Season two of A Kind of Spark starts on BBC iplayer on 26th April and on the 28th in USA. I’ve added a link to the trailer for those who are interested. The author is autistic and the main characters are autistic actors.
Season two of A Kind of Spark starts on BBC iplayer on 26th April and on the 28th in USA. I’ve added a link to the trailer for those who are interested. The author is autistic and the main characters are autistic actors.
I just watched the first episode of this (having read that the star of Patience was in it).
I know it’s a kids programme and primarily aimed at girls but there were a couple of things in it that brutally hit home with me. Particularly when the main character’s friend basically dumps her because a popular girl told her to and said “things are more complicated at high school”.
I really hated high school and the way it made me feel about people.
It's a great show whether for kids or not. Before Patience, it was the only show we had. The school scenes in the first series really hit home for me.
Before Patience, it was the only show we had.
I've put together a list of TV series and films where the lead characters or a significant character is autistc - there is actually quite a lot out there:
Lead characters in a TV series who are autistic
Sam Gardner — Atypical
Dr. Shaun Murphy — The Good Doctor
Woo Young-Woo — Extraordinary Attorney Woo
The Big Bang Theory - most male characters
Joe Hughes — The A Word
Josh Thomas — Everything’s Gonna Be Okay
other autistic characters in a TV series:
Julia – Sesame Street
Lola — Cha Cha Real Smooth
Quinni — Heartbreak High
Abed Nadir — Community
J.J. Jones — Skins
Max Braverman — Parenthood
Spencer Reid — Criminal Minds
Sonya Cross — The Bridge
autistic characters in films:
Temple Grandin — Temple Grandin
Arnie Grape — What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Raymond Babbitt — Rain Man
Samuel Dawson — I Am Sam
Kyle Graham — After Thomas
Linda — Snow Cake
This does not cover documentaries and I'm sure it is only a partial list - does anyone hace any idea if there is a more comprehensive list anywhere?
I don't see why you couldn't have lots of shows with characters who happen to be autistic, just like all the other characters who don't happen to be autistic but are interesting in some normal way, not in a freak type way.
I am borderline-obsessed with Astrid who is a bit freaky, but I think the message we need to be sending is "we are normal people".
That said, I crave anything that will make me forget about the orange jesus and his hitler saluting friend for an hour or two.
I agree though that more exposure to autistic people would be a good thing for breaking the stereotypes.
But the stereotypes are interesting to the public - they want novelty, they want a character with interesting challenges, they want them to fail sometimes but recover and do something amazing.
Everyday autists just aren't interesting enough for shows whose purpose is to entertain the masses and make them forget the storms, fires, high cost of living, difficulty finding a job, the fact the orange Jesus is in power now in the USA etc.
Depends on the form of jazzing up I suppose. Patience and Astrid add the savant stereotype, but are otherwise positive and empathetic characters.
The good doctor character is just horrible though. I wouldn't want people to think that's "how autistic people are".
I agree though that more exposure to autistic people would be a good thing for breaking the stereotypes. Ideally they'd just be ordinary people in soaps or whatever, who happen to be autistic. No super geniuses like Sherlock Holmes or horrors like the good doctor.
Depends on the form of jazzing up I suppose. Patience and Astrid add the savant stereotype, but are otherwise positive and empathetic characters.
The good doctor character is just horrible though. I wouldn't want people to think that's "how autistic people are".
I agree though that more exposure to autistic people would be a good thing for breaking the stereotypes. Ideally they'd just be ordinary people in soaps or whatever, who happen to be autistic. No super geniuses like Sherlock Holmes or horrors like the good doctor.
I don't see why you couldn't have lots of shows with characters who happen to be autistic, just like all the other characters who don't happen to be autistic but are interesting in some normal way, not in a freak type way.
I am borderline-obsessed with Astrid who is a bit freaky, but I think the message we need to be sending is "we are normal people".
That said, I crave anything that will make me forget about the orange jesus and his hitler saluting friend for an hour or two.
I agree though that more exposure to autistic people would be a good thing for breaking the stereotypes.
But the stereotypes are interesting to the public - they want novelty, they want a character with interesting challenges, they want them to fail sometimes but recover and do something amazing.
Everyday autists just aren't interesting enough for shows whose purpose is to entertain the masses and make them forget the storms, fires, high cost of living, difficulty finding a job, the fact the orange Jesus is in power now in the USA etc.