Hello and thank you for being a DL contributor. We are changing the login scheme for contributors for simpler login and to better support using multiple devices. Please click here to update your account with a username and password.

Hello. Some features on this site require registration. Please click here to register for free.

Hello and thank you for registering. Please complete the process by verifying your email address. If you can't find the email you can resend it here.

Hello. Some features on this site require a subscription. Please click here to get full access and no ads for $1.99 or less per month.

Netflix Orders Ryan O’Connell Comedy Series ‘Special’ Produced By Jim Parsons

Netflix has ordered eight episodes of Special, a comedy series based on Ryan O’Connell’s part-memoir, part-manifesto I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves. Starring, written by and executive produced by O’Connell, it hails from Jim Parson’s That’s Wonderful Productions and Warner Bros’ Digital Networks’ Stage 13 and is set to premiere April 12.

The semi-autobiographical Special is based loosely on O’Connell’s own upbringing and experience as a gay man navigating the world with cerebral palsy. He stars in the series as a gay man with mild cerebral palsy who decides to rewrite his identity as an accident victim and finally go after the life he wants. Jessica Hecht, Punam Patel, Marla Mindelle, Augustus Prew and Patrick Fabian also star.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 114May 22, 2021 2:55 AM

Two thumbs up... or they would be, if only I could stop twitching!

by Anonymousreply 1February 7, 2019 2:38 AM

Trailer

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 2March 25, 2019 8:19 PM

Bump

by Anonymousreply 3March 26, 2019 3:50 AM

Hopefully this will do well enough

by Anonymousreply 4March 26, 2019 3:54 AM

I think he’s cute. I’d do him.

by Anonymousreply 5March 26, 2019 4:55 AM

Uhm, what is wrong with her eyes?

by Anonymousreply 6March 26, 2019 7:11 AM

I heard someone with advanced screeners say it's good but there's still an embargo on reviews. Can't wait!

by Anonymousreply 7March 26, 2019 12:57 PM

For sure going to watch it.

by Anonymousreply 8March 26, 2019 1:07 PM

He has cerebral palsy R6.

by Anonymousreply 9March 26, 2019 3:39 PM

r6 It's called strabismus and while it occurs in healthy people all the time, cerebral palsy, premature birth, and family history of the condition are all risk factors. So it's obviously due to cerebral palsy in his case.

by Anonymousreply 10March 26, 2019 3:44 PM

I don't see anything wrong with his eye.

by Anonymousreply 11March 26, 2019 3:45 PM

That trailer actually made me start to tear up.

by Anonymousreply 12March 26, 2019 4:38 PM

Honestly, it looks pretty good.

by Anonymousreply 13March 26, 2019 6:40 PM

He's great. I like that he's self-deprecating. He's not afraid to make fun of himself and his disability.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 14March 29, 2019 3:20 PM

I'm just grateful we're past the point of them hiring a non-palsy person who would then mimic the movements of someone with cerebral palsy. Bullet dodged.

by Anonymousreply 15March 29, 2019 3:24 PM

[quote]I'm just grateful we're past the point of them hiring a non-palsy person who would then mimic the movements of someone with cerebral palsy. Bullet dodged.

Yeah. Dust dike dey did in my day.

by Anonymousreply 16March 29, 2019 3:25 PM

*typing with my eyes*

Or me.

by Anonymousreply 17March 29, 2019 3:27 PM

R14 0:46 LOL!

by Anonymousreply 18March 29, 2019 3:31 PM

Looks interesting.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 19March 29, 2019 3:46 PM

how does he clean his rectum well enough for bottoming with all that shaking?

by Anonymousreply 20March 30, 2019 4:56 AM

He lives with his mom for a reason.

by Anonymousreply 21March 30, 2019 5:01 AM

It’s probably cleaner than most, R20. Think about it: when you clean something do you just wipe it down or do you scrub it (i.e., shake)?

by Anonymousreply 22March 30, 2019 12:07 PM

Somehow I don't trust that he has the body strength or coordination to either play skee ball OR twist around to make it into his own hole.

by Anonymousreply 23March 31, 2019 4:10 AM

It looks very cheap (like a web series airing for free on YouTube), but I do like the actress that plays his mom.

by Anonymousreply 24March 31, 2019 6:04 AM

Just watched the trailer. Two things-

1- He'd never pull a cute guy in real life like the one they cast opposite him. Maybe for a one nighter to see how the other half lives, but not as a boyfriend.

