How it all began

Being Eve was the brainchild of two good friends and colleagues who were keen to see a quality drama on television that could be enjoyed by their children – as well as themselves.

Gavin Strawhan and Maxine Fleming are two of New Zealand's most accomplished creators of television drama. The pair first met when they worked together on the country's number one series, Shortland Street made by South Pacific Pictures – Strawhan was senior script editor and Fleming a storyliner. They have gone on to make award-winning adult dramas, including Jacksons Wharf, also made by South Pacific Pictures, and the mini-series, The Chosen.

But when they were set the challenge of creating a show for 9- to 14-year-olds, they jumped at the chance.

As parents, both creators were determined to write something that was primarily aimed at children but which also appealed to adults.

"We wanted to write something that entertained us, that pushed the boundaries in terms of storytelling technique as well as technology," says Strawhan. "We wanted it fast and funny but also intelligent."

"The two of us worked on various ideas with the help of South Pacific Pictures Development Executive, Katherine Fry, until we hit on the concept for Being Eve, which finally got us excited," says Fleming. "It felt different, it felt new and it was a joy to write."

The 13-part drama series which eventuated is described by Strawhan as being "about a 15-year-old girl called Eve who finds her head is often in conflict with her heart. It's about celebrating family in all its weirdness. And it's about making sense of the world while gently poking fun at it. The show uses up-to-the-minute technology – it's just about all shot on steadi-cam – but also good old-fashioned storytelling."

Fleming adds that the show had to be something intelligent and funny that didn't talk down to kids and wasn't terribly moralistic like many American teen shows.

"I also wanted my own kids to watch a decent Kiwi children's series – it's been too long since there was one," she says.

"As we wrote it, we were constantly thinking of fresh and upbeat ways of telling teen stories. This was a challenge to say the least but lots of fun. And the end results have been very gratifying," says Fleming.

"Gavin can take the credit for coming up with the name Eve," says Fleming. "What appealed about Eve is that it also represents the essence of womanhood. And then, of course, we had to name her main love interest Adam!"

Both writers credit the show's producer, Vanessa Alexander, with successfully turning their ideas into reality.

"Vanessa taught me that a good script is an essential part of the process – but only part," says Strawhan. "Her fastidious attention to detail, creative problem-solving and unwillingness to let things go have made what was a potentially good show into a really good show. Vanessa put on the screen, for the first time in my career, what I imagined when I wrote."