This summer, while mindlessly scrolling through TikTok (a bad habit, I know), I stumbled upon @eavesdropping.show. Created by Kaleigh Howland, Christian Sullivan, and Nicolas Alayo, the series quickly caught my attention with its funny, relatable, and refreshingly honest portrayal of Bea, Cam, and their friends as they navigate the ups and downs of their twenties. What started as a random discovery soon turned into a series I couldn't stop watching. I had the chance to sit down with Kaleigh Howland, who not only co-created the show but also brings Bea to life on screen, to discuss the story behind Eavesdropping, the creative process, and what goes on behind the scenes.
From left to right : Kaleigh Howland, Christian Sullivan, Nicolas Alayo.
How did you come up with the idea for the show?
We began by telling each other one million stories about our lives. It took us about a year to get to the really good stuff, and by then we became compelled by the idea that you only ever have so many childhood friends. That person might always know you 10% better than everyone else, but they also might tie you to a past you’re trying to get away from.
Had you already written the whole series before you started filming, or did the story evolve along the way?
The story continues to evolve, even if we think we know where we are going. We had written about 40 episodes by the time we started shooting, but we quickly realized that we had drastically underestimated the scope of the story. 100 episodes in and we finally found ourselves at where we thought our original “season one” would take us.
What was the wildest reaction you’ve had to the show so far?
Our in-person premiere screening for the season two finale really blew us away. Actually meeting people we see in the comments and hearing their raucous reactions live was surreal. That’s a high we’re still chasing.
Short-form content is having a real moment on social media, especially on TikTok and Instagram. Why did you choose this format instead of making something longer, like a YouTube series?
We want to be where the people are, and the people are in the comment section. We saw the discourse happening on TikTok and Instagram as an opportunity to build a community that YouTube didn’t feel as native to. Since we make the show by ourselves, shorter episodes let us build a story over time and adapt to our audience’s expectations faster.
Based on the comments you see on the videos, have people already guessed some of the plot points?
Every so often somebody gets something exactly right, and we just have to hope nobody else saw their comment. We leave hints all the time for things we’re going to pay off 50 episodes from now, so trust that we still have some tricks up our sleeves.
Did you expect the show to connect with people the way it has, and why do you think it has resonated with people so much?
In our wildest dreams, we hoped the show could resonate with people like it has. We're writing these characters from a personal place, and that care and attention to detail is what we hear people connect with the most. We hope it feels like you or people you know, and that these characters’ struggles and successes speak to what you’ve experienced too. We think the really cynical way people speak about love and dating online stokes a hopelessness and a desire to protect yourself forever. We suspect this show gives people a little bit of hope of what can happen when we open ourselves up to each other.
Was there a moment when you realized it was becoming something bigger than expected?
Sometimes people comment who have been watching since the beginning, and who weigh in with such sincerity and defense of the characters that it's hard to wrap your mind around the fact that so many people genuinely care about how the story goes.
How much of the story was inspired by your own experiences or relationships?
Sometimes we include real details or stories exactly as they happened. Other times multiple stories combine and rearrange to produce something new, and of course, sometimes we just make it up. The truth of these experiences is always guiding us under the surface.
Do you ever find yourself changing the story because of the audience’s reactions, or do you prefer to stick to what you originally planned?
We usually stick with what we have planned, but the audience’s reactions play a big part in determining the way we get there.
Without giving anything away, is there anything coming up that you’re especially excited for viewers to see?
We've got a really exciting set of episodes coming up that feels bigger than anything we've ever tried to do before. We're looking forward to the second half of the season where the heat gets turned up and some exciting new characters make their appearances.
