Alison Hughes is one of the main characters in the television series The A Word. She is portrayed by actress Morven Christie.
Biography[]
Alison was born and raised in the Lake District. She was head girl in school and had a very positive upbringing, though she had an early unplanned pregnancy that produced her daughter, Rebecca, and a short marriage. She later married Paul Hughes and had a second child, Joe.
When Joe is diagnosed with autism, Alison is determined to make every effort she can in adapting, but also in search of something that can make an impact in Joe’s learning, which causes a clash between her and the more carefree Paul, who prefers to focus on what Joe is already interested in.
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Character Overview[]
Personality[]
Alison is her father’s favourite child, embodying the virtues that he values: determination, stamina and indefatigability. She likes organization and to be on top of things, struggling with the challenge Joe’s diagnosis presents as something that cannot be fully controlled.[1]
Episode Appearances[]
Series 1[]
- Episode 1.1
- Episode 1.2
- Episode 1.3
- Episode 1.4
- Episode 1.5
- Episode 1.6
Series 2[]
- Episode 2.1
- Episode 2.2
- Episode 2.3
- Episode 2.4
- Episode 2.5
- Episode 2.6
References[]
- ↑ BBC One — The A Word, Series 1 — Alison Hughes (Accessed 7 May 2020)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The A Word | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Keren Margalit |
| Based on | Yellow Peppers by Keren Margalit |
| Developed by | Peter Bowker |
| Written by | Peter Bowker |
| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Composer | Rob Lane |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 18 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production locations |
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| Editor | Jamie Pearson |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Picture format | 16:9 1080i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 22 March 2016 – 9 June 2020 |
| Related | |
| Yellow Peppers |
The A Word is a BBC television drama series, based on the Israeli series Yellow Peppers. The series follows a young boy and how his family cope with the revelation that he has autism spectrum disorder. Following filming in the Lake District from October 2015, a six-part series began airing on 22 March 2016. On 26 May 2016, the BBC announced that a second series of The A Word had been commissioned.[1] It premiered in the UK on 7 November 2017. The third series began airing on 5 May 2020.[2]
Synopsis[edit]
Five-year-old Joe Hughes displays clear signs of communication problems and consistently isolates himself by listening to pop music through large blue and black headphones. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of the songs he listens to and accurately sings along with the lyrics. His parents, Alison and Paul, seem oblivious to the disorder and wonder why Joe is ostracised by other children of the same age. However, it is later discovered by Joe’s grandfather, Maurice, that Alison and Paul have been taking him to hospital for his communication problems. Other family members know there is a problem, however, their attempts to intervene are met with obstruction from Joe’s parents. After originally believing Joe had hearing problems, their Ear, Nose and Throat consultant refers Joe to a specialist who diagnoses him as autistic.
The story then follows how the dysfunctional family, including Rebecca (who feels invisible), Eddie and Nicola (who are coping with their own relationship problems) and tactless grandad Maurice cope with Joe’s situation and their own apparent social disorders.
Cast[edit]
| Actor | Character | Role | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Vento | Joe Hughes | a child on the autism spectrum | 1– |
| Lee Ingleby | Paul Hughes | Joe’s father | 1– |
| Morven Christie | Alison Hughes | Joe’s mother | 1– |
| Molly Wright | Rebecca Hughes | Joe’s half-sister | 1– |
| Greg McHugh | Eddie Scott | Alison’s brother | 1– |
| Vinette Robinson | Nicola Daniels | Eddie’s wife | 1–12 |
| Christopher Eccleston | Maurice Scott | Joe’s grandfather, Alison’s and Eddie’s father | 1– |
| Pooky Quesnel | Louise Wilson | Maurice’s music teacher and lover | 1– |
| Leon Harrop | Ralph Wilson | Louise’s son | 1– |
| Matt Greenwood | Tom Clarke | Rebecca’s best friend | 2– |
| Thomas Gregory | Luke Taylor | Rebecca’s boyfriend | 2–6 |
| Daniel Cerqueira | Dr Graves | Family doctor | 1– |
| George Bukhari | Terry Norris | Worker at Paul and Alison’s cafe | 1– |
| Adam Wittek | David Nowak | Worker at the Scott’s brewery | 1– |
| Tommie Grabiec | Pavel Kaminski | Worker at the Scott’s brewery | 1– |
| Abby Ford | Sally | Worker at the Scott’s brewery | 4 |
| Julia Krynke | Maya Petrenko | Joe’s babysitter | 2–5 |
| Lisa Millett | Maggie White | Joe’s speech therapist | 3 |
