http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/oct/26/bbc-drama-the-a-word-christopher-eccleston-autism
Former Doctor Who star says he is ‘proud’ to star in the six-part series looking at a family struggling to cope when the youngest son is diagnosed with autism.
Former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston has said he is “proud” to star in The A Word, a new six-part BBC1 drama with autism at its heart.
Revolving around the Hughes family, The A Word depicts their struggle to come to terms with life when the youngest son is diagnosed with autism.
Described as “a funny and thought-provoking series about parenthood and childhood”, it will tell the story of how the Hugheses learn to communicate properly with each other in order to communicate with their autistic family member.
Talking about the project, Eccleston said: “I’m very proud to be reunited with writer Peter Bowker on The A Word. This is a special job for us all. We hope the audience take us to their hearts.”
Rounding out the cast of The A Word is Our Zoo’s Lee Ingleby, Grantchester’s Morven Christie and Fresh Meat’s Greg McHugh.
The original series, Pilpelim Tsehubim, was broadcast in Israel in 2010. It was written and created by Keren Margalit, who will be an executive producer on the UK version.
In addition to writing duties, Bafta winner Bowker, who won for BB2 drama Marvellous, will also executive produce.
Twice Academy award-nominated Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty, Rev) will direct.
Bowker said: “We have the opportunity here to make something funny, tough, realistic and inventive about contemporary family life and autism. In a society where imperfection increasingly comes with blame attached, it seems timely to look at how autism is regarded both within a family and the wider community - and to give some insight into how that experience might be for the child on the autism spectrum.”
He added: “It’s a drama full of ideas – about parenthood, about disability, about communication, about community – and will emphatically engage an audience whatever their experience of the subject.”
The A Word will be shot on location in The Lake District and also at Manchester’s Space Project.