2- The straight white man knock jokes are officially tired. If that's the best this show can do, I'd rather nap.

Oh, and actually 3- He sounds a lot better than I expected. I was totally figuring he'd be full Geri Jewell. Oh, unless someone's dubbing him. Is someone dubbing him?

by Anonymousreply 25March 31, 2019 8:01 AM

[quote]Is someone dubbing him?

I doubt it very much. He doesn’t have the appeal.

Oh, wait. You said DUBBING. My bad. I thought you said drubbing.

by Anonymousreply 26March 31, 2019 12:09 PM

R25 Here's his real life boyfriend.

by Anonymousreply 27April 1, 2019 3:42 PM

R25 Sorry, forgot to post the link. Here is the bf.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 28April 1, 2019 3:42 PM

r27 = mic drop of the century

I really hope this nasty tone changes once we finish the show and we'll have walked a mile in his shoes. I have to say I've never witnessed disabled people getting so brazenly ridiculed like that before. At least not since primary school.

by Anonymousreply 29April 1, 2019 4:07 PM

[quote] [R27] = mic drop of the century

Hmmm, not really. The boyfriend is about on par with O'Connell in the looks department. I didn't say he couldn't get a boyfriend. I said he would never get a boyfriend as cute as the guy they cast. Sorry to rain on your victory dance.

by Anonymousreply 30April 2, 2019 12:29 AM

Gotta give the show credit for casting gay actors as gay characters

by Anonymousreply 31April 2, 2019 12:51 AM

My fucking God. This is a SJW's dream, way to go Netflix and your algorithm. Fat POC sidekick against white male privilege and patriarchy, check. Effeminate disabled homossexual, check. 80s production design to pander to nostalgic geeks check. Why this 80s vibe if this show is set in the present?

I hate to say it but this panders to the most annoying subsect of society. They literally made a show about a gay retard. It could've been good but judging by the preaching in this trailer this will be another fail no one will be free to criticize, like that horrible A Wrinkle in Time where critics went out of their way to justify that shitfest without sounding racist or misogynistic. Mark my words, they'll praise this shit even though anyone from the moon can see it's terrible.

by Anonymousreply 32April 2, 2019 1:10 AM

Just to be clear, I find this guy to be very OK looking, he actually looks like the type of nerdy guy I'd go after. I just hate this self-pity journey millennials need to go through oversharing everything and begging for attention.

by Anonymousreply 33April 2, 2019 1:17 AM

Doesn't Jim Parsons have enough?

by Anonymousreply 34April 2, 2019 1:28 AM

Well, he's only producing R34

by Anonymousreply 35April 2, 2019 1:31 AM

[quote]I really hope this nasty tone changes once we finish the show and we'll have walked a mile in his shoes

You have met us, right?

For the record, I think he's cute and the boyfriend's cute.

by Anonymousreply 36April 2, 2019 1:34 AM

Aw, he's adorable. I'd watch this.

by Anonymousreply 37April 2, 2019 2:41 AM

What’s up R32’s ass? Not a penis, which might explain that rage post.

by Anonymousreply 38April 2, 2019 1:49 PM

The bf doesn't look too bad here.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 39April 2, 2019 2:09 PM

The lead and his real life boyfriend look cute.

Can't wait to watch the show.

by Anonymousreply 40April 2, 2019 2:44 PM

Umm, the real life boyfriend looks like Herman Munster. His poor mother's episiotomy still hasn't healed.

by Anonymousreply 41April 2, 2019 5:43 PM

Yeah, so the episodes are only fifteen minutes. That's less "Netflix" and more "Kickstarted web series."

It's not bad, though.

by Anonymousreply 42April 12, 2019 12:26 PM

On the one hand, it makes me think Netflix might be experimenting with these short-form stories. The more cynical side of me hates that it's the series about a disabled gay guy that got this treatment. But the realist in me knows this never would have gotten a full season order otherwise. I'm going to watch it today, can't wait.

r41 You're just an incorrigible little turd, aren't you?

by Anonymousreply 43April 12, 2019 12:32 PM

Reminds me a bit of EastSiders, where the first season was about 15 minutes each episode and then the later ones were longer.

by Anonymousreply 44April 12, 2019 1:45 PM

Did anyone watch? I watched the entire season today and I really liked it.

by Anonymousreply 45April 12, 2019 4:03 PM

R44 Exactly, I think Netflix took a chance with it. If it was successful it would get a second season with longer episodes, if not they didn't spend that much money on it since it was short.

by Anonymousreply 46April 12, 2019 4:05 PM

I rather liked it, and the running time did make it an easy binge.