| Ralf Little | Stuart | Rebecca’s biological father | 5–6, 11, 14 |
| Jude Akuwudike | Vincent Daniels | Nicola’s father | 7– |
| Clare Holman | Grace Daniels | Nicola’s mother | 7– |
| Aaron Pierre | James Thorne | Rebecca’s boyfriend | 7–8 |
| Julie Hesmondhalgh | Heather | Joe’s teacher | 13– |
| Lucy Gaskell | Sophie Berwick | Worker at Paul’s Gastropub | 7–11 |
| Travis Smith | Mark Berwick | Sophie’s autistic teenage son | 7– |
| Sarah Gordy | Katie Thorne | Ralph’s wife | 13– |
| Nigel Betts | Steve Thorne | Katie’s father | 13– |
| Sherry Baines | Clare Thorne | Katie’s mother | 13– |
Production[edit]
Bowker drew on his own experiences and observations as a teacher and with his family to write The A Word.[3] Autism advocate Deborah Brownson served as an advisor on the production.[4]
Filming took place from October 2015 at locations in the Lake District, including Keswick, Broughton-in-Furness, Coniston, Thirlmere Reservoir, and at The Space Project studios in Manchester.[5][6][7]
On 24 May 2019, it was announced by the BBC, and then subsequently via press and social media publications, that a third series was in production. Returning cast members included Christopher Eccleston, Morven Christie, Lee Ingleby, Max Vento, Molly Wright, Greg McHugh, Pooky Quesnel, Matt Greenwood and Leon Harrop. Joining the cast as newcomers were Julie Hesmondhalgh, Sarah Gordy and David Gyasi.[8]
Episodes[edit]
Series overview[edit]
Series 1 (2016)[edit]
Series 2 (2017)[edit]
Series 3 (2020)[edit]
Broadcast and reception[edit]
BBC One began airing the first six-part series in a Tuesday 9pm slot, replacing Happy Valley, on 22 March 2016. SundanceTV acquired rights for broadcasting the show in America, and it premiered there on 13 July 2016.[10] A second series began in the UK on 7 November 2017 remaining in its Tuesday 9pm slot. A third series was filmed in May 2019 and the entire series was released on BBC iPlayer on 5 May 2020. On the same day it also began broadcasting in its usual weekly slot on BBC One.[8][11] BBC First airs the series in Australia. Disney+ picked up the programme for all three series across all of Europe, except the UK.[12]
Overnight figures revealed the first episode was watched by 4.7 million viewers and had a 23% share of the audience.[13] BARB later reported a consolidated figure of 5.91 million.[9] Reaction to the first episode was mostly positive among viewers. Many people have praised the show on social media, partly for the quality of the acting but also for the way it dealt with the subject of autism.[14]
Home media[edit]
Series 1 was released on DVD in September 2016, and series 2 in December 2017. The third series was released on DVD in July 2020.[citation needed]
Spin-off series[edit]
In August 2020 it was announced that a spin-off series Ralph & Katie, following the married life of the protagonists, had been commissioned by the BBC.[15] The six-part series, which included a writing team made up predominantly of people with disabilities,[16] was broadcast in October and November 2022, with all episodes available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer.[17] The series will also be available on Disney+ in some regions.
References[edit]
- ^ «BBC Drama announces three new commissions for BBC One and BBC Two». BBC Media Centre (Press release). 26 May 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ Tatum, Kris (24 May 2019). «Filming starts on series three of BBC’s The A Word in Cumbria». Times & Star. Workington, Cumbria. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (22 March 2016). «Autism Drama Writer Talks BBC, Sundance’s ‘The A Word’«. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ Burns, Judith (29 December 2017). «MBE for author of ‘instruction manual’ for autism». BBC. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ «Filming begins on The A Word, new six-part drama for BBC One». BBC Media Centre (Press release). 26 October 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ «The A Word filming in Keswick». Time & Star. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ Clarke, Tom (26 October 2015). «‘THE A WORD’ GOES INTO PRODUCTION AT SPACE STUDIOS MANCHESTER». The Space Project. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ a b «Filming commences on The A Word series three». BBC Media Centre (Press release). 24 May 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d «Weekly top 30 programmes on TV sets (July 1998 – Sept 2018)». Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (8 January 2016). «SundanceTV Acquires BBC, Keshet Autism Drama ‘The A-Word’«. Variety. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ Kalia, Ammar (5 May 2020). «TV tonight: the third series of The A Word gets under way». The Guardian. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ Middleton, Richard (17 October 2022). «Disney+ strikes ‘Ralph & Katie’ & ‘The A Word’ deal across Europe». TBI Vision.
