livapr99

2/10

Four years on and I'm still unable to comprehend why this garbage fire of a production was renewed not once, but twice by the BBC. Sensationalism at its finest, The A Word purports to be about the exploits of young Joe, a five-year-old music lover who just so happens to be autistic. What it's actually about is the relationship troubles of the adults in his life, most of whom are intolerable in their ignorance towards others, and the impact that his big bad condition has on his family unit. Great. I definitely tuned into a show that marketed itself as an exploration of an autistic individual's outlook on the world to hear about his grandad's sexual endeavours, or how his mother is completely justified in wanting to 'change him back' and reconnect with the son that she has 'lost'. That's not even getting into the racism, sexism, and homophobia on display throughout the entire programme; in the first episode alone, Alison, our alleged protagonist, refers to her black sister-in-law as a "wh*re" for having engaged in an affair, and in the fourth, her husband Paul remarks that if he had known the woman caring for Joe was letting him listen to rock and roll, he would have "had her deported sooner". That's right: the characters we're supposed to be rooting for are nothing but a bunch of entitled *ssh*les who are unable to cope with the idea that world doesn't reflect their own personal beliefs, even if those beliefs are incredibly harmful and toxic. In the third episode, when it's revealed that Alison literally bullied a speech therapist who is trying to get Joe the help he needs when they were both in secondary school, the show bends over backwards to excuse her actions as those of an insecure teenager, even having her crack a joke about how maybe her bullying her had a positive impact on her life since it led her towards becoming a therapist in the first place. Just...no. Do yourselves a favour and don't waste your time or braincells on this sorry excuse for a show. Turns out the real "A Word" was 'ableism'...

Joe

0/10

I love this show! It's actually quite a personal thing for me, as I am an autistic male, called... Joe! Unlike my fictional counterpart, I was diagnosed at 10, not 5, but this show definitely draws on familiar experiences. With regards the other characters, well, obviously his sister Rebecca is lovely, while her friend is awesome too! Uncle Eddie, played by the amazing Greg McHugh, is a delight, unlike his wife Nicola, who's not the world's most faithful woman. There's also his well-intentioned dad, his aggressive mum, and his more aggressive grandad. We also meet various counsellors, babysitters (again, delightful!) and Rebecca's morally dubious boyfriend, and his odious friend. Definitely give this one a go! You won't regret it! :)