Filming has commenced on The A Word, BBC One’s new drama about a family whose youngest son is diagnosed with autism.

Adapted by Occupation writer Peter Bowker from the Israeli series by Prisoners of War creator Keren Margalit, the six-part drama was commissioned last year and is described as “a funny and thought-provoking series about parenthood and childhood and what it’s like to have a child who doesn’t fit the mould”.

The cast will include Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who), Lee Ingleby (Our Zoo), Morven Christie (Grantchester), Greg McHugh (Fresh Meat) and Vinette Robinson (Sherlock), alongside newcomer Max Vento.

Christopher Eccleston commented: “I’m very proud to be reunited with writer Peter Bowker on The A Word. This is a special job for us all. We hope the audience take us to their hearts.”

Writer Peter Bowker added: “We have the opportunity here to make something funny, tough, realistic and inventive about contemporary family life and autism. In a society where imperfection increasingly comes with blame attached it seems timely to look at how autism is regarded both within a family and the wider community – and to give some insight into how that experience might be for the child on the autism spectrum.  It’s a drama full of ideas – about parenthood, about disability, about communication, about community – and will emphatically engage an audience whatever their experience of the subject.”

The A Word tells the story of the Hughes family who work and love and fight like every other family. Then their youngest son is diagnosed with autism and they don’t feel like every other family anymore. They realise that if their son is ever going to communicate, they are going to have to learn how to communicate themselves.

The series is described as “a funny and thought-provoking series about parenthood and childhood”.

The A Word will continue filming on location in The Lake District and at Manchester’s Space Project until early 2016.

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