BBC1 ::::::::::::::::The A WORD:::::::::::::::::::::::

[RTKangaMummy]

I think this is going to be good

www.radiotimes.com/episode/d2ycmd/the-a-word--series-1-episode-1

Five-year-old Joe is a smart, musical kid. He spends his time with headphones on listening to alt-rock classics and knowing every line of the lyrics. He can be a bit quiet and uncooperative but nothing that overly troubles his parents – or at least, nothing they’ll admit to…

As we meet Joe and his clan in Peter Bowker’s well-worked drama (adapted from an Israeli series) it is the day of Joe’s birthday. Around him a wider family battle simmers nicely as Joe’s interfering grandfather (Christopher Eccleston) and humiliated uncle strike sparks off each other.

That domestic cut-and-thrust might be enough in itself, but we know the real driver of the story will be Joe’s condition. It’s only the slightest of spoilers to reveal that, as the title hints heavily, Joe has autism. His grandfather’s attitude is old school: “If there’s a problem with my grandson, we need to get it fixed.” It won’t be that simple.

ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME
1/6. New series. The various generations of the Hughes family, who all love, work and fight like any other clan, find they must learn to communicate all over again when the youngest member is diagnosed with autism. The opening episode of the drama sees the extended family reunite in the Lake District for Joe's fifth birthday party, but tensions soon rise among Alison, Paul and patriarch Maurice. Starring Morven Christie, Lee Ingleby and Christopher Eccleston.

CAST AND CREW

CAST
Alison Hughes Morven Christie
Paul Hughes Lee Ingleby
Eddie Scott Greg McHugh
Nicola Daniels Vinette Robinson
Joe Hughes Max Vento
Rebecca Hughes Molly Wright
Maurice Scott Christopher Eccleston
David Nowak Adam Wittek
Pavel Kaminski Tommie Grabiec
Linda Michelle Tate
Jane Joanna Bond
Sea Lily Verity Henry
Ralph Wilson Leon Harrop
Louise Wilson Pooky Quesnel
Martha Catherine Kinsella
Terry George Bukhari
Dr Eshell Siri Ellis
Dr Waite Mina Anwar
Receptionist Denice Hope
Dr Graves Daniel CerqueiraCREW
Director Peter Cattaneo
Executive Producer Patrick Spence
Producer Marcus Wilson
Writer Peter Bowker

Spied #leatherminiskirt just at the end there.

Do you think Rebecca gets pregnant?

That episode was godawful!

I turned it off. For me it's not the autism I know plus I am bored with the Maurice and teacher/Michael and Rebecca storyline... Also ha ha SALT straight away?! My DS has had 6 sessions of SALT when he was 3 that has been it. Bit disappointed tbh.

Agree hazyjane

It's basic underlying principle is that the cause of joes autism is his disfuctional family. A myth that we could do without being portrayed on national tv

Too soapy even for me tonight. Do speech therapists really allowed to talk to families like that when they barely know them? And how bloody lazy and predictable that the speech therapist still holds a grudge about being bullied.

I liked tonight's episode. What a selfish, self-centred character Alison is.

Yes, there are all sorts of reasons why parents get the arse with professionals, having a dodgy history together is probably pretty low down on the list.

The SALT also seemed to have worked miracles in the day she spent with them......hang on, she span A DAY WITH THEM!

Agree, Hazey. That was beyond godawful.

The SALT was private, so I guess she could say whatever she liked, and that at least explains the speed too (although anyone decent usually has a waiting list, so not that accurate). Although the SIL's ex-affair Doctor bloke wrote a referral letter for SALT last week, so no idea what that was about. I've never had to supply a referral letter for a private consult.

Agree re: lazy stereotyping. Unbelievable shit, and completely unnecessary to perpetuate.

I enjoyed it! And the mum was a right bully again - and I think it's quite nice to see that rather than perfect martyr mum Angel that you see in most TV dramas.

Yes, but she's a Speech Therapist which gives her special powers.

Oddly, the miracles worked by the SALT were bottom of my list of annoyances, but then I've spent similar days (never with a SALT - most time with. SALT has been just short of 3 hours) with consultants, and seen similar reactions/outcomes. But ours was with the already-rubbished ABA consultants (our programme was similar in part to the work shown)

I feel sorry for the mum. She's grieving and has been in denial. Also dysfunctional family causes autism thing made me very sad to see. Sadly don't think I'll be watching any more. I had high hopes for this as well

But the implication (although that assumes some subtlety) is that the mum's personality (and the family's dysfunctional nature) is the reason for Joe's behaviour. Admittedly I have met some professionals who would be watching this thinking, 'spot on', but personally it would be nice to see this sort myth dispelled.

