#SmallScreenScenes BBC AMERICA ANNOUNCES DISABILITY MONOLOGUES (WT), A NEW SHORT-FORM SERIES ABOUT THE PERCEPTION OF DISABILITY, CO-PRODUCED WITH BBC STUDIOS
BBC AMERICA has announced a new series of powerful short films, Disability Monologues (wt), focusing on challenging and changing the perception of disability. Writer and performer Mat Fraser (His Dark Materials, American Horror Story) will curate the six, 15-minute works, to be performed by himself, poet and playwright Jackie Hagan, Ruth Madeley (BBC AMERICA’s The Watch), Robert Softley Gale (My Left/Right Foot), Liz Carr (Silent Witness)and more. The groundbreaking series is written, performed and directed entirely by people with disabilities and will premiere on BBC AMERICA in 2020.
Through fictional monologues, Disability Monologues (wt) will portray the very real experiences of people with disabilities over the last 50 years in Britain. From the ignominy of discrimination and incarceration to the liberation of the electric wheelchair, there have been both great steps forward and terrible setbacks. These thought-provoking short films seek to challenge the world view that somehow, having a disability is a problem, or “not normal.” But what is “normality” anyway?
“Disability is not talked about enough in the conversation of inclusion in film and television,” said Sarah Barnett, President, AMC Networks Entertainment Group & AMC Studios. “Incredible shows like The A Word and This Close on SundanceTV show that when you have more diverse people in front of and behind the camera, then the work is stronger and that’s exciting. We’re delighted to air Disability Monologues (wt) on BBCA, this short form series joins a stellar group of shows we’ve aired with experimental, creative formats, like the GLAAD Media Award-nominated Queers, Snatches: Moments from Women’s Lives, and the Emmy® Award-winning State of the Union.”
Disability Monologues (wt) is a BBC AMERICA co-production with BBC Studios’ Documentary Unit. The short form series is executive produced by Debbie Christie and written by Fraser, Hagan, Jack Thorne (Wonder), Genevieve Barr, Tom Wentworth and Matilda Ibini.
About BBC AMERICA
BBC AMERICA is a hub of innovative, culturally contagious programming including the Peabody Award-winning series Killing Eve starring Golden Globe® and SAG® Award-winner Sandra Oh and Emmy® Award-winner Jodie Comer. The network is the definitive home and co-producer of the most iconic natural history programming including Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II, Dynasties, the upcoming Sir David Attenborough-narrated series Seven Worlds, One Planet and the return of the Emmy®-winning series Frozen Planet II and Planet Earth III – all a part of the new Saturday nature television destination, Wonderstruck. A joint venture between AMC Networks and BBC Studios (the commercial arm of the BBC), BBCA’s influential shows such as Doctor Who, Orphan Black, Luther and Broadchurch, among many others, have attracted critical acclaim and earned Emmy® Awards, Peabody Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, TCA Awards, NAACP Image Awards, an IDA Documentary Award, a Gotham Award and Golden Globes®. Created in 1998, the irrepressible network has garnered one of cable’s most curious, educated and affluent audiences, with many properties boasting super-fan levels of engagement. Its unscripted slate includes the iconic car show Top Gear, buzzy and hilarious The Graham Norton Show and the world’s biggest darts championships. Get caught up, BBCA offers full episodes On Demand across all major digital platforms, BBC AMERICA app and bbcamerica.com.
