Ralph Wilson is one of the characters in the television series The A Word. He is portrayed by actor Leon Harrop.
Biography[]
Ralph is the son of Louise Wilson and Doug. He has Down syndrome, was raised by Louise as a single mother, as Doug left the family. As he grew up, Ralph became an employee under Maurice Scott at Scott’s Brewery, becoming adept at brewing.
Ralph met and fell in love with Katie, and both eventually became engaged. Ralph started planning his marriage and future life at a new house with Katie while keeping everything a secret from his mother, as he wanted to prove to her that he was strong enough to be independent and look after himself.
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
Last Update: Jan 03, 2023
This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!
Asked by: Mr. Ceasar Smitham
Score: 4.7/5
(21 votes)
In The A Word, the character of Ralph’s dad, Doug, is played by Ian Puleston-Davies. He arrives in season 3 episode 5 on the eve of Ralph and Katie’s wedding, causing quite the disturbance.
Who is the downs syndrome actor in the a Word?
Sarah Gordy, MBE (born September 1976) is a British actress who has Down syndrome. She is best known for her roles as Katie Thorne in The A Word, Orlando Quine in Strike: The Silkworm and Lady Pamela Holland in the BBC TV series of Upstairs Downstairs.
Is Maurice in the A word autistic?
The BBC’s poignant drama, which follows the family of a boy called Joe after he is diagnosed with autism and sees the Emmy Award-winning actor play granddad Maurice Scott, returns tonight for series three.
How old is the little boy in the A word?
The 10-year-old performer does an absolutely fantastic job, encouraging audiences to question whether he himself has autism.
Where is the fellside cafe in the A word?
The location used for the desirable Fellside is a barn on the land that makes up High Bridge End Farm near Thirlmere in the Lake District. The barn is located just off the A591 going from Thirlmere to Keswick and is a few hundred metres northwest of the High Bridge End Camping and Caravan site.
15 related questions found
Is there a Series 3 of the A word?
The A Word has finally returned to the small screen for its third series. … The A Word season 3 episode 1 premiered on Tuesday, May 5 on BBC One. It was warmly welcomed by the fans despite the major changes that they noticed.
Who plays the daughter in the A word?
Molly Wright as Rebecca
Molly plays Alison’s daughter, and Joe’s older half-sister. The young actress also played Lulu Lane in the 2016 series of Our Girl. She also starred in the movie Apostasy.
Who plays the grandad in The A Word?
Christopher Eccleston plays grandfather Maurice Hughes in The A Word. Former Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston is the first to admit playing a blundering, insensitive and recently-widowed grandad to an autistic five-year old is not his usual role.
Is the boy who plays Joe in The A Word autistic?
No, unlike the character Joe Hughes in the series, Max Vento is not autistic according to Entertainment Daily. However, as viewers of the show can attest, the 10-year-old actor certainly plays the part extremely convincingly and brings so much childish charm to the role.
Was Lucy Gaskell in The A Word?
Lucy Gaskell plays Mark’s mum Sophie Berwick.
Do Paul and Alison get back together in the A word?
Although Paul packed his bags and was ready to leave the family, the series finale saw him reunite with Alison, Joe and Rebecca on top of a camper van. Read More: WIN £1,000 in our ‘Grab a Grand’ competition! Despite this heartwarming scene, it was the end of his marriage – but it wasn’t the end of the family unit.
Where is Maurice’s house in the a word?
The Fellside Café of The A Word
What is this? The town is an amalgam of various locations. The main square was filmed in Broughton-in-Furness. Also the house of Louise, Maurice’s music teacher and occasional lover, is near this square in Broughton.
Where is the A word filmed 2020?
The A Word is filmed in the Lake District, England. Notable locations in the Lake District where filming took place include the market towns of, Keswick, Broughton-in-Furness and Coniston. Filming also took place at the Thirlmere Reservoir, and Birkrigg Cottage in the Newlands Valley.
Where is the BBC drama The A Word filmed?
The drama series is filmed and set in the Lake District in the North West of England. The A Word has returned to BBC One, two and a half years after it last appeared on our screens.
Will there be a fourth series of The A Word?
As of October 15, 2021, The A Word has not been cancelled or renewed for a fourth season.
What town is The A Word set in?