Wasn't as crazy as the overwhelming amount of Microsoft product placement.

by Anonymousreply 47April 12, 2019 9:20 PM

I enjoyed it, and the lead is adorable! It was driving me crazy who the actor playing the hooker was, and then I finally realized it was Jack's new husband from Will & Grace.

by Anonymousreply 48April 13, 2019 2:43 AM

I liked it, but they should have tightened the story and just made it a movie.

by Anonymousreply 49April 13, 2019 3:23 AM

R49 It would've been a good movie, except for the fact that it ended on a bit of a sour note.

by Anonymousreply 50April 13, 2019 4:11 AM

Just started watching - so far I find it has a similar feel to Please Like Me without the Aussie accent obviously.

by Anonymousreply 51April 13, 2019 6:44 AM

He and his bf are cute. I will check out the show.

by Anonymousreply 52April 13, 2019 9:11 AM

Jim Parsons is dead to me after that self-loathing [italic]Kid Like Jake[/italic] crap and so is that lesbophobic handmaid Claire Danes. She’s the reason [italic]My So-Called Life[/italic] flopped. Stop supporting quislings.

by Anonymousreply 53April 13, 2019 11:09 AM

Really hope they're planning a season 2

by Anonymousreply 54April 13, 2019 6:47 PM

R54 Me too. I want to know if he ends up with Carey.

by Anonymousreply 55April 13, 2019 6:50 PM

[quote]The semi-autobiographical Special is based loosely on O’Connell’s own upbringing and experience as a gay man navigating the world with cerebral palsy

Why doesn't he run for president?

by Anonymousreply 56April 14, 2019 2:02 AM

He is too young to be president.

by Anonymousreply 57April 14, 2019 2:09 AM

Binged the season tonight and really didn't like it at all. The main character isn't likable and his mother is insufferable. It's easy to understand why they don't have many friends. The other characters are at least interesting. I've worked with a lot of people with handicaps and they aren't as whiny and "woe is me" as this guy. It means well, but stinks.

by Anonymousreply 58April 14, 2019 2:18 AM

I think one of my favorite parts is the depiction of the “new media/blog” fuckery. Sort of like “Silicon Valley”.

by Anonymousreply 59April 14, 2019 2:30 AM

I had the opposite reaction to r58. I found the show and the main character very charming. Excellent supporting cast. I hope it gets renewed for a second season.

by Anonymousreply 60April 14, 2019 3:00 AM

I think it is adorable so far. I avoided watching because I thought it would be annoying , millennial , SJW fest. I settled in for a hate watch and am very pleasantly surprised.

by Anonymousreply 61April 14, 2019 3:05 AM

[quote]They literally made a show about a gay retard.

Somebody hurt r32 really, really badly.

by Anonymousreply 62April 14, 2019 3:29 AM

Loved it, although I'd probably have to slap the tits off his cunt of a boss.

by Anonymousreply 63April 15, 2019 12:07 AM

Wish we had seen more of her deaf gay cousin R63. Especially his huge penis.

by Anonymousreply 64April 15, 2019 12:19 AM

Binged it today and was charmed.

by Anonymousreply 65April 15, 2019 12:20 AM

The ASL interpreter was cute too, didn’t get if he was gay himself or not.

by Anonymousreply 66April 15, 2019 12:50 AM

I'm R32 and I have to say I regret calling the actor retard. Actually I regretted it the moment I wrote it, it sounded funny in my head and I took advantage of the anonymity here. For that I'm sorry.

That being said, I've watched the whole show last night. To me it felt like a Buzzfeed article brought to life which was annoying as hell, but somehow I also found it sweet in the end.

Most situations are too on the nose and nuance is nowhere to be found. Acting is atrocious for the guy. Just because you wrote about your own life, doesn't mean you're a good actor, let alone a comedy actor, which requires training and timing of which Ryan has little.

Because I believe shows like these are important I voted thumbs up on Netflix even though in reality I think this is not a good show overall. So I guess I'm not that mean. I can see why people think this show reminds them of Please Like Me, another show I find annoying too, so maybe it's just a matter of taste.

