Page 28 - CL winter 2023 for web

arts: TV

Ralph and Katie who fancied featuring people with
negotiate married Down syndrome and found,
life – and too much miraculously, that they could act.
help when Ralph
has his leg in a cast There is much to relish in this
lively, intelligent, good-hearted
series, its talented stars and the high-
quality ensemble around them.

n I Used to be Famous, Vince
(Ed Skrein), a faded boy-band
Istar, is drifting into middle age
in bedsit land broke, depressed and
forgotten. It’s 20 years since he last
A BBC comedy drama looks at married life for a performed. Hawking his
synthesiser around pubs, he has
couple with Down syndrome, and a former boy doors slammed in his face.
band star is inspired. Simon Jarrett holds the remote When he is reduced to busking
on a bench, a teenager appears
behind him and starts to play along
using his drumsticks and, to Vince’s
Making their lives surprise, is pretty good. This turns
out to be the autistic Stevie (played
by neurodiverse actor Leo Long).
The rest of the movie tells the
story of their complicated
relationship and collaboration.
Ralph and Katie important issues using a light touch The main characters are dealing
iPlayer without feeling boringly worthy. with loss. Vince has lost his career
In one striking episode, Ralph is and celebrity. Stevie’s hopes of a
I Used to be Famous confined to the sofa with his leg in a musical future are blocked by
Netflix cast. The house fills with concerned prejudice and his own difficulties.
family members, the support Stevie’s single mum Amber (Eleanor
worker, a neighbour and friends, Matsuura) has buried her dreams of
n the A Word, an excellent and starts to resemble a care home becoming a dancer to bring him up.
BBC series featuring a Lake as everyone scurries about trying to Netflix has designated this a
District family with an autistic “help” while ignoring Katie and feelgood movie, so you know the
child, two fairly minor reducing Ralph to a helpless patient. drill. However, all have a bumpy
characters with Down Another episode deals with ride to get there and the film has
syndrome got married. illness and fear of death. In a terrific some interesting things to say.
I They are now the subject of scene, Ralph tells his over-solicitous Feelings of guilt and grief drive
a spin-off series, Ralph and Katie. and patronising neighbour Brian Vince’s unhealthy saviour mentality
Ralph and Katie Wilson (Leon (Craig Cash) to “fuck off”. over his protégé. Amber is terrified
Harrop and Sarah Gordy) are Parental anxiety and the struggles her son will get hurt if she lets go.
settling down to married life. of the couple to adapt to married Stevie is often crushed by everyone
They live in the same Lakeland life, exacerbated by obstacles from else’s anxieties and assumptions.
village, but have engaged a support having a learning disability, are Worth a watch, despite
worker and have their own place, strongly woven into each episode. its clichés. n
complete with interfering There have been some Twitter
neighbour and worried parents mutterings about there being more
constantly knocking on the door. people with Down syndrome in TV
Let’s first celebrate the fact that roles than those with other learning
there is a six-part, prime-time BBC disabilities. However, this criticism
comedy drama exploring the lives is churlish when we have waited so
of people with learning disabilities long for any visibility on TV at all.
seriously with empathy and Also, Harrop and Gordy are highly
humour. I could not have envisaged trained, accomplished actors who
that happening even 10 years ago. have been working professionally
Second, once the series hits its since their schooldays. Each has
stride (in my opinion around faced rejection and prejudice. They
episode three), it engages with were not parachuted in by a director BBC

28 Community Living winter 2023 vol 36 no 2