How the Creator of ‘DTF St. Louis’ Draws Inspiration from Friends Navigating Hookup Apps
As Steven Conrad’s suburban murder mystery unfolds on HBO, he is reflecting on the real-life experiences surrounding hookup apps that inspired his creation. His limited series, DTF St. Louis, explores the complexities of relationships amid the chaos of modern dating.
Conrad, the creator of DTF St. Louis, shared insights into how these apps have impacted the lives of individuals in middle age. “I’m in my middle age, and most of my friends are too, and, somehow or another, it’s another phase of life where people make terrible decisions,” he remarked in an interview with People. The series, which airs on Sundays at 6 PM, mirrors the struggles faced by its characters who fall victim to similar poor choices.
He elaborated, “That same misguided, desperate need to fit in or to find someone to feel safe, it comes back around in middle age, and it can lead to bad decision-making. I had friends who were in that phase of life deciding to quit their jobs or leave their families.”
Conrad began conceptualizing the plot around 2018, a time when hookup apps reached peak popularity, enticing users with the allure of “excitement without consequences.” He noted, "I had friends who were falling into that trap, and that just seemed like an unlikely bargain."
Regarding the premise of the show, he stated, “I remember thinking, ‘This will go poorly.’ And ‘This will go poorly’ is one of the principles of my company, Elephant Pictures. I love a show where you can go, ‘Okay, things are going to go poorly for these people who expect things to go well.’ And this idea of a hookup-only website for middle-aged people seemed to be exactly that.”
In DTF St. Louis, weatherman Clark, portrayed by Jason Bateman, his colleague Floyd (David Harbour), and Floyd’s wife Carol (Linda Cardellini) find themselves in a love triangle that escalates to murder.
Conrad revealed that Harbour was involved in the project from its inception. “He came to me with this initial idea,” he said, noting that Harbour suggested setting the story in unique circumstances with distinct characters.
Reflecting on the personal nature of the narrative, Conrad explained, “We used this dating app idea that I was watching destroy the lives of some friends, but taking David with me into this show to be one of the few leads, to be a person who was susceptible to this bad idea five years ago, but wouldn’t have done it 30 pounds ago, wouldn’t have done it one friendship earlier, wouldn’t have done it but in a phase of life now where he seems to need some volt of electricity to resuscitate him.”
