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

If her son was 10 and she'd been dealing with this diagnosis for years, then yh i think it would be messed up. But in the story its all relatively new and I guess this is the mums way of dealing with it atm.

Yeah I see your point harassed. I remember doing social things with dd and thinking 'I'll just have to show her how to be sociable' and then it just dawning on me over and over again that she just was different. I didn't get angry in those social situations like the mum did at the park though. But then when he threw himself on the rug during the party the parents were very good at supporting him. It was just that park scene that she lost her patience. Luckily I've only lost my rag in private and it's not about her different social skills, mainly about her making an almighty mess/taking an AGE to get dressed.

We're loving it. Watching it with tears and holding hands, thinking, we've been there. Exactly the same journey. Denial. Sending DS for hearing test. Initial unofficial made.by ed psych at school at 6. Asking for 2nd and 3rd opinions. The reseach. Considerd taking DS out of school etc etc.

DS has just been accepten unconditionally to Uni. So so proud of his achievements.

Gone off it this week. The mum makes me really angry. She was an absolute bitch to her SIL and the SIL just took it.

Mum annoying but love Christopher Eccleston. The singing teacher's proposition was weird. Come on

in the story its all relatively new and I guess this is the mums way of dealing with it atm

Yes, hopefully she'll find her feet as the show progresses. I suppose showing a completely strong and coping parent would be unrealistic.

I still like it but think half baked home tuition idea was so nuts other family members should have refused. They didn't explain how he manages without music all day at school but can't cope for 5 minutes at home. I don't blame music teacher for pre positioning CE, I would. She would do it more subtly in real life though unless they're implying she's autistic too. It seems mad having him playing the father of 2 blokes who only look 10 years younger than him though. Everyone seems to have far too much free time considering how much debt they are in. Doctor choosing to work as nurse to be with gormless bloke is unbelievable although it sounds as though she didn't complete her speciality training but ran away after the affair

Well, as a fictional drama it's mildly interesting, but there are aspects that make me angry. You cannot get your child into a special school unless they have a statement, or whatever it has been renamed. Also, just taking your child out of school to home school is going to cause alarm bells to ring with the new safeguards in place. Never mind the fact that this child's medical notes are handed around to anybody. My son could only go to school with SEN provision in place, he was diagnosed officially later, because he may have neede to go to a special school, if mainstream didn't work out. Also, I attended many conferences and volunteered as a parental supporter for several years, and without fail, it was the father who was in denial about their child with autism, usually, with one exception, a boy.

Other than that, the scenery is lovely.

It was mentioned earlier in this thread, I think the grandad shows signs of autism and the way he dealt with the music teachers proposition was meant to highlight his social difficulties?

I'm enjoying the series. I have little experience of autism so can watch in a more detached way.
It is bringing autism into the spotlight for many ignorant people. For example, my grandparents have no idea about autism and would label a child as naughty, without regard for any special needs. They recommended the programme to me and I think it has opened their eyes a little.

Just wanting to join the thread as i have been lurking

I have limited experience of autism, my friends DS2 has HF Autism. He is in MS school and seems to be doing very well.

YY I would probably be that direct in propositioning CE

I am trying but not warming to the SIL at all. Do she and Eddie have to have sex in 'every' episode? there is just no magnetism between them at all. However when she met Michael in the cafe the ST sparks were flying everywhere!!

Condom scene was hilarious, as was 'Uncle Eddie's little chat' afterwards. I also loved the ring pull scene, that is something I used to do as a child!!

I am bearing with it, i want to enjoy it but i am finding Alison the mother awful. I haven't walked in her shoes but she is so unpleasant to everyone (the nosey mum with the G&T speech, her DH, her SIL, her dad, her DD.......).

The little boy actor who plays Joe deserves a BAFTA, he is not only adorable but a very talented little boy.

And the soundtrack is awesome! I used to sing along to Julian Cope World Shut Your Mouth as a kid - drove my DM bonkers!

I agree the mum is not very likeable. She seems to want to start a fight with everyone(!) but I suppose they are trying to portray her anger and frustration surrounding the diagnosis. I hate her brown jumper.

Also, I'm the first person to say 'if you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism' even if everyone who had anything to do with the production of the show had multiple children with autism it's still not going to cover all scenarios and experiences.

I am warming to it now, and feeling that the bits that are familiar to me are worth the bizarre emphasis on sex and the implausibility of a leather skirted doctor being married to someone who reminds me of the guy out of the Plusnet broadband advert

Which reminds me, during the first episode she had that skirt on for about a week non stop! I mean, I know leather is wipe clean and all, but did she forget to pack her clothes?

The leather mini skirt has it's own mention in the credits and I think they are setting up a website for its fans..

Absolutely headinhands and that is what i was trying (but spectacularly failing) to get across in my post i keep telling myself to stop comparing Alison to my friend and to how I 'would' deal with it. As i have no idea.

Bit of a miscasting of Eddie and the mini skirted Doctor. I love Gregg McHugh though.

Can anyone explain what happened when the doctor went to meet the bloke in a cafe?

He said he agreed with the diagnosis, but didn't seem to have even met the boy. Then he went off to the loo (at least I thought that was where he went) and came back with a printed out referral letter

It feels to me that they had 2 drama ideas, one was a bittersweet drama about family life and relationships in the Lakes and the other was a serious look at how a family copes with a child with autism. They only had the budget for 1, so merged them together.

Then he went off to the loo (at least I thought that was where he went) and came back with a printed out referral letter

They do have portable printers now, my washing machine repair man had one with him last week to print off the invoice. Am just imaging the dr shut up in a cubicle, trousers round his ankles, with a laptop and printer perched on his lap. Seems legit.

I wondered if Dr Leatherminiskirt and her husband had massively wonderful sex in private and that rather compensated for him being, well, not a patch on Affair Bloke?

I went to university with the woman who plays the singing teacher, and sing in a choir with her sister. I have informed the sis that I will probably die of envy if singing teacher gets to snog the divine Mr Ecclestone. I wouldn’t have bothered with the conversation, me, just ordered him upstairs.

Possibly. I'll try to imagine Roundneckjumper man as 'very gifted' in the bedroom.

Aw, leave him alone he's a nice bloke.

motherinferior you went to uni with Pooky? Such a great name!

(Actually, he reminds me an 'ickle bit of my DH.)

I did her real name's Joanna. Didn't know her well. Saw her in various plays where she took her kit off a lot.

He may be nice, but to quote Gorgeous Grandad, "I don't think of him in that way".

Leather miniskirt giirl just seems very undoctory. Too sulky and idle. Someone who'd done a medical degree after nursing would be more driven than to give it all up because of an affair, esapecially an affair that had ended. junior docs are always having affairs. If they all resigned due to casual shagging there'd be no-one left!

Cardiac arrest got it right. You shag but you carry on with the job.