From Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to Tiger Eyes, novelist Judy Blume wrote books that met kids, tweens, and teens where they were. She discussed puberty, sex, and messy emotions with a frankness that has long scared conservatives, a topic touched on in the terrific documentary Judy Blume Forever. And now her groundbreaking young adult novel about teen love and sex — which has frequently been the subject of book bans — is getting an intriguing TV series adaptation from Netflix.
Creator/showrunner Mara Brock Akil transports the setting of Blume’s novel from 1975 New Jersey to 2018 Los Angeles, where two Black teenagers experience first love. Lovie Simone stars as ambitious track star Keisha Clark, while Michael Cooper Jr. plays Justin Edwards, a crush-worthy boy with the muscles of a jock and the brain of a nerd. It’s easy to see why they fall for each other. Harder to understand from this first teaser is what could keep them apart?
We’ll find out when the series Forever hits Netflix in 2025.