I didn't think they were saying the family's dysfunctional behaviour caused the autism but that they weren't providing a calm helpful environment where Joe could find his own space.

But I don't think it's very good. Disappointing. Though I related to Joe not sitting still during the play; but I would take DS out if he was really fed up - most 5 year olds would struggle with Antigone

I didn't get that they were blaming mum or dysfunctional family for the autism at all.

After hating last week and posting here about it, I watched it a bit differently tonight and enjoyed it. Possibly because the NT sibling getting weigh sided is a little close to home and a constant worry of mine.

I felt there was some really good messages being put across in today's episode that were then ruined by unnecessary drama and storylines.

I think exploring the mum and dads differing attitudes and ways of protecting was good. But to mix it up with mum was a bully and bullied salt watered down what is actually a real emotion - that need to have answers and protect your child.

The message the salt gave abiut the discomfort of the social interaction, worry about what she would say etc was a great message IMO. Ruined by trying to portray it because the family are dysfunctional and that's the route cause.

Im finding the line they are exploring re Rebecca's feelings interesting. (DS has no siblings but I had a difficult sister!). It's interesting they show it's not having a sibling with SN that's causing her upset but rather her parents attitude.

I'd like them to continue with what they've opened up tonight and have proper resolutions and more in depth discussion.

Those who said GD was on spectrum - did you notice how he asked for the instructions and when the GP said running up mountains he corrected him?!

Also I noted they have put a gate across the driveway!

I'm also a little worried about how they are portraying the young girl who babysits Joe as being able to communicate with him in a way his parents can't. I hope they don't continue this too much because I agree with above poster it tends to lend itself to it being a dysfunctional family issue - rather than the truth that when your in the middle of it it's bloody hard and scary - and sometimes it's hard to see the wood from the trees.

Agree totally with your third paragraph youaren'tkiddingme

That's the thing, youarentkiddingme. They've already shown that's it's the dysfunctional family (well, parents actually) at fault.

Rebecca can communicate with Joe, and get him to comply with taking headphones off without a meltdown.

The paed managed to get him playing once the parents were sent out of the dx appt.

The SALT worked miracles.

The babysitter gets Joe to do things he doesn't want to, and all through gentle kindness.

It's onlyhis parents who can't get him to do anything - because his mother is a cold unfeeling selfish bully, and his dad is overcompensating by using music as his only communication and allowing Joe to retreat.

Utter shite.

Oh, and the play annoyed me.

I thought the behaviours shown were accurate, and very well done, but why the hell was he there anyway? They obviously had a babysitter, as she was there with him, and Anitgone is hardly the most riveting thing for any 5 year old - didn't notice any other reception aged kids in the audience (NT or otherwise!). The only reason for it was to show that the parents prioritise Joe over his sister, and couldn't manage to focus on her even for just one evening - more crap parenting.

As I said on another thread it would have been more subtle if they had actually cast a fridge in the role of the mum

Is refrigerator mother theory as popular in Israel as it is in France?

I've watched clips of the original yellow peppers on you tube and it looks amazing. The mum seems lovely, ok I can't understand the dialogue but I'd love to see the translated version, if there is one.

This is BBC drama bullshit. The parents are awful. I've made so much time for each of my children since my middle two were diagnosed and I take my eldest dd away for weekends as she works so hard and is so good with her brothers.

SALT although private? Was it? Was ridiculous.

I want them to highlight the love, the love and sacrifice and determination and the acceptance of autism. Say it proud and loud that your children have autism and work at being a close family. It doesn't label it empowers.

Highlight the shit waiting times for diagnosis and SALT and show the relationships with school and the utter failure of support in the school system and then look at home ed and how it can work and show the fight to improve life for our kids with autism and the fight to maintain family relations and shitty family members who don't get autism and say crap things like oh they'll grow out of it! Grow out of it! Autism is a neurolodevelopment disorder not something someone grows out of!

Then look at the lack of a support system in rural areas and the chatty funny dialogue you have with your high functioning kids, show the confusion with idioms and literal meanings of words. Show the stress the husband/wife dynamic is under. No suitable sitter for autism, no child minder available that's suitable and then maybe add in an affair or other dysfunctional family elements that come when a family is under great stress and lacks support.

Then add in the other stuff the isolation from other parents, the growing divide and isolation. The joy when your child does something small like hugs you for no reason. This is utter bullshit.

I want more humour, I want a more grown up and mature relationship with their son. I want them not to speak in front of him like that. I want this show to be more.

Oh and I've had a stressful day and a skinful of wine so I'm writing this with brazen 'tude because I want more from the BBC I want autism highlighted well!

I think another reason why Joe was at the play was to again present him as 'other' to the other parents.

Another example of bad casting in this series is the woman who played the SALT. She looked at least ten years older than the mum yet they were supposed to be at school together.