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Speechless in the Media
By possibilities, September 22, 2016 in Speechless
alexvillage 3.3k
I wasn't a loyal follower of the show because I don't watch TV at the times the shows go on, and until I signed up for Hulu I missed several episodes. I had a few problems with the show in the beginning. There is a very well known divide in the disability community: some physically disabled people, including some who are very well known, openly reject the inclusion of developmentally and intellectually disabled people in the conversation, events, and even in the community itself. They are generally known as the "our minds are fine" group. Ableism exists.
I was holding my breath that the show would go that way, and in the first episodes they did fumble. But I know some reached out to the producers and they did listen. They didn't fully included the most marginalized - and the show wasn't about that - but they did tackle a number of issues that are important to all disabled people.
Really appreciate the show.
readster 7.0k
5 minutes ago, alexvillage said:
Exactly and the show also dealt with things people don't want to deal with like helicopter parents. They brought in the bad and the good and gasp! Maya learned over the course of the series. Even in the final season seeing a mom who never learned even though her son was much better equipped to be on his own and her reply was: "I just don't want him hurt!" She though in my opinion did fail on the education side. Not that some schools don't shun or try to get kids to pass. However, they at times treated like JJ's teachers never: filed reports, made phone calls, didn't have counselors, were big schools but never had aids as a thought process. Thinking it was more of like it was the last 1980s or early 1990s. TV shows like this really do need to hire practicing teachers who have had more Special Needs students in all forms. Then even when they do things for a joke, they at least are grounded in reality and make things funny.
There were many times from the principal to the teachers on Speechless where I wanted to go: "You be out on your ass or sued by now!" IMO, the teachers on The Goldbergs and Schooled are much more realistic.
Robert Lynch 3.6k
I think Micah Fowler would be fine. His sister is also an actress as well and I am sure she is supportive of his dreams.
Edited May 11, 2019 by Robert Lynch
GRChereck 669
12 hours ago, 71dude said:
Gutted to lose this and The Kids Are Alright at the same time - I really enjoyed that show too.
Oh man... :( TKAA was easily my favorite of the four new ABC comedies -- I thought the parents were great to begin with, and I really grew to like all those boys over the course of the season.
8 hours ago, bros402 said:
I hope that this show leads to better/more representation of people with disabilities in media.
I'll miss talking with you guys about this fun little show of ours
I hope so too; and yeah, I will definitely miss talking and writing about this show here with y'all, as well as on The TV Ratings Guide (s.1 & 2 "musical moments" article and s.3 recaps/reviews) and elsewhere. :')
More comments from cast and crew:
And from some of the critics who have been most supportive of the show: Linda Holmes (NPR / "Pop Culture Happy Hour" podcast), Alan Sepinwall (UPROXX / Rolling Stone), Todd VanDer Wurff (Vox), Kristen Lopez (TV Guide), and Daniel Feinberg (Hollywood Reporter)
Crs97 10.7k
ABC just broke my heart. With two kids with special needs, one of whom graduates this year, hubby and I loved the show and have been begging people to watch it. It should have been walking away with all the awards. It will be sorely missed. 💔
wonderwoman 1.3k
so disappointed to hear this. abc should be hanging their head in shame, given how little they did to promote "speechless." and yet "modern family," a show long past its expiration date, get another season that's sure to be as tedious as the one just past.
shakes head sadly...
eta: also sad is that with only three seasons, there's little chance for syndication.
Edited May 11, 2019 by wonderwoman
kathyk2 436
I agree that Speechless didn't get special education right. However they were one of the only shows to highlight how inaccessible the public can be. I loved that Jimmy and Maya had a successful marriage and they never tried to "fix" JJ. The sibling rivalry was real too.
From two of my favorite fan Twitter feeds:
From the lady behind the @RenewSpeechless campaign:
And last but certainly not least, from Cerebral Palsy Foundation:
A lovely write-up from Pop Culture Uncovered:
https://popcultureuncovered.com/2019/05/11/review-brew-speechless-we-hardly-knew-you/
And semi-OT, but a nice interview / photo spread with JRB:
https://rowingblazers.com/blogs/dispatches/this-is-john-ross-bowie ❤️
(I'll keep an eye out for further series tributes, as well as any end-of-season / end-of-year best-of lists...)
possibilities 22.0k
It wasn't perfect, but it did a lot of things no one else has done on TV, and for that I was grateful.
My best friend had CP and it affected her speech a lot, and people did assume she was incapable of thinking when she wasn't, so that's a sore point, like how people who are blind are often assumed to be incapable of doing things they are perfectly capable of doing, so navigating the "don't get your disabilities confused!" territory is very delicate, and I agree the show didn't handle that well in the beginning.
Still, it did a lot of other things well.
