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

morven christie is the same age as me and I have a 15 year old! Not sure whats unbelievable about that. Seems perfectly normal. Do people think that the sil wouldnt be attracted to the brother? why not? I think the mum is acting irrationally. But this is her dealing with the diagnosis. So irrational but expected/understandable imo.

Incongruous? I don't think so. I doubt millions of people would want to watch six hours about the autistic son and his parents.

I know she's 35 IRL, but she looks about 30 to me and Christopher Eccleston looks roughly 45.

I think the sil wouldn't be attracted to the brother. Highly unlikely.

I can see how a program based solely on the autistic son and his parents might be a bit niche - but to me, all of the sub plots are silly and unbelievable.

well i get told i look in my twenties all the time but still doesnt change the fact that i have a 15 year old. my mum also looks young for her age, but she's still a granny to a 15 year old. Its not that unbelievable not to me anyway. I like the sil and brother. Why exactly wouldnt she be attracted to him?

i can't get passed just wanting to shout at the mum, she's really pissing me off.

and seriously, who allows their barely 5yo to go out walking on their own? Ridiculous.

I think my perspective is different panda because I also care for someone with bpd which is solid to deal with. I also have a decent support network tuned into the bairns needs. Sometimes you forget that you are fortunate.

Just watched ep 1 and think it's brilliant but I love Christopher Eccleston. The doctor woman looks familiar but looking at her bio I'm not sure what I'll have seen her in. It's great to see fell running portrayed as a normal fun activity on TV.
I find it hard to believe the parents won't have wanted him seen by a specialist and to get him started on communication techniques ages ago though. It's not as though no-one has heard of autism.
The beginning with him walking down the road miles from anyone was just silly. The lake district is full of traffic, pretending the roads are empty is mad. A small boy with head phones on and no road sense allowed out unsupervised, I don't think so.

DH pointed out why I'm a HE-er & Joe's parents can't do it - I spent ages shouting at the TV that they should be teaching him educational songs! He may not really understand their content at this stage but reciting a song about times tables has more chance of being of use to him than his dad's favourite songs.

I also shouted at the TV when they attempted to portray a meltdown. Ok, the actor is young but surely they could've done it better than that - at the very least they could've shown them playing the same song several times before he got off the floor. Does anyone's child with ASD just snap out of a meltdown like that? It was uncomfortably close to "child behaves destructively until given what they want".

They seem to be trying to cover too many different stories for just a few episodes. I absolutely think they should be showing life going on around the dx process but it's just all way too dramatic & all about sex. Apart from the restaurant, literally the only non-autism-related subject content is sex - the brother/SIL/affair/embarrassingly thin walls, the grandfather & his singing teacher, the daughter & her boyfriend... Can't any of them just be seen to be getting on with normal lives?!

And finally, I'm another one wondering why on earth they haven't got better locks on their external doors. I don't trust my 4yo not to open the front door & wander off while we sleep so we've got a stair gate across his bedroom door that he can't open. Thankfully he shows no interest in trying to climb over it. If we had to put bolts at the top of our front door then we would - wouldn't any parent do whatever it takes to keep their child safe?!

I feel better for my rant!

So, next week, I'm assuming the woman at the front door was the SALT - why did the mum know her 16 years ago? The daughter is 16 - the uncle made a point of saying so - do we know anything about her father yet? Maybe SALT lady will be her grandmother who didn't know the mum was pregnant in the first place, cue yet more exaggerated drama... I've got a horrible feeling I'm going to watch the whole series just willing it to get better...

Hmmm I'm really not sure.

I watched both last night and was reasonably impressed. I think some bits were done very well, whereas other parts tbh, just felt a bit amateurish.

I get why people think there's too much going on, but personally I think it was a good move from the writers to include several different storylines and not just focus on the autism. I think it makes it more believable. Not that I'm a fan of all the other storylines, but it did need the extra content imo.

Things I really didn't like- the fact that Joe was routinely wandering off every morning....at 5! The completely unrealistic super speedy diagnosis and the extreeemely embarrassing sex scene. Not a prude, but that was unnecessary. Do you really go to stay with family and have extra loud sex when everyone is in?! Really?! I didn't really like the mum, although I could relate to her to an extent. I think she's playing it well though. As is the dad.

I was quite touched by several scenes. The no party invite. The cinema bullies and the mum's reaction. I have a 9 year old dd with suspected mild asd and from my point of view, the actor who played Joe, was brilliant. I agree that the meltdown could have been put together better. No criticism on the acting, but the directing and writing. That WAS NOT a meltdown.

I'm looking forward to the next one anyway, so that says something I guess.

It's like the producers thought 'right, we need to flesh it out with other stuff so it's not wall to wall autism. Let's ram a load of fucking in, with a token line about a business venture'.

head It did a little.

Its okaaayyy. Not great. The issues seem simplified but I suppose that's for tv. The mum is annoying and I don't like that they made her lie about Joe being in a gifted and talented programme to the snooty mum. Maybe her character will develop but I think its taking an outdated stereotype 'everyone is scared and clueless about autism' and running with it which is a shame. I like the dad and sister. The sister seems more clued up than the parents. I think it will need more than six episodes to develop so hopefully it won't be just one series.

the soundtrack is awful, then again im an 80s music kind of gal. Yes i also find the mum annoying. And the sisiter inlaw not being able to find a job as a gp? really unlikely. And whats the deal with the singing teacher and the granddad? im sure the singing teacher and joe will have some kind of partnership but right now its so odd. and the sex scene in episode one was uggghhh

So what sub-plots would some of you prefer?

The soundtrack really isn't my cup of tea, and I'm boggling with the rest of you about Joe meandering around alone

I'll keep watching, though. I want to see where they're going with it.

I love the soundtrack I would like to see more of the other villagers, I like the lake district setting. Maybe that would be a bit soapy. Is anyone else waiting for the brother to start shouting "hullo its meee Gary!"

I don't mind the subplots, southeast (although a little that the only alternative to autism is sex, according to the scriptwriters), but I do wish that there was a more accurate portrayal of some of what is involved.

I do get the poetic licence with diagnosis, and I welcome the showing that normal life does carry on, but for eg the damaging portrayal of Behavioural Analysis last night was unnecessary imo. It showed the stereotypical view of those ignorant (and who don't want to pay out - ie LA) of what it actually involves, rather than the valid and effective method that it really is.

It is so difficult to obtain funding for ABA in the UK, and scenes like last night will not help.

The grandfather could be hanging out with his mates at the pub, the brother & SIL could find it difficult adjusting to a different pace of life without the affair issue, the brewery could have a storyline going on...

I'm fairly sure the brother & SIL have moved in next door, they're not just bonking with kids in the house!

AGnu really?!! Oops I don't think I was paying much attention in the beginning!

everyone is scared and clueless about autism I dont think thats a totally outdated theme. A lot of people not involved with Autism are generally clueless about it, or at least have a very bare boned knowledge , and i'd imagine a lot of parents dealing with a new diagnosis are scared.

Median age if grandparents is...42

A lot of people not involved with Autism are generally clueless about it,

Yeah but to the point they lie about why their kid isn't at school? I dunno, maybe I'm lucky and that I've got people around me (now) who I've felt no reason not to be honest with. There was one friendship I had that was messed up, in part, to what I was dealing with in private with the growing realisation that my dd had autism. Maybe a story line showing how joe's difficulties was impacting on her close friendships with parents of similar aged children would have been an idea as I reckon that's something quite common?