Tag: TV
‘The Specials’ – reality TV that shows life with special needs
tubefilter News
via YouTube – Vote for The Specials!.
One politically correct thing to say about The Specials is that Sarah Silverman won’t be adopting them any time soon.
The cast of the 10-episode reality series features five young adults who have slightly varying degrees of learning disabilities; four of them Down’s syndrome, while the fifth, Lewis, has Williams Syndrome. The precedent for a show with an actor living with Down’s goes all the way back to Corky from Life Goes On to the more recent Retarded Policeman. But in The Specials, all the main players are disabled. It creates a far more inclusive dynamic. Each of the five principal cast members narrates scenes and intros and appearances by any other characters are limited.
Posted on June 3, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Down Syndrome | Tags: Down Syndrome, special needs, TV
Down syndrome harassment on “What Would You Do?” on ABC
ABC News
A grocery store bagger with Down syndrome who is harassed by a customer is featured this week on ABC News’ “What Would You Do?” – which creates situations and sees if people intervene. (The bagger is played by an actor with Down syndrome.) Did anyone intervene? The show airs May 19. From the ABC News press room:
Will anyone sound the whistle when they see two commercial pilots drinking heavily at an airport bar? Who will stand up for a bagger at a grocery store with special needs being harassed by an ignorant customer? Will restaurant patrons intervene when a waiter complains about a lesbian couple with a child? Using hidden cameras, “What Would You Do?” sets up everyday scenarios and then captures people’s reactions. Whether people are compelled to act or mind their own business, John Quiñones reports on their split-second and often surprising decision-making process, on a special edition of “Primetime: What Would You Do?” airing WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.
This series shows what people actually do in the face of everyday dilemmas that test their character and values. Friday’s scenarios include:
* DRUNK PILOTS: Hundreds of millions of Americans take to the skies each year trusting their pilot to get them to their destination safely. What would you do if you witnessed two commercial airline pilots drinking heavily at a bar – just an hour away from getting into the cockpit?
· SPECIAL NEEDS – SPECIAL TREATMENT: People with intellectual disabilities have more professional opportunities than ever before, but they still face ignorance and even bigotry. Working in cooperation with the National Down Syndrome Society, an actor with Down syndrome poses as a bagger in a grocery store. But it doesn’t take long for an ignorant customer – also an actor – to start protesting. “What’s the matter with you? Are you retarded?” he complains. Will unwitting observers, waiting their turn at the cashier, take a stand against this abuse or will they ignore it?
via ON A SPECIAL EDITION OF “WHAT WOULD YOU DO?,” AIRING WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 – ABC News’ Press Room.
Posted on May 18, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Down Syndrome | Tags: Down Syndrome, TV
Autism, Disco And Me: TV review
Metro (UK)
When James Hobley makes his professional debut as a dancer – and given his talent it is a when, not an if, even though he’s only 10 – Hollywood will be beating down the door to turn his story into a feel-good biopic. It’s Billy Elliot with the added twist of autism. If only Daniel Day-Lewis was 40 years younger and could get his leg behind his head without CGI, he’d have another Oscar in the bag.
James first sprang to attention in Sky1’s talent show Got To Dance, where his startling flexibility and curiously intense presence turned him into a contender. The worry was how an autistic child would cope with the intense pressure of a TV talent show but, as Autism, Disco And Me (BBC3) revealed, James is pretty hard core when it comes to strutting his stuff in front of judges. You have to be if you want to win the bizarre riot of sequins and hip dislocations that is Disco Kid.
via Autism, Disco And Me: TV review | Metro.co.uk.
Posted on May 7, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Autism, children with Autism, review, TV, UK
‘Dad’s in Heaven With Nixon’ – Autism – Something That Families Share
The New York Times
Normally, when you reach the end of a documentary and say to yourself, “I’m not sure which character that film was about,” it’s a bad thing, a sign of unclear writing and poor execution. But in the case of “Dad’s in Heaven With Nixon,” Tuesday night on Showtime, it’s a testament to how rich this bittersweet tale is.
Posted on April 7, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Autism, review, TV
Asperger’s syndrome on Arthur
YouTube
Watch the character Brain explain Asperger’s syndrome on the PBS animated kids’ series Arthur. One of Arthur’s friends, Carl, has Asperger’s:
Posted on March 18, 2010 | 1 Comment | Category: Autism | Tags: Asperger's, children with Autism, TV
NBC’s ‘Parenthood’ brings real-life autism to TV
Washington Times
Stimeyland blogger Jean Winegardner writes about a character with Asperger’s syndrome in this Washington Times post:
As a parent of a child with autism, I have watched with interest several television programs that have featured autistic characters. NBC’s new hour-long drama “Parenthood” is the newest of these programs, and one that holds a great deal of promise.
I am interested in autistic characters on television for the same reasons many other minority groups are interested in seeing people representative of them on television. It educates, it normalizes and it includes. I’ve been disappointed in the past by autistic portrayals on TV, notably Mary McDonnell’s doctor with Asperger’s on “Grey’s Anatomy,” because the characters just didn’t ring true and seemed to perpetuate stereotypes.
I’ve been seeing commercials for “Parenthood” for a long time, but just learned last week that one of the characters, Max, is a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. This is intriguing because I can’t think of any instances in which a child has played a person with autism. I was further compelled to watch after learning that “Parenthood” producer Jason Katims has a 13-year-old son with Asperger’s, which means the situations surrounding Max come from a place of experience.
via NBC’s ‘Parenthood’ Brings Real-Life Autism to TV | Washington Times Communities.
Posted on March 8, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Asperger's, Autism, TV