This six-part drama series is set in a fictional Cumbrian town and was filmed in locations around the Lake District. That includes Keswick, Coniston, Thirlmere, Buttermere and Kendal. Keswick is a market town in the Lake District National Park.
What is the lake in The A Word?
Coniston. This picturesque lakeside village is part of the Furness region of Cumbria, and is a good place to stay for those investigating the Tilberthwaite Slate. It is also in close proximity to Coniston Water – the third longest lake in the District.
Which school is The A Word filmed in?
Joe now attends Pear Tree primary school in Manchester to help him with his additional needs. And in real life, the school where The A Word films its exterior and interior shots is not only in Wythenshawe, but it also supports children just like Joe.
Where was The A Word Series 3 filmed?
The BBC drama is set in a small fictional Cumbrian town, but was filmed in locations around the Lake District and Manchester back in May. These include Keswick, Coniston, Thirlmere, Buttermere and Kenda.
What is Rebecca’s baby called in The A Word?
The episode ended with the family enjoying a photoshoot together, with Rebecca revealing that she’d named her daughter Rosie.
How did Season 2 of The A Word end?
With his marriage in crisis, Paul began to grow closer to waitress Sophie and almost ended up kissing her. Although he didn’t cheat, he realised his marriage was over and packed his bags to move out of the family home. … Maurice then had a health scare in the series 2 finale after collapsing in front of the family.
Why did Alison and Paul split up in The A Word?
Cracks widened in Paul and Alison’s marriage as they struggled to juggle different commitments and help Joe get the education he needed. Things got worse when Paul admitted to his wife that he was attracted to Sophie, a worker at his gastropub with an autistic teenage son. Ultimately the couple decided to divorce.
What does the A stand for in The A Word?
t the beginning of Peter Bowker’s warm-hearted family drama, two series ago, A stood for autism. It still does, of course. The action still centres on Joe (Max Vento), now aged 10, and the efforts of his family to understand his needs, and adapt to them.
What is The A Word on Sundance?
About the Show
Dramatic, thought-provoking and lighthearted, THE A WORD captures an authentic portrait of a contemporary family after their young son is diagnosed with autism.
The A Word is famed for its inclusivity and characters such as Ralph have truly stolen our hearts but who is the acting playing Ralph?
The A Word is one of the best and most charming series on the BBC at the moment.
The series tells the story of Joe Hughes, a young boy who has autism and listens to music to help.
While The A Word primarily details Joe’s struggles and musical misadventures, there is a whole range of characters in the show with their own lives and plot lines.
One of the prime examples of this comes in the form of Ralph Wilson, a character who has been present in The A Word since series 1.
Now, as series 3 draws to an end, Ralph took to centre-stage in episode 5 as he and love-interest Katie tied the knot.
- THE A WORD: Fans have a burning question about Max Vento
The A Word: Series 3 Trailer | BBC Trailers
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The A Word on the BBC
Series 3 of The A Word began airing on BBC One on May 6th, 2020 after a gap of three years since series 2 hit our screens.
The new series continues the story of Joe as he is forced to contend with an ever-changing set of circumstances as his parents have split up and he’s forced to travel to spend time with them both.
Episode 5 though, takes the focus of the series and places it firmly on the character of Ralph Wilson who is set to tie the knot with new love interest, Katie.
Eventually, everything goes according to plan but not before Ralph’s absent father, Doug, makes an unexpected appearance.
- UNEXPECTED GUEST: Who plays Doug in The A Word?
Who plays Ralph in The A Word?
- Ralph is played in The A Word by Leon Harrop.
When the series first aired in 2016, Leon was 24 years old and now, in series 3, is around 28.
Leon has been acting since he was at school, with his debut role coming in 2009, we’ll get onto his past roles in a moment.
Unlike many actors in the modern industry, Leon is not active on social media but that hasn’t stopped fans taking to the likes of Twitter to heap praise on his performances.
- MORE ON THE WAY? Fans call for The A Word series 4
Leon Harrop: Films and TV
As mentioned, Leon Harrop made his acting debut in 2009, this came in an episode of the BBC drama, The Street, where he appeared alongside the likes of Jim Broadbent and Timothy Spall.
Since then, Leon has gone on to appear in a total of five acting roles.
These include From There to Here, Moving On and Sky One’s Brassic.
With appearances across three series, The A Word is easily Leon Harrops biggest acting role to date.
