Max (represented by WYSPA) plays the youngest son of the Hughes family, whose diagnosis of autism affects the whole family. He stars alongside Lee Ingleby and Morven Christie as his parents, and Christopher Eccleston, Greg McHugh and Vinette Robinson.
The family realises that if their son is ever going to communicate, they are going to have to learn how to communicate themselves. It’s a funny and thought-provoking series about parenthood and childhood, written by BAFTA-winning writer Peter Bowker, who said of the project:
“We have the opportunity here to make something funny, tough, realistic and inventive about contemporary family life and autism. In a society where imperfection increasingly comes with blame attached, it seems timely to look at how autism is regarded both within a family and the wider community – and to give some insight into how that experience might be for the child on the autism spectrum. It’s a drama full of ideas – about parenthood, about disability, about communication, about community – and will emphatically engage an audience whatever their experience of the subject.”
Polly Hill, BBC Controller of Drama, said: "The A Word tackles parts of life that aren't always easy and Peter has drawn on the absolute highs, lows and challenges so many families face when a child is different to other children, in a beautiful way. With Peter’s award-winning track record and history of drama tackling tough subjects, The A Word is set to be a rollercoaster of a series which is ultimately an uplifting, honest and human drama for BBC One.”
The series is based on a Keshet International and July August Productions’ series and drama format which was written and created by Keren Margalit, who will be an executive producer on the UK series.
Filming on the six-part drama will continue in the Lake District and also at Manchester’s Space Project until early 2016 and is expected to air in late Spring 2016.