Speechless, an American comedy series that earned multiple Emmy nominations, premieres tonight on Tv2000. The show first aired in the US in 2016 and has already built a devoted following on satellite television.
What grabbed attention from the start was the Di Meo family itself: one of their three sons is a high school student with cerebral palsy—and this isn't just fiction. Micah Flower, the actor who plays JJ, actually uses a wheelchair. What critics and audiences praise about Speechless is the intelligence with which the writers blend comedy with JJ's disability. They avoid clichéd sentiment and never sink into degradation. Every family member brings something to the show's peculiar (but never crude) humor, yet JJ remains the anchor—and the writers make him funnier and less pitiful than his condition might suggest. Unlike most TV portrayals that milk disability for cheap sympathy, Speechless aims to entertain and lighten subjects that in real life carry genuine weight. In doing so, it exposes the complicated realities of living with disability.
The first season begins Thursday, May 24, on Tv2000—its broadcast TV debut in Italy. The second season launches Friday, May 25, on Fox.
Where to Watch:
Speechless - Season 1
Thursdays at 9:15 p.m.
Tv2000
Channel 28 (DTT)
Speechless - Season 2
Fridays at 9:50 p.m.
Fox HD
Channel 112 (Sky)