In a rare occurrence, ABC’s new hit sitcom “Speechless,” which depicts the life of a teenager with cerebral palsy and his family, has been signed to a full season after just two episodes.
The series has been one of the most critically acclaimed new shows of the fall season and will now air an additional nine episodes to what was originally planned. Fans of the show praise “Speechless” for its portrayal of a teenager with cerebral palsy in contrast to the few other depictions in film and television, which usually present characters with disabilities in a tragic light. Another unique aspect of the show is that its star, Micah Fowler, has cerebral palsy himself.
Executive producer and “Friends” veteran Scott Silveri created the show based on his own experiences growing up with a brother with a disability. Through a comedic lens, the show tackles the issues a family faces in raising a nonverbal child who relies on a wheelchair to navigate. Silveri describes the show as “like where comedy meets therapy.” It also stars Minnie Driver as Fowler’s mother.