- ^ Johnson, Niall (23 March 2016). «BBC One’s autistic family drama The A Word opens with 4.7m». Mediatel. Retrieved 23 March 2016.[dead link]
- ^ Debnath, Neela (23 March 2016). «The A Word: Viewers praise Christopher Eccleston drama tackling autism». Daily Express. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ «BBC One announces Ralph And Katie, a spin-off of Peter Bowker’s hit drama The A Word». BBC Media Centre (Press release). 24 August 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ Hogan, Michael (9 October 2022). «Interview | Jordan Hogg: ‘In 15 years, I’ve never come across another disabled director’«. The Observer. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ «Ralph & Katie». BBC iPlayer. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
External links[edit]
- The A Word at BBC Online
- The A Word at IMDb
- The A Word at epguides.com
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alison was your typical British head girl: Charming, Funny, Smart.
Appearances
The A Word
-
Episode 1×01: Diagnosis (Mar 22, 2016) -
Episode 1×02: Home School (Mar 29, 2016) -
Episode 1×03: Therapy (Apr 5, 2016) -
Episode 1×04: Sleepover (Apr 12, 2016) -
Episode 1×05: Goodbye (Apr 19, 2016) -
Episode 1×06: Lost (Apr 26, 2016) -
Episode 2×01: Naming Day (Nov 7, 2017) -
Episode 2×02: Get Away (Nov 14, 2017) -
Episode 2×03: Are We Still Here? (Nov 21, 2017) -
Episode 2×04: Falling (Nov 28, 2017) -
Episode 2×05: Family Album (Dec 5, 2017) -
Episode 2×06: Same Deep Water (Dec 12, 2017) -
Episode 3×01: Episode 1 (May 5, 2020) -
Episode 3×02: Episode 2 (May 12, 2020) -
Episode 3×03: Episode 3 (May 19, 2020) -
Episode 3×04: Episode 4 (May 26, 2020) -
Episode 3×06: Episode 6 (Jun 9, 2020)
Ben Chambers is the man that’s put a smile back on Alison’s face in The A Word.
She’s been struggling since her divorce from Paul but it appears she may have found love again.
Or has she?
In The A Word series finale, Ben deals Alison some unexpected news.
Culd this be the end of the road for the couple?
Here’s everything you need to know including why Ben in The A Word looks so familiar…
Who is Ben in The A Word ?
Ben (David Gyasi) is introduced in the opening episode of series three as Alison’s new love interest.
He too is the father of an autistic child – although Alison (Morven Christie) is yet to meet his daughter.
READ MORE: Will there be another series of The A Word and how does season 3 end?
We’re yet to find out what happened to her mother but there are a few things we do know.
For example, Ben is absolutely smitten with Alison and owns his own gardening business in Manchester.
READ MORE: Why did Paul and Alison split up in The A Word?
He also seems to adore to Joe (Max Vento) – but Paul (Lee Ingleby) doesn’t seem overly keen on a stepfather entering the picture.
Following her split from Paul, Alison has been blaming herself for breaking up the family.
“I’ve spent the last ten years fighting my son’s corner and I don’t regret that,” she tells her dad Maurice. “I know the fight in me is hard to be around.
READ MORE: Does Max Vento have autism in real life?
“Maybe it just got to be a habit, maybe I’m always looking for the next fight.”
Alison also feels tremendous guilt about the impact the separation has had on Joe in particular.
But then she meets Ben – and her whole world is about to turned upside dow.
Who is David Gyasi?
If Ben looks familiar, that’s because actor David Gyasi has a glittering TV and film career stretching back almost 20 years.
On the small screen, he’s been in Casualty, The Bill, Doctors, Silent Witness, Waking the Dead, Doctor Who and Holby City – to name a few.
READ MORE: Does Maurice die in The A Word? Christopher Eccleston discusses series 3
He also starred alongside Angelina Jolie as Percival in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
Last year, David worked with Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne in TV series Carnival Row, playing Agreus Astrayon.
Netflix fans may also recognise him as David in the movie Annihilation.
How does The A Word season 3 end?
The final instalment of The A Word series 3 is packed with drama.
It kicks off with Rebecca (Molly Wright) travelling up to Manchester to pay a visit to Joe’s (Max Vento) school.
READ MORE: Why did Paul and Alison split up in The A Word?
She makes the journey after her little brother asks her to talk to his classmates about her pregnancy.
After worrying that her unborn may be born with autism, spending time at Joe’s school eases her anxieties.
But as the siblings traveling back home to the Lakes, she’s forced to pull over after going into labour early.
Making matters worse, her phone is out of battery and Joe becomes frightened when she starts screaming in pain.
READ MORE: Who is Ben Chambers in The A Word? Here’s why Alison’s new love interest may look familiar
Will the baby arrive safely with only Joe around to help?
Elsewhere, Ben asks Alison (Morven Christie) to join him for lunch to talk about their relationship.
