The A Word

No-one does TV drama like the BBC. The Americans do it very well, but not in the same way. But no-one gets it so annoyingly, irritating, piously and awkwardly wrong like the BBC either.

Let's get the good one out of the way first - the writing by Peter Bowker in The A Word is stunning. It brings to life the complexities of a family challenged by the sinking realism that their beautiful son has autism. The direction and photography and sense of place is spot on. Sometimes it's the little touches that make a difference. I'm sure a continuity anorak like me, but with more detailed knowledge of the English Lakes, will tell you what's wrong, but I liked the fact that they nip to Lancaster. You do, when you live up there. A lazier writer would have looked at a map and sent them to Penrith.

Apart from poor Joe, the 5 year old at the centre of the story, but always on the edge of it, the characters all drive you mad. Well, families do, don't they? Sometimes they work it out and sometimes they can't.

I hesitated before watching it, so I've binged on it this week. I don't need a TV drama to know what effect a child with profound special educational and emotional needs has on a family. It's uncomfortable, the shock, the stages of comprehension and the allowances you make are all there. But more than anything is the love, protective sometimes,irrational, confused and flawed, but real love. There are times I've hid behind the sofa in a way I haven't since Doctor Who, as there are reactions and emotions on display that ring too true. I read somewhere that it didn't speak a truth about one reviewer's autistic brother. Maybe so, but that's not the point. It didn't try to be the last word on autism any more than it is about the tensions of succession in family businesses.

The real skill is that actually, really, nothing much is happening. It's just the stuff of life. I don't crave realism - I'm addicted to the Walking Dead afterall - but this is where The A Word is bang on. I've sat at a bus stop in a rural Northern village with my schoolfriends and then watched a scene in The A Word and gone, yes, that works for me. I've seen teachers tip-toe around issues and I know how hard it is to fight for extra support. Yes, all good.

At the end of it all though it's the writing. You can create the most fantastic high concept of a story but without character you can believe in, then it's sunk.

I was a bit nervous about The A Word, I anticipated that the BBC would not pass up the chance to get preachy. Fortunately they (mostly) resisted that temptation - the autism's main role is to stir up an already complex web of family relationships, and The A Word follows the response to that perturbation in the same way as say Mike Leigh does (without getting that miserable). So the autistic son plays an oddly peripheral role, not least because he shuts us out as viewers as well as his parents; the core of the drama revolves around his parents trying to cope with him and trying to present a happy, "normal" facade. I'm no expert on how families cope with that sort of thing, but there seemed to be some truth in their response, even if you could quibble with the detail.

And it's just nice to have a "serious" drama these days that isn't trying to find a Nordic murderer...

I think they got the length just about right - I'm not sure I could have stuck with 26 episodes of the original Israeli version, but there was enough room for most of the subplots to "breathe" without outstaying their welcome. The exceptions were both on the business side - it felt like the original script had an interesting subplot about control of the brewery that was butchered until it barely made sense, and ditto about the development of the pub. Another half an hour would have cracked it - but both could be developed in a second series.

Oh, and I'd disagree that a microbrewery and a glorified burger van make you "rich". The brewery looked like it was around 15 barrels capacity, so one step up from a "starter" microbrewery, the kind you would have after a few years trading and perhaps some awards that got you recognition beyond the local area - that would describe Coniston brewery, which I assume is where it was filmed? But you don't get "rich" off that kind of setup. If they were rich, they wouldn't be converting a derelict barn in the middle of nowhere to turn into a pub, they'd be buying an existing pub (of which there are plenty for sale in the Lakes). It's true that the BBC "Waitrosed" their home life but in terms of income they're on a similar level to people with a burger van and a back street boozer in the inner city.

Wonderful programme, wonderfully acted, wonderful locations, a tour de force. This review is almost necessarily short as I can only find superlatives to write about all the above and a special superlative for the beautiful script. Superb in every way.

Very good show, presenting a side of the Autism spectrum and the challenges parents and the community face. I also like the way the show deals with controlling people, and how controlling and self-centered people have an extremely hard time trying to control the Autistic, who in turn refuse to play their games.

Love every moment of this serie. Realistic and touching. Third season has been much better than expected.