The A Word, BBC1: four things you need to know about the autism drama starring Christopher Eccleston

The BBC’s new drama series explores a family coming to terms with their young son’s diagnosis
Ben Travis23 March 2016

With World Autism Awareness Week on the horizon, the BBC present The A Word – a new drama series about the condition.

The show follows the family of a young boy called Joe – who doesn’t seem to connect easily with other kids his age, becomes over-stimulated in tricky situations, and who has a fascination with music.

Here’s what you need to know about the show.

1) It’s from the creator of the brilliant Marvellous

Peter Bowker’s TV film Marvellous was one of the TV highlights of 2014 – not only featuring a stand-out performance from the always-wonderful Toby Jones, but presenting a funny and honest account of living with learning disabilities.

Bowker, who has spent 14 years working with children with special needs, looks set to bring a similar approach to his new six-part drama.

BBC/Fifty Fathoms

2) Young actor Max Vento isn’t autistic

A potentially controversial decision was to cast Max Vento, who isn’t autistic, as the young Joe – but as Bowker explains, this was due to the nature of drama.

“I have always been committed to casting people with disabilities to play characters with disabilities,” he told The Mirror. “But it was too big an ask for a six-year-old on the autistic spectrum to imitate a whole range of emotions in keeping with the piece. By definition they have difficulty processing and imitating.”

Joe’s autism is on the less severe end of the spectrum, with Bowker aiming for a less dramatised portrayal of the condition.

3) It’s not just about Joe

While the show tells the story of Joe’s diagnosis, it’s not just about what it means for him – it’s how his family react.

Speaking of his experience with young people with autism, Bowker said: “I loved their warmth, their lack of agenda, their conversations. And again and again I saw parents split up. The strain and worry of having severely disabled children exposed fault lines in their marriages.”

In The A Word, Joe’s mum worries about his sociability, while granddad Maurice (played by Christopher Eccleston) struggles to understand that autism is not a problem, and therefore isn’t anything to be ‘fixed’.

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4) The soundtrack is brilliant

A key part of Joe’s personality is his love of music and encyclopaedic knowledge of lyrics – and he has incredible taste, with a love of indie and rock classics.

Cue a brilliant opening scene of the five year-old singing along to the verbal gymnastics of Arctic Monkeys’ Mardy Bum, and the use of other tunes including Another Girl Another Planet by The Only Ones and touching use of The Mekons’ Where Were You.

BBC One, 9pm

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