A Word spin-off to make TV history as actors with Down's Syndrome take the lead
22.02.2022 - 16:15
/ ok.co.uk
It's not often that a television show comes along and the director can genuinely say: "We're changing the world." Ralph & Katie is a spin-off to the hugely popular BBC One series The A Word, which won praise for raising awareness of autism as it followed a family as they came to terms with their son's diagnosis. Now, the spin-off will – for the first time in British TV history – see two actors who have Down’s Syndrome take the lead roles.
Leon Harrop and Sarah Gordy star as Ralph and Katie in the six-part drama, which focuses on the domestic challenges they will face as newlyweds. The ground-breaking series will also mark a significant drive to be more inclusive, with ITV Studios and BBC Drama teaming up with Triple DANC – an organisation that works with disabled artists – on the drama.
They will offer behind-the-scenes access for those interested who are deaf, disabled, autistic and neuro-divergent, and at an early stage in their career. Get exclusive celebrity stories and fabulous photoshoots straight to your inbox withOK!'s daily newsletter.
Director Jordan Hogg, who has a disability, says: "We're embarking on something that's never been attempted in our industry, we're changing the world." Leon Harrop has already been a hit in the three series of The A Word, which also starred Pooky Quesnel as Ralph’s mum, and Christopher Eccleston as his step-dad Maurice. Ralph and Katie's wedding took place at the end of the last series of The A Word, and Christopher said that the pair's carers “really struggle letting the kids have their independence”.
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