My fantasy is that they spin off JJ at college (or later, as an adult) into its own show, like The Fosters did with Good Trouble, or black-ish did with grown-ish. If they did that, I would actually be fine with the cancellation of this show, because it would be hard to juggle the whole family with stories at the same time as having JJ be thousands of miles away. And keeping JJ at home forever would have not been ideal, either.
I'm worried, though, that they just didn't know how to imagine the show with JJ living independently. They really didn't set it up very well. I mean, the season finale was good, but it was a very sudden change in level of independence, and they didn't build it up very credibly.
Edited May 11, 2019 by possibilities
Court 5.7k
Darn it. I missed this news. I adored this show. This is one I would campaign to save.
bros402 3.2k
17 hours ago, readster said:
I am at least happy the show was being smart and wrote the finale as a closer just in case. However, I do feel there was plenty of stories on the show. I also think that deciding to have Modern Family have (a final season wrap up) helped to kill the show. Though I do believe Fresh off the Boat should have gone first and not Speechless.
Constance Wu thinks the same about Fresh off the Boat (at least judging by her angry tweets!)
Yeah, the school situation on this show wasn't realistic at all - I mean there are shades of realistic things, but all heightened to the point of absurdity, even for a sitcom. TV Shows could just go to a college that has some education majors, go "hey does this sound realistic" and get better answers than the stuff the writers pulled out of nowhere 😛
Out of the professional staff, the principal was the closest to reality - there are principals who will just try to give parents whatever they want.
And there can be odd teachers and some teachers can act like Mr. Powers and draw more attention to the student with a disability through their excess praise.
But yeah, this school would've been sued on like Day 2 of JJ being there.
11 hours ago, kathyk2 said:
Speechless did not get Special Education right at alllll - just look at any of my comments on this forum when they had an episode that touched on any aspect of special education. This show was good for the other aspects.
Yes, and as someone who has been in education for almost a decade, oh yes, I have seen principals who cave WAY to easily, but at the same time, they know what their jobs are. Last season pissed a lot of us with JJ repeating his senior year because it completely rang false. Even when the principal told Maya she wasn't going to get her way. Maya's next reply would have been: "Isn't your job to make sure your teachers are being evaluated or having your school counselors have regular interviews or emails with JJ's teachers?" But it was just hand waved that Maya was called on her crap, but in reality, it was just... stupid!
Well the counselors wouldn't have to talk to JJ's teachers or email with them at all - that'd be whoever JJ's case manager is. In NJ, IEP case managers are usually LDT-Cs (Learning Disability Teacher-Consultants), aka teachers who want out of the classroom. but not into administration.
It was very, very stupid - I could understand if they had come to that reasoning on their own, the principal, the teachers, and the DiMeo's, going "Hey, we think JJ might not be fully prepared for college yet, this choice is up to you, but we think you should keep JJ here another year."
I had an IEP K-12 (and an IFSP before that), and I have a BA in Elementary & Special Education, so i've experienced both sides of the fun 😛
(I can't actually use the degree because a year after getting my degree, while still looking for jobs, I got diagnosed with a rare cancer, did chemo for two years, currently not on chemo, but immune system is still not happy at me 2 years later, and schools are petri dishes)
Aww... :')
Semi-OT: Last Thursday, Micah presented at the EasterSeals Disability Film Challenge Awards (he was also one of the finalists for Best Actor).
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/05/13/1822870/0/en/Entertainment-Industry-Unites-for-Easterseals-Disability-Film-Challenge-Awards-to-Honor-Filmmakers-Who-Inspire-Change.html :)
About "Second Date"
YT playlist for all 71 of this year's entries
Edited May 13, 2019 by GRChereck
msrachelj 4.0k
it makes me so angry and sad when a show like this (and "the kids are alright"! another fave of mine) gets cancelled . meanwhile, toxic shit like 2 1/2 men to name one, go on forever. it really says something about society as a whole when actual funny shows, especially those that have a message, get trashed and assine woman bashing shit shows go on.
Edited May 15, 2019 by msrachelj · Reason: spell
Make of this what you will...
Deadline: Canceling 'Speechless' was a "gut-wrenching" decision for ABC chief Karey Burke
On the ABC 2019-20 schedule, the 1-hour TGIF block will continue with 'American Housewife' moving to 8 p.m. / 7 p.m. Central, bumping FOTB into 'Speechless'' former slot. (Gee, I wonder how much more ABC will actually promote their TGIF shows now -- and of course, there won't be a FOX comedy block to contend with...)
And a pair of nice essays:
The Federalist: Why ABC made a mistake canceling 'Speechless'
Leanne Leeds (blog): Mother's Day reflections (from a heart mom)
16 hours ago, GRChereck said:
I think she said the same exact thing about another show they cancelled on ABC
I am reminded of a guy who unceremoniously dumps you, but then wants you to console him because it was such a tough decision for him. No, I don't feel better. If it were such a gut-wrenching decision, she wouldn't have made it.
