The Specials is part of the much maligned tradition of cheaply produced docusoaps, a television genre which seems to have lost its way over the last few years. So we should be thankful that this wonderful show has bucked the trend by daring to be different.
The show is centred on five housemates living the classic student life in Brighton. So far, so Hollyoaks-On-Sea. But what makes The Specials stand out is that all five housemates have learning disabilities.
There is no earnest hand-wringing and no worthy attempt to explain the problems which beset Lucy, Sam, Megan and Hilly who all have Down’s syndrome and Lewis who suffers from Williams syndrome, a disorder characterised by unusual language skills. Instead, the show focuses purely on the characters as they grow up, fall in love and go shopping at Tesco.
The main focus of the series is on the changing dynamics of the friends’ relationships as Lewis’ girlfriend Megan moves in and their relationship begins to unravel. It’s not all angst though, with surf lessons, interviewing popstars, gold medals at the Special Olympics and some extraordinary singing and dancing.
The undoubted star of the show is Sam, a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, falls in love at the drop of the hat and simply cannot comprehend that the Ladyboys of Bangkok are not actually female: “They are real girls – trust me,” he tells his support worker.
The level of independence and maturity that the housemates demonstrate is heartwarming to see as they live together in their family unit, but it’s the love and affection they have for each other which makes this series truly shine.
After funding for the initial television run fell through, producer Katy Lock decided to launch the show on the internet: the only place this wonderful series has been available until now. That is set to change with the upcoming release of all ten episodes on DVD.
Meet the amazing cast, watch the series and buy the DVD here:
http://www.the-specials.com/home.
Great review!
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