In the end this show feels like a good freshman effort that is commendable.

by Anonymousreply 67April 15, 2019 11:06 PM

Classy, r32/r67.

Very cool.

by Anonymousreply 68April 15, 2019 11:30 PM

The anal penetration scene was cute. He looks like a bottom.

by Anonymousreply 69April 18, 2019 8:05 PM

Was looking forward to this, but really disappointed. Too on the nose and cute and the writing isn't smart enough.

by Anonymousreply 70April 18, 2019 10:01 PM

Sweet show and I don't mean that in a condescending way. I loved it until the moment Brian Jordan Alvarez turned up. Can't stand him, but I endured him, and then I started loving the show again. Was sceptical of the short length but I found it complemented the story perfectly. Perhaps more stories could be told in this way? The boyfriend arc confused me - is that a throuple in the making?

The writing is so, so good as it presents the story of the disabled person AND their carer, and gives the same weight to both. It really shows what a toll a disability can take on both of these people. Their sometimes enabling and co-dependant dynamic was dealt with in an honest way as well. Loved how Ryan was shown to be ableist towards the deaf guy. Layers!

His Indian-American friend was great, but it was his boss that got all the best lines. "And that's why I'm afraid of daytime."

by Anonymousreply 71April 18, 2019 10:42 PM

I wasn't expecting much but it is really cute. "It's hard out here for a gimp" made me laugh and I love Kim his office mate.

by Anonymousreply 72April 19, 2019 7:15 AM

I liked it. But as the episodes wore on, I like him less and less. He's kind of an asshole. Maybe that's the point.

by Anonymousreply 73April 19, 2019 7:24 AM

I just watched the entire season last night and it was most refreshing.

by Anonymousreply 74April 21, 2019 2:09 AM

Jim Parsons is a misogynist; he also produced [italic]A Kid Like Jake[/italic]. Stop supporting sellouts.

by Anonymousreply 75April 21, 2019 2:15 AM

Dollars to donuts the wheelchair Ado Annie is gonna show up in this at some point. Why can’t people be content anymore to simply live their lives without forcing the rest of us to deal with their challenges? Now they have to star in tv shows and tread/wheel the Broadway stage. It’s exhausting and not entertainment.

by Anonymousreply 76April 21, 2019 2:27 AM

This is not the first RETARD on tv/web we had Blair's cousin Jeri back in ca. 1981.

by Anonymousreply 77April 21, 2019 3:32 AM

He's incredibly irritating. I used to hate-read his Thought Catalog posts, and he's just an annoying Millennial.

by Anonymousreply 78April 21, 2019 9:37 AM

So what did we make of the ending? He's going to start dating a guy in an open relationship even though he doesn't like the boyfriend? Or the guys gonna leave his boyfriend fir him?

by Anonymousreply 79April 21, 2019 9:46 AM

[quote]So what did we make of the ending? He's going to start dating a guy in an open relationship even though he doesn't like the boyfriend?

So now they’re hiding behind disability to reinforce another negative stereotype of gay men.

by Anonymousreply 80April 21, 2019 9:53 AM

That guy in an open relationship to me just seems like someone who gets off on the caring and the helping. So I hope Ryan finds someone better who'll be more boyfriend to him than a carer. Though I suppose the relationship dynamic inevitably gets messy somewhere down the line when you're dating someone with a disability.

by Anonymousreply 81April 21, 2019 10:20 AM

I liked it. But then again, i also like dumb guys, so....

by Anonymousreply 82April 21, 2019 12:23 PM

R78-He has NUMEROUS posts at the thought catalog. Extremely banal topics. One of the few decent posts of his was regarding how hard average looking people have to work in terms of clothing , haircut etc to look decent for a date etc.

by Anonymousreply 83April 21, 2019 12:34 PM

The generation that grew up with [italic]Full House[/italic] and [italic]Friends[/italic] grew up to launch a full-scale War on Comedy.

by Anonymousreply 84April 21, 2019 12:41 PM

[quote]Was looking forward to this, but really disappointed. Too on the nose and cute and the writing isn't smart enough.