On 5/16/2019 at 1:54 AM, bros402 said:
Oh yeah, I recall seeing a similar headline about (I think) 'Whiskey Cavalier.' :\
On 5/16/2019 at 5:56 AM, Crs97 said:
Not to mention she failed to take the possibility of future syndication into account -- 'Speechless' was just one full season away from almost reaching the minimum 88 eps (it would've had 85), and probably could've eked out a shortened s.5 to bring it closer to the preferred 100 episodes. As it is now, ABC has only one comedy (AH) that is close to syndication without yet being there; as for the newer comedies that got renewed, as much as I like 'Single Parents' and (to a lesser extent) 'Bless This Mess,' with the kinds of numbers they've already been pulling I doubt either will even get a third season. :p
Chicago Tribune: With 'Speechless' canceled, hardly any broadcast TV series prominently features a disabled actor -- why representation in Hollywood matters
TV Insider: 7 network TV cancellations that hurt the most -- photos (also, "Ask Matt" weighs in on the ABC comedy cancellations / renewals, Constance Wu's tweets and 'Modern Family' ending)
Oh yeah, I recall seeing a similar headline about (I think) 'Whiskey Cavalier.' 😕
Ah yeah, Whiskey Cavalier - fun show
Kimmmmmm 1.0k
Meanwhile, that screaming crapfest "The Goldbergs" gets the go-ahead
14 hours ago, Kimmmmmm said:
Along with its spinoff.
But some people like The Goldbergs
Modern Family - I have no idea how that is still on the air, nobody I know likes it, the biggest reaction I get out of people is "eh." if I ask them about it
Have to admit, I kinda like "Schooled"....I like Lainie (sp?) and it contains no Goldbergs (or at least very little). That whole family needs to jump off a cliff, especially....all of them.
And you're right about "Modern Family". I was a big fan in the first few years, but it went on waaaaayyyyy too long.
On 5/11/2019 at 11:23 AM, GRChereck said:
And from some of the critics who have been most supportive of the show: Linda Holmes (NPR / "Pop Culture Happy Hour" podcast), Alan Sepinwall (UPROXX / Rolling Stone), Todd Emily VanDer Werff (Vox)...
How'd I miss this? Congrats to Emily on her transition! :)
Here is a short but sweet piece she wrote about the show back in January:
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/28/18201364/speechless-best-tv-shows-abc
I somehow missed this, too...
OregonLive: TV shows canceled in 2019 -- sad goodbyes, and good riddance (sorry!) (includes kind words for both 'Speechless' and TKAA)
On 6/13/2018 at 2:37 PM, GRChereck said:
http://www.emmys.com/ballots/2018
Art Direction/Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour) -- "B-R-I--British I-N-V--Invasion" (2x7) and "The H-U-S--Hustle" (2x12)
Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series -- "U-N--Unforgettable P-A--Pain" (2x15) and "One A-N--Angry M--Maya" (2x16)
Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation -- "N-O--Nominee" (2x18)
Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation -- "N-I--Nightmares on D-I--DiMeo S--Street" (2x5)
Directing for a Comedy Series -- "N-I--Nightmares on D-I--DiMeo S--Street" (Christine Gernon), "S-T--Star W--Wars W--Wars" (2x9) (Stuart McDonald), "U-N--Unforgettable P-A--Pain" (Anya Adams), and "One A-N--Angry M--Maya" (Bill Purple)
Writing for a Comedy Series -- "S-I--Silent N-I--Night" (2x10) (teleplay by Shana Goldberg-Meehan and Dan Holden, story by Danny Chun) and "One A-N--Angry M--Maya" (Carrie Rosen and Zach Anner)
Lead Actress in a Comedy -- Minnie Driver *
Supporting Actor in a Comedy -- John Ross Bowie *, Mason Cook, and Micah Fowler (no Cedric Yarbrough? dang... :( )
* - Minnie and John were also submitted for their guest turns as Lorraine Finster on 'Will & Grace' ("Rosario's Quinceanera") and Barry Kripke on 'Big Bang Theory' ("The Athenaeum Allocation"), respectively. :D
https://www.emmys.com/ballots/2019
Final-season Emmy submissions:
Art Direction/Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour) -- "L-O-N-- London (Part 2)" (3x2)
Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation -- "U-N-R-- Unrealistic" (3x22)
Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation -- "U-N-R-- Unrealistic"
Directing for a Comedy Series -- "W-H-- Wheelchair P-L-- Planet" (3x16) (Christine Gernon), "S-P-- Special B-- Boy T-I-- Time" (3x17) (Robert Cohen), and "U-N-R-- Unrealistic" (Bill Purple)
Writing for a Comedy Series -- "The S-T-A-- Staircase" (3x21) (Greg Gallant and Zach Anner) and "U-N-R-- Unrealistic" (Scott Silveri and Matt Roller)
Supporting Actor in a Comedy -- Micah Fowler and Cedric Yarbrough
* - Minnie was also submitted for her guest turn as Lorraine Finster on 'Will & Grace' ("Anchor Away"). (John Ross Bowie was submitted for one of his three guest appearances as Barry Kripke on the final season of 'Big Bang Theory' -- "The Plagiarism Schism.") :)
