''The Specials'' is a reality television series about five friends with
intellectual disabilities
Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation,Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signifi ...
who share a house in
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, UK.
Originally made as a web-series the show has since made the transition to television.
The five housemates, Sam, Hilly, Lewis, Megan and Lucy, have been friends since childhood. Aged between 19 and 23, one person, Lewis, has
Williams syndrome
Williams syndrome (WS) is a genetic disorder that affects many parts of the body. Facial features frequently include a broad forehead, underdeveloped chin, short nose, and full cheeks. Mild to moderate intellectual disability is observed in people ...
while the others have
Down syndrome
Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual d ...
. The series was launched o
its websiteon 2 September 2009 and ran until mid-November 2009 with weekly 10-minute episodes.
Created by producer/director Katy Lock and Daniel May, the series follows the independent living venture that arose when 20-year-old Hilly told her parents she wanted to live with her friends. Hilly's parents, Carol and Dafydd Williams, set up Small Opportunities, the company which runs the house where the housemates in The Specials live.
The observational documentary series follows their lives and has been granted positive reviews for the insight it gives into inclusive, independent living for adults with intellectual disabilities. It was used in a
Disability Studies
Disability studies is an academic discipline that examines the meaning, nature, and consequences of disability. Initially, the field focused on the division between "impairment" and "disability," where impairment was an impairment of an individua ...
course that focuses on media and disability at
City University of New York
The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the public university system of New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven senior colleges, seven community colleges and seven pro ...
in summer 2011.
The series is ground-breaking and empowers young adults with intellectual disabilities tell the audience about their lives through the narration in the series. Reviewers have compared it to MTV's
The Real World, saying "inner-house romance and friendship rule, minus the evil."
Web series
The show was initially launched as a web-series o
The Specials website Consisting of ten 10–15 minute episodes, the first episode was released on 2 September 2009. Subsequent episodes were released roughly every fortnight, with the 10th and last released on 7 December 2009.
The web series begins when the housemates are aged between 19 and 23 at the point where Megan moves into the house. During the course of the show, the housemates attend to their daily activities, like life skills classes, preparing meals, and working in a charity shop, as well as going on holiday, learning to surf, and competing in a
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in ...
equestrian event.
Awards
* Winner, Webby Award in the Reality Category, 14th Annual Webby Awards 2010.
* Winner, People's Choice Award in the Reality Category, 14th Annual Webby Awards 2010.
* Winner, Festival Cinema Tous Ecrans 'Prix Titra Films S.A.,' November 2010.
* Winner, Best Web Series, National Youth Disability Film Awards UK, December 2010.
* Finalist, Original Series category, Vimeo Awards 2010.
Transition to television
The show's creators Katy Lock and Daniel May were contacted by
Carolyn Strauss
Carolyn Strauss (born July 13, 1963) is an American television executive and producer. She was the president of the Home Box Office network's entertainment division until 2008 and was responsible for commissioning series like ''The Sopranos'', '' ...
(executive producer of "Game of Thrones" and former president of HBO Entertainment). She had been introduced to the web series by
D. B. Weiss (co-creator of "Game of Thrones"). Together, and with the help of
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series '' Star Search'' ...
they brought it to executives at
OWN
Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...
, including
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...
. OWN acquired two seasons of the show.
Season 1
Season 1 consists of the web series with some extra footage recut into six 21-minute episodes. It launched together with season 2 on OWN as a back-to-back marathon on 7 September 2014.
Season 2
Season 2 consists of seven 21-minute episodes. It premiered together with season 1 on OWN as a back-to-back marathon on 7 September 2014. It picks up 2 years after the end of season 1.
References
External links
"The Specials" Official Website"The Specials" YouTube channel"The Specials" Dailymotion channelMencap UK organization for people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
UK Down Syndrome AssociationUK Williams Syndrome FoundationArticle in UK TV industry magazine Broadcast Now, August 27, 2009"Docusoap with a difference," podcast of The Specials' interview on BBC Radio 4's "You and Yours"Feature on BBC South East Today 18:30 television news, September 4, 2009"13 Questions: Lewis from The Specials," BBC's disability website Ouch!, October 22, 2009BBC South follows 'The Specials' to pick up their Webby Award in New YorkITV Meridian meets 'The Specials' as they are about to launch their new web series Influencers Radio Interview with Creators Katy Lock and Daniel - August 29, 2014 CNN iReport - September 1, 2014
{{DEFAULTSORT:Specials
Reality web series
Down syndrome in television
2009 British television series debuts