimed to depict a healthy sexual relationship among teenagers, a concept that has resonated with fans of the 50-year-old tale. Interestingly, the novel that inspired the show originated from a discussion between the renowned author and her daughter.

“My daughter Randy asked for a story about two nice kids who have sex without either of them having to die. She had read several novels about teenagers in love,” Blume wrote in an article about censorship years ago. “If they had sex the girl was always punished—an unplanned pregnancy, a hasty trip to a relative in another state, a grisly abortion (illegal in the U.S. until the 1970s), sometimes even death. Lies. Secrets. At least one life ruined.”

For Blume — who is also mom to a son, Lawrence — the concept behind the controversial tale was never to stir controversy at all. The entire story was meant to serve as an example and proof that there could be healthy sexual encounters between teenagers where the only major damage would be a breakup. In writing Forever, she hoped to change the narrative and show that there can be experiences that don’t end in horror.

“Girls in these books had no sexual feelings and boys had no feelings other than sexual. Neither took responsibility for their actions. I wanted to present another kind of story—one in which two seniors in high school fall in love, decide together to have sex, and act responsibly,” the Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret writer stated at the time.

Similarly, Brock Akil has said that she too wanted to bring that to life in the visual medium by turning the book she felt so deeply about as a teen into a show. Talking with DECIDER about her adaptation, she said she wanted to address the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of young adults today “as honestly as Judy did for us 50 years ago.”

“If we’re talking about the sexual expression of things, we were clear that we were telling a human story and not talking about sex to talk about sex,” Akil said of talking with Netflix and her producing partners about how NSFW they could make the show.

She added, “The trust was there throughout and conversation was there throughout. I think even the healthiest relationships and the health of sex are conversations and communication.”

Forever is currently streaming on Netflix.