Unfortunately for Alison, it’s bad news.
Back at the Lakes, Sarah (Gemma Paige North) also has disappointing news for Paul (Lee Ingleby).
Read More: WIN £1,000 in our ‘Grab a Grand’ competition!
Of course not everyone’s love life is so grim.
After tying the knot last week, Katie ( Sarah Gordy) and Ralph (Leon Harrop) move in together – leaving Louise (Pooky Quesnel) struggling with empty nest syndrome.
READ MORE: Does Travis Smith have autism in real life? Actor plays Mark Berwick in The A Word
Maurice tries to save the day with a grand gesture but is Louise ready to take the next step?
Catch up on The A Word series three on BBC iPlayer
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.
In The A Word episode 4, an impromptu attempt to win Joe some friends leads to a breakthrough moment for Alison, but how long can it last? Maurice and Louise come to blows over Joe, while Rebecca turns to Eddie for relationship advice.
Just when you think Alison can’t be any more self-involved and less concerned for those around her, turns out – she actually can. After a failed attempt by her and husband Paul to force Joe’s school to skip their usual procedures for dealing with children with special needs, Alison takes on a parent reader role and decides to stand for school governor. Just the thought is enough to send chills down the spine, even if you don’t have kids in the village school. Or any kids at all.
Having found Joe playing (of a sort) with fellow ‘non-popular’ kids Bill (who’s deaf) and Ramesh (who’s Asian), Alison invites Joe’s new chums over for a sleepover. It’s fascinating that Bill’s mum is as filled with anxieties over her own son’s allergies as Alison is about Joe’s autism. Perhaps they could set up the world’s most dysfunctional support group. Alison and Paul are unable to just let the boys get on in their own way and try to enforce their own “fun”, with predictable results. The evening concludes with Joe throwing up everywhere.
Having caught a bug, Joe spends the next day at home with Alison. Experiencing what Nicola calls “The Fever Effect” – a theory that a child on the autistic spectrum being ill can result in a temporary change in personality – Joe spends time looking through old photographs and recalls his memories of his grandma. Alison – lacking in any form of reflection or understanding as usual – believes he’s been ‘cured’ of his autism. So elated is she, that she even agrees with Paul that it’s time to try for another baby. Her elation doesn’t last and as Joe’s fever passes and he starts playing Pulp songs again, Alison begs Nicola to get her the morning after pill.
Alison’s teenage daughter, Rebecca, has to deal with a mother obsessed with her other child while being rejected by boyfriend Luke after their ill-considered night of sex. Rebecca may be 17-years-old, but she is much more mature and understanding than her mother. “All children matter, but not as much as Joe” she tells Alison to put on her school governor application. At least Rebecca is being seen and heard by others around her while the feckless Luke rejects her. Eddie may have frightened Luke off with his threatening supermarket trolley antics, but at least he offers an ear and a shoulder to his troubled niece. Even grandad Maurice can see in his own cack-handed way that Rebecca needs someone to talk to.
Maurice is forced to examine his relationship with music teacher, Louise after he’s ‘outed’ by Nicola, who catches him sneaking out of Louise’s house at daft o’clock in the morning following a night of passion. Unable to deal with son Eddie letting him know it’s ok for him to move on, Maurice questions the fact that he’s “making toast under another woman’s grill” with Louise. Like his daughter, he’s unable to take any advice from anyone. He does, though, have a breakthrough of sorts as he takes Rebecca to see her dad. It’s a moving moment from an emotionally constipated bloke.
Setting up camp in the town called Denial this week is Joe’s dad Paul. Oblivious to (or ignoring) Alison’s delusion about Joe being “cured”, he sacks his project manager (and former girlfriend) Sally thinking he can set the gastro-pub – excitingly (and I use the word quite wrongly) called The Fellside – without her help. He is unable to deal with learning that Rebecca has had sex and continues merrily in the belief that he and wife Alison are planning another baby even as Alison is popping the morning after pill. He even utters the horribly crass (and patently untrue) line that as Eddie doesn’t have kids, he wouldn’t understand the challenges of being a parent. Oh, spare us!
It’s no wonder that Luke tells Rebecca he can’t deal with her family. With only two episodes to go, will Alison ever learn from those around her who are much better at dealing with her son’s autism than she is? For Joe’s sake, we hope so.
Credits
Written by Peter Bowker, Director Peter Cattaneo, Producer Marcus Wilson
Cast
Maurice…Christopher Eccleston
Alison……Morven Christie
Paul………Lee Ingleby
Joe………..Max Vento
Eddie…….Greg McHugh
Nicola……Vinette Robinson
For more news and gossip on The A Word take a look the dedicated Facebook page.