Speechless: P-I-PILOT

September 21, 2016 6:11 PM - Season 1, Episode 1

A mom is driven to do what's best for her family in this sitcom, which begins with the DiMeos moving yet again, enrolling the kids in a new school and searching for the right caregiver to give JJ, her eldest son with special needs, his voice.

AV Club - Speechless is a delightful addition to ABC’s stable of family sitcoms

Vulture review: "Let's be clear: Speechless is ground-breaking television. To my knowledge, it's the first-ever network television show that features a main character who is both in a wheelchair and played by someone in a wheelchair. By casting Micah Fowler to play J.J. DiMeo, the series sets an important, undeniable precedent, sending the clear message that there's no need to cast non-disabled actors for similar roles. Not only will people with disabilities see themselves represented on TV, the casting directors who claim there are "just no actors in wheelchairs out there" will have to put up or shut up. By that measure alone, Speechless is a huge success. And it's made even better by the fact that J.J. isn't a beacon of hope or a window into unknowable suffering or a burden on his parents. He's just a 16-year-old kid."

posted by oh yeah! (8 comments total)

Seconding the Vulture review - that was a really good first episode. No pandering, no cheap jokes, and no preaching.

In creating “Speechless,” Silveri is not trying to put out any sort of social message, stressing that the family comedy is not an issue-based series. “This isn’t going to be like the ramp-of-the-week show,” the “Friends” alum quips.

‘Speechless’ Creator on Casting Disabled Actors in Hollywood, ‘Demystifying’ Special Needs Community (Variety)
posted by filthy light thief at 7:13 PM on September 21, 2016

Yeah, that was terrific. I could see the Ray/astronomy-club girl stuff maybe going in an annoying direction, but, overall, a great pilot, great casting, looking forward to more.
posted by oh yeah! at 8:05 PM on September 21, 2016

As a parent of a special-needs kid (though not nearly as intense as J.J.'s), I could not identify more with the Minnie Driver character in the pilot, only she's like my anger translator. I'm much more polite and less crazy, but Minnie Driver's character is HOW I AM INSIDE MY HEAD.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:19 PM on September 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

Minnie Driver is a Known Quantity Of Quality, but John Ross Bowie surprised me with how well he was playing opposite her.
posted by Etrigan at 8:16 PM on September 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

I liked it quite a bit. It reminded me of The Michael J. Fox Show which was cancelled. Though, thankfully this show seems to not be as sitcom-esque as that one, which had promise but just couldn't find its feet.

Etrigan, you nailed it right on the head. I too was very impressed with John Ross Bowie's character and role. I think he'll be a perfect balance to Minnie Driver's character. I'll be tuning back in and hoping for more quality.
posted by Fizz at 5:39 PM on September 25, 2016

Every single member of that family is a distinct, but very real seeming oddball. Each of them was my favorite in at least one scene. That bodes well for the show's long term viability.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:23 AM on September 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

Good news: the network is giving this show a fair shot, with that timeslot; and the ratings for the premiere matched the rest of the night, meaning the audience gave it a fair shot too. I really enjoyed it and I'm feeling confident about its chances to succeed.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:56 PM on September 28, 2016 [1 favorite]

So far, this is my favorite new show of the season.
posted by spinturtle at 10:14 AM on October 5, 2016