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

I loved In the Club, can't wait for that to restart! Is it filling the A word gap?

It was bizarre that until Joe arrived in the police car they hadn't noticed or cared that he was missing. No-one pointed out that if they'd looked after Joe properly Maya wouldn't have been stopped by the police. The mother is exhausting, she wants to make a drama out of everything in the pretence of caring about Joe.
I can understand the husband wanting to father a "normal" child after all that's what we're genetically programmed to do. Not sure why he think they all have loads of spare time although having a baby would make her less intense about Joe. Them both having to leave the food tasting by the new chef just because Joe was having a bad day at school seemed very rude. The mum swans off everywhere else on her own this seemed one occasion where her going alone was sensible.

The little boy that plays Joe is an a,aging actor though, I can't quite get my head round that! Does he really have autistic traits or is he acting the whole thing?

The mother is terrible.

The "parents" we're on itv last week or week before

The little boy who plays Joe is completely different in RL

They tell him what they want "Joe" to be like and leave the camera running and running for ages and wait for him to do whatever it is they want "joe" to do

So filming takes ages esp as he has a limited time he can work but I think it works really well on screen

I know lots of parents who fight to get what their child with asd needs and none of them behave in the way the mother does.

Yes, her interpretation of fighting for her kid seems to be to bully everyone around her to do stuff. Incredible.

(But she reminds me of my relative!)

The little boy is terrific though! He's got a great acting career ahead of him.

She doesn't see that in the long run she is making things worse for Joe by destroying her marriage and making people who care about Joe like Rebecca want to leave. I know people like her and in the short term they get what they want but in the long term people avoid them and find ways to avoid the bullying

I think the lack of support for the parents is apparent in the programme - we have often said that counselling for parents would be valuable when getting a diagnosis as it does change family dynamics.

Am I the only one who finds the father unbearable? In this episode I think I dislike him more than the mother. He's playing just as big a part in destroying the marriage & pushing Rebecca away.

(And why are people always chopping up vegetables but never eating the food?)

I am really trying to 'understand' and sympathise with the mother but i cannot abide her. The whole scene with the Police Inspector last night was cringeworthy.

However the goodbye scene with Maya and Joe was wonderful, brought me to tears (and yes - Alison was drilling into Joe just how upset he should be).

I think the 'know it all' gp/sister in law is a bit of a thankless role.

I think Joe is an amazing actor.

I think Ecclestone is fine but such overacting surely? Just because he's northern doesn't mean he couldn't tone it down 75% and act like a normal northern man not a kind of terrible comedy northerner all huge expressions and stereotypical outbursts. He could be more powerful if they'd toned that right down and you could feel the quiet menace that the actor can do (and the quiet sexiness he can do too - See the film Elizabeth trailer, he's great in that film).

Joe, Christopher Ecclestone, grumpy dr and the brother are all I like about the series.

The story and the other actors - the mum in particular - is crap.

Random interlude - but i was listenting to Teardrop Explodes yesterday morning thinking that Reward would be a good tune for Joe to sing along to.

The first song Joe was singing along to as he was walking last night - Reward by Teardrop Explodes!

You are all welcome!

I wonder whether, now that Maya's gone, the parents might actually think about locking the door so Joe doesn't go wandering off every morning.

I agree with Wandering Trolley, only certain characters work in this. Love the grumpy GP. The mother and father are dreadful.

The scene where the father was interrogating the daughter about the morning after pill, shouting at her over and over even when she told him it wasn't hers, was awful.

The mother constantly trying to get Joe's attention, "Joe, Joe, listen to me Joe, Maya's leaving, do you understand me Joe". No wonder the boy wears headphones all the time. I think I would too.

Oh that was exhausting!

I didn't think that the mother could get any more annoying!

Didn't really get why Nicola turned the job down.

Is Eddie going to leave her?

I love the Gp!

I like the mums portrayal. I like that they aren't being shown as saints or 'specially chosen' to have a disabled child. I've definitely fucked up at times and got it wrong.

I just think that the whole Maya/police friend of Maurice went too far.

I get that they were trying to show her desperation.

But asking Bob to turn a blind eye, really?

Like when she kept asking the SALT(?) woman to work for her.

She would laugh & say "no, but really..."

Just bloody well listen to others for a minute will you!!

And when she said to Bob something like "well some fucking friend you are"

Just way OTT.