After stealing our hearts in the BBC drama, we’re sure that it won’t be too long before Leon Harrop is back on our screens again.
Until then, series 3 of The A Word concludes on June 9th on BBC One while the entire series so far is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
In other news, Mashle: Magic and Muscles episode 2 release time, date and preview
The A Word spin-off, following Ralph and Katie Wilson, starts on BBC One tonight – and here’s our handy recap of their relationship.
Whether you’ve watched The A Word and need a reminder on what happened with Ralph and Katie, or this is your first time watching the characters, you’ve come to the right place!
Ralph & Katie recap: Ralph Wilson joined The A Word in the first episode
Ralph Wilson and his mother Louise starred in the very first episode of The A Word in 2016.
Louise was introduced as Maurice’s singer teacher (more on them later!).
She was a single mother to son Ralph, who has Down’s syndrome.
Ralph’s father left when he was a teenager, unable to cope with his son’s condition (nice bloke).
Ralph bonded with Joe, Maurice’s grandson who has autism, after Louise suggested that they might understand each other.
But, at the end of series one, Joe went missing while Ralph was watching him and Maurice unfairly blamed Ralph.
What happened with Louise and Maurice in The A Word?
Louise and Maurice (Christopher Eccleston) were a popular couple in The A Word.
Maurice was widowed after his wife Susan died, and Louise was single after her husband walked out on her.
Louise was Maurice’s singing teacher and, in the show’s first episode, Louise asked Maurice if he wanted to start a casual relationship with her.
At first, Maurice was shocked and said no to the casual sex that Louise offered.
But, by episode three, Maurice saw sense and the pair slept together.
As feelings grew between the two of them, Maurice still dealt with feelings of guilt over the loss of wife, Sandra, who he was with for over 30 years.
Louise tried to give Maurice advice about Joe since she saw him and Ralph as similar, but Maurice was closed off to the advice.
In the series one finale, the two began to get closer as he finally let Ralph and Joe spend time together.
However, when Joe went missing under Ralph’s watch, Maurice unfairly blamed Ralph.
Louse and Maurice ended the first series on bad terms because of this.
Ralph & Katie Recap – What happened with Louise and Maurice in series two of The A Word?
In series two, Maurice realised his feelings for Louise were too strong, and tried to win her back.
But this time, Louise was the cold one, and kept shutting Maurice out.
Maurice kept pressing, though, until Louise finally revealed that she had breast cancer and couldn’t have him in her life.
Maurice insisted on helping her with her diagnosis, and the two started up their complicated relationship again.
As they grew closer, Maurice ended up proposing to her.
However, Louise said she wasn’t ready to marry again, but they could stay together.
But, in a big shock at the end of series two, Maurice dramatically collapsed, with his fate in the air.
Luckily, series 3 revealed he was okay.
Read more: Lucy in The Long Call: How did Sarah Gordy become famous and who did she play in The A Word?
When did Ralph & Katie start dating? A full recap of their relationship
In series three, the timeline skipped three years in the future and viewers had some catching up to do!
The first episode revealed that Ralph had met and fallen in love with a girl with Down’s syndrome.
She was named Katie, and was played by actress Sarah Gordy.
Ralph told Louise he was ready to make some big changes in his life…
But she couldn’t have imagined that Katie would ask Ralph to marry her and he would say yes!
As Louise’s fears about their relationship grew, Ralph told his mother about his plans to marry Katie.
Ralph wanted to marry and live independently with Katie…
And, despite Louise’s initial reluctance, she recognised that Ralph could benefit from this.
At the end of The A Word series 3, viewers were thrilled to witness the wedding of Ralph and Katie.
How did The A Word end for the characters?
The BBC One show ended up with Ralph and Katie getting married in an adorable ceremony.
Viewers were touched when Ralph promised Katie he would “stay with her for the rest of his life”. Aww!
In Louise and Maurice’s relationship, Maurice asked Louise to marry him.
Although we never heard Louise’s answer, a ring on her finger seemed to confirm that they were engaged.
However, it appears that Christopher Eccleston is not returning for The A Word spin-off.
Louise might even have a new love interest on the scene…
Ralph & Katie begins on Wednesday October 05 at 9pm on BBC One. Episodes will also be available on iPlayer after airing.
Are you excited to watch Ralph & Katie on BBC One? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let you know what you think.