Metro (UK) -- a brief Q&A with Minnie
Hollywood Reporter -- an in-depth conversation with JRB and his wife, Jamie Denbo (creator of the new Lifetime series 'American Princess') ❤️ ❤️
balmz 404
reposting this from my reddit
it's a real shame that speechless got canceled but to be honest, i'm not surprised at all, season 3 and the later part of season 2 had way too much focus on dating and romance which made the quality of the show go downhill
Like for instance
basically every plot about ray with one exception (him and jimmy not bonding over repairs) in those seasons was about him trying to find a girl or date or something annoying and boring with romance
next we had jj trying to find someone to date and that taking up important screentime
like i know they are teenagers but there's was way too much focus on dating/romance
like it's ok to be single, i myself am single and am fine with it, have been for years, i prefer frankly to be alone
I would have liked to have seen more family plots or non romance plots, like ray liked astronomy or science things, it would have be cool to explore that more
jj didn't really have much interests and that could have been interesting to cover, him trying out new things for hobbies
dylan at least had sports as a hobby and notably she only ever dated one person briefly and didn't focus on it
anyway just want to share my thoughts on the overuse of dating and how it killed the show imo
8 hours ago, balmz said:
I thought the Izzy and JJ plot was one of the best of the season. Disabled people are often portrayed as not being interested in dating. I agree they wasted too much time on Taylor and Ray.
Ray overfocusing on dating, yeah - the Taylor plot at the end of season 2 was....not good. They should've kept them together, or had them break up over something that... wasn't that.
But JJ, no, it was the perfect amount - disabled people are seen as asexual by society - JJ dating was a good thing. It would've been good to have seen Ray get involved in some kind of science club and naturally develop a healthy relationship that way.
9 hours ago, kathyk2 said:
well i see your point about jj and izzy , but i have some bad disabilities myself and i was just never interested in dating, even as a young child i just preferred to be alone and not hang out with people romantically or otherwise, i was always kinda a loner tbh so maybe that's why i disliked the romance plots aside from it being overused
15 hours ago, balmz said:
I am also disabled (CP, autism, anxiety, motor skill issues) - I am an introvert, but I think I would at least like to try dating someone.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauradorwart/2019/06/20/no-stunt-double-a-qa-with-micah-fowler-of-abcs-speechless/
Micah's first interview since the cancellation, as far as I know -- he weighs in on the show's impact, his experience working on it, disability representation in general, and his hopes for the future. :)
Semi-OT: THR had an interesting piece earlier this week about what appears to be a promising development for disability inclusion in Hollywood.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cbs-signs-pledge-audition-actors-disabilities-1219640
Paste: 25 Best Shows of 2019 (so far) -- 'Speechless' made #19! :)
According to TV Shows on DVD, Season 3 was released on MOD DVD last Tuesday (I didn't find out about it until over the weekend); unlike s.1 and 2, it won't be available on Amazon (at least for now).
https://www.moviezyng.com/024543637455.aspx
More info on MovieZyng Warehouse -- About Us & FAQs
Okay, NOW Amazon has a page for the s.3 DVD!
HERE :D
Edited August 3, 2019 by GRChereck
Year-end and decade best-of lists:
Paste: 50 Best TV Shows of 2019 (#29)
USA Today: 25 Best TV Shows and Series of the 2010s (#23)
Aww... :( Cosmo, who played Pepper in s.2 and 3, passed away earlier this week after complications from surgery:
https://tvline.com/2019/12/16/fuller-house-cosmo-dead-dog-dies-surgery-complications/
(Since he was also a regular on Fuller House, I'm guessing that might explain his sporadic appearances in s.3...)
Tributes:
One more year-end list -- I thought this was sweet...
Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR): 50 Wonderful Things From 2019
48. I have rarely been as frustrated by the vanishing of a wonderful network comedy as I was by the end of ABC's Speechless. But to its credit, the show managed to end in a place that offered hope and a path forward to the lovable DiMeo family. I consider it one of the big losses of 2019, but it still gave me a lot of highlights.
Edited December 31, 2019 by GRChereck
S03.E19: P-R-O-M-P-- PROMPOSAL
S03.E18: S-E-- SEOUL B-R-- BROTHERS
S03.E22: U-N-R-- UNREALISTIC
S03.E21: THE S-T-A-- STAIRCASE
S03.E20: ON THE R-O-- ROAD A-G-- AGAIN
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