Alice and Steve imagines the fallout from a particularly controversial age-gap romance, but the show’s writer does not believe that such cases should always be taboo.
Nicola Walker and Jemaine Clement star as longtime best friends Alice and Steve, who are suddenly torn apart when the latter begins dating the former’s 20-something daughter, Izzy (Yali Topol Margalith).
Although their coupling may be surprising at first, series creator Sophie Goodhart and director Tom Kingsley told Radio Times that it was “really important” for Izzy and Steve to feel like a “genuine romantic relationship”.
Goodhart continued: “The chemistry they have, I think, is just really believable. You just love them as a couple.
“And even though you, obviously, should not have sex with your friend’s [son or daughter], I don’t think you can say [as a] blanket statement that an older man cannot go out with a younger woman. I think that’s sad.”
The screenwriter, also known for Rivals and Slow Horses, made clear that she was only referring to relationships between legal adults, and acknowledged that “the power should be equal” in any such romance.
“But I don’t like the idea of ‘this is now not something that can happen’,” she explained. “I wanted us to have some respect for their relationship, and for our sympathies to shift during the show.”
Goodhart proceeded to share that she is in a relationship with a “much younger man,” and has been taken aback by how she is celebrated for it. Whereas, a man dating a significantly younger woman might well be labelled “disgusting”.
“I was quite keen to sort of point out that double standard,” she added.
“I think the premise is interesting enough to get people to watch, but then once it starts, it’s this intergenerational big juicy love story; a complicated love story between friends and partners.”
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Stars Walker and Clement told Radio Times that the main source of discomfort in the show isn’t the age difference between Steve and Izzy, but rather that the former had been such a close friend for so many years prior.
With that in mind, director Kingsley credited “charming” New Zealand actor Clement for portraying Steve as “someone that you didn’t hate, despite what he’s doing”.
He concluded: “People might think the show’s premise sounds so risqué, but it is about the consequences of that, and just digging deeper and deeper into what really would happen to these real, truthful, very human characters.
“I think it’s a really great hook that becomes surprisingly deep and sort of devastating.”
The Alice and Steve cast also includes Joel Fry (Paddington in Peru), Tyrese Eaton-Dyce (Sherwood), Marcia Warren (The Crown) and Eilidh Fisher (Dope Girls).
Alice and Steve is available to stream on Disney+ from Monday 8 June 2026.
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