HBO's 'DTF St. Louis' Inspired by True Crime Story, But Strays from Facts

The show's writers felt uncomfortable attributing fictional details to real people, so they reimagined the story as an original idea.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The new HBO drama series "DTF St. Louis" was initially based on a true crime story detailed in a 2017 Esquire article "My Dentist's Murder Trial" by James Lasdun. The article chronicled a deadly love triangle involving a dentist, his friend, and the friend's wife. However, the show's writers ultimately decided to distance the series from the real-life events and create an entirely original storyline, citing discomfort with attributing fictional qualities to the actual people involved.

Why it matters

The decision to move away from the true crime origins of "DTF St. Louis" highlights the challenges writers and producers face when adapting real-life stories for television. While the true story may have provided a compelling starting point, the writers felt it was important to avoid directly portraying the real individuals involved and instead crafted a wholly fictional narrative inspired by the broader themes of the case.

The details

The true story that inspired "DTF St. Louis" centered around Gilberto Nunez, a dentist who had an affair with the wife of his friend, Thomas Kolman. After Kolman's death, Nunez was indicted for his murder, though the details remained murky. The show's writer and producer Steven Conrad said he and his team felt uncomfortable "making up qualities and then attributing them to real people," so they decided to reimagine the story as an original work rather than a direct adaptation.

  • In 2017, Esquire published the nonfiction feature "My Dentist's Murder Trial" by James Lasdun.
  • In 2022, Lasdun's story entered into development as a TV series with David Harbour and Pedro Pascal attached to star.
  • By 2024, the show was retooled to stand alone as an "original idea with no connection to the original article."

The players

James Lasdun

The author of the 2017 Esquire article "My Dentist's Murder Trial" that initially inspired the HBO series.

Gilberto Nunez

A dentist who was indicted for the murder of his friend, Thomas Kolman, after having an affair with Kolman's wife.

Thomas Kolman

A physical therapist whose death was at the center of the true crime story that inspired the HBO series.

Steven Conrad

The writer, showrunner, and executive producer of the HBO series "DTF St. Louis" who decided to distance the show from the real-life events.

David Harbour

An actor who was initially attached to star in the TV adaptation of the true crime story.

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What they’re saying

“None of us felt comfortable about making up qualities and then attributing them to real people. So we thought we ought to call it, start over, maintain that instance that got us together anyway, which is suspense in a suburban setting, and see what we could do if we just leaned into make-believe.”

— Steven Conrad, Writer, showrunner, and executive producer of "DTF St. Louis" (SlashFilm)

The takeaway

The decision by the creators of "DTF St. Louis" to move away from the true crime origins of the story and create a wholly original narrative highlights the challenges of adapting real-life events for television. While the true story may have provided a compelling starting point, the writers ultimately felt it was important to avoid directly portraying the real individuals involved and instead crafted a fictional drama inspired by the broader themes of the case.