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

The mum is awful, she's so OTT she ruins the programme for me. The boy who plays Joe is a great actor though, I have to say.

I really liked the doctor this week too, he saved the episode! The setting and some of the characters would make for a good comedy drama

Glad it's not just me that thinks the mother is awful. She's in poor Joe's face all the time and that poor DD who is completely passed over/told to fuck off Maybe the writer is trying to portray her as some mad obsessive?

And the acting is wooden. I love Christopher Eccleston's totally OTT portrayal of Neanderthal Northern Man though

My son is far more severely autistic than Joe but I like the portrayal of the mother. I totally get where she is coming from and understand how obsessive she is trying to get some form of interaction from Joe. I totally understand that- it's desperation.

Did no one watch it tonight?

Yes actually enjoyed it. Felt they portrayed the feelings of the family towards their child very poignantly at the end. Whilst there were things I didnt like in the series it had plenty of good things and will have raised awareness in some people.

I hated Alison and her husband more and more. She was so insensitive to everyone's needs but her own. I loved her daughter though. And Joe. Weird series, fabulous scenery! Can't believe they didn't get mountain rescue to help search.

So her period was late and her partner said the dates would match up to when she went to see Michael...was all that not in episode 1/2?? So everything that happened happened inside 2/3 weeks?? Him getting diagnosed, his birthday, the woman being deported, them trying to home school him...

Brilliant soundtrack too.

What a strange ending! It just sort of stopped. No GP this week either.

Lots still unresolved - Eddie, Rebecca and Luke, the grandad and his erstwhile lady friend to name but a few.

Crikey, surely not another series - it's been left wide open hasn't it?

Liked the first episode but less and less as it went on. Too many people with issues (not sure if that's the right word) for the sake of it.

Disliked the mum intensely and found Joe singing along to blaring music really irritating by the end.

A good idea but not very well made

thought it was crap. really disappointing. thought the mum was awful.

I want more. I want more. Aaaaaaahhhhhhh it is not enough.

I enjoyed it and thought the attitudes to Ralph that came out were very well done.

I'm just glad it's over

It didn't really end. Lots of loose ends - more issues and storylines than it needed - and no conclusion.

I liked it. Great scenery, great soundtrack. Some fairly unlikeable flawed characters, but that's life isn't it. Christopher Eccleston was superb I thought.

I liked it more than I was expecting, and more than any of the previous episodes. I'm glad there wasn't a neat conclusion & tying up of loose ends, which would have been completely unrealistic.

The main thing that disappointed me about the whole series is that there wasn't any attempt to show Joe's point of view or experience of life, other than in a really superficial way.

I loved it. Loved how they all played music while trying to find him! Great series.
From reading on the telly threads here though I am very easily pleased

Agree the idea it all happened over 3-4 weeks is mad. The cafe building and finishing would have taken a lot longer than that for one thing without all the home school, no home school, time for various referrals etc (child psych is pretty long waiting list).
I thought the end of them cuddling round Joe was unrealistic as well. Autistic kids like routine. Not being alone in his own bed but having mum and dad snuggling next to him wouldn't be comforting for many autistic kids but uncomfortably strange, and how come no-one had checked the bust stops you can walk to before night fall?

well i thoroughly enjoyed this. Having a child who is also different, I identified totally with the mum: she portrayed the denial, the coping of the injustice/unfairness of others who don't walk in her shoes, and her fears.
I really liked the comedy moments too. Yes it wasn't all true to reality but it is entertainment!
The only bit i wasn't happy about was eddie leaving nicola so quickly, but then as already said lots of doors were left wide open.

I stuck with it to the end but thought it was complete crap. 6 hours of my life I'm never getting back.

The worst part being that if they did a second series I'd probably watch it too.

The best thing about the programme was the scenery, they were lucky with the snow for the last episode it looked beautiful.

Was so contrived with them having to stand in front of all the locals and tell them that their son has autism, before they could go off and search for him.

did anyone else think the ending was a little creepy - it reminded me of a horror film

Lovely scenery and yy to argh at Mum being in Joe's face all the time. The last episode was directed by Sue Tully- Michelle off of Eastenders!

*stuck with it to the end but thought it was complete crap. 6 hours of my life I'm never getting back.

The worst part being that if they did a second series I'd probably watch it too.*

I agree! That's how I feel.