This is how I am feeling.

by Anonymousreply 85April 22, 2019 11:23 PM

I am deeply and genuinely attracted to him.

by Anonymousreply 86April 22, 2019 11:43 PM

Same R86

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 87April 22, 2019 11:45 PM

R87-He does look a lot better without his glasses. I'm not one to talk. I wear glasses ALL DAY EVERY DAY since I was 22.

by Anonymousreply 88April 23, 2019 1:00 AM

He's like a young Chris Parnell with Andi Cohen's wonky eye.

by Anonymousreply 89April 23, 2019 1:17 AM

I like the show. It's short format is quite appropriate, it's unpretentious, sweet and funny. The thougbt of physical disability scares me and never thought I would watch this type of show, but I gave it a try and it was worth the time.

by Anonymousreply 90April 26, 2019 11:21 AM

[quote] Reminds me a bit of EastSiders, where the first season was about 15 minutes each episode and then the later ones were longer.

Except EastSiders is a web series that was given to Netflix to air for free in a package of material by Wolfe video. Netflix didn't start producing later seasons of the show.

by Anonymousreply 91April 26, 2019 4:45 PM

Holy shit. I just watched the first three minutes and it's all horrendously written exposition.

by Anonymousreply 92April 26, 2019 4:49 PM

And is anyone else having problems with the fact that he never directly looks at anyone he speaks to? I can't tell if his eyeballs don't move or he's such a bad actor that he can't stop looking at the cue cards.

by Anonymousreply 93April 26, 2019 4:52 PM

R93 I noticed that too.

by Anonymousreply 94April 26, 2019 5:05 PM

Carey is my favorite he is so nice and cute.

by Anonymousreply 95May 2, 2019 6:57 PM

r93 It was mentioned earlier in the thread that he has strabismus. Have you really never spoken to anyone with that condition in real life? It looks like they're looking right past you even though they're obviously not. Of course, the more extreme the case, the worse it comes across.

by Anonymousreply 96May 2, 2019 7:00 PM

Renewed for season 2

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 97December 16, 2019 3:25 PM

Glad it was renewed. Hope Augustus Prew will return.

by Anonymousreply 98December 28, 2019 8:07 PM

While Augustus hasn't specially posted anything, he has liked various tweets about the renewal.

by Anonymousreply 99December 28, 2019 8:14 PM

Oh, so that's where I knew Augustus from when he popped up on The Morning Show. All is clear now.

by Anonymousreply 100December 28, 2019 8:35 PM

My favourite scene was the bottoming one.

It took me a while to get used to Ryan O'Connell's acting. He was doing that irritating thing of dropping his voice for pathos every now and then. Augustus Prew took too damn long to show up. He and Patrick Fabian have that quality of putting you at ease. I guess it could be described as likability but I think it's more than that. I guess it's talent - the material doesn't have to be all that good but you feel you're in good company with them. I like the actress who plays the blogger friend but I felt he wrote it for a black woman (or what he thinks is a black woman) and they cast an Asian actor instead (I know she's not East Asian). Her dialogue and really, most of the rest given to the cast (I hated the grandmother and her scenes), didn't quite hit right. I think it was brave to make so many of the characters dislikable in their dialogue and actions but I think it needed better balance in the writing and performance. What someone said about about Carey having a savior complex is interesting, as it didn't make sense to me why he was interested in Ryan from the get go. Prew played it like Ryan was attractive and not offputting, which I found puzzling. (And why were he and Ryan sitting on a bed together just before the boyfriend came back from the gym?)

I loved that they used some girl group songs on the soundtrack that I've never heard before.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 101January 20, 2020 5:49 AM

Season 2 trailer - May 20th

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 102April 26, 2021 7:32 PM

Nice! Good news! I hope they extended each episode by a few minutes at least.

by Anonymousreply 103April 26, 2021 7:34 PM

Some information about season 2

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 104April 26, 2021 7:45 PM

That guy he ended up with at the end of the 1st season didnt want to come back?

by Anonymousreply 105April 26, 2021 7:57 PM

I think Augutus Prew was in New Zealand filming the new Lord of the Rings series while this was filming. R105

I'm sure they'll have some throwaway line why he's not on the show anymore.

by Anonymousreply 106April 26, 2021 8:01 PM

I was so late to this show! I haven't had Netflix very long and literally just watched this for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It was adorable! I enjoyed every minute and Ryan is adorable. The funny part is that I thought it was something brand new and then realized it was from two years ago. But now that the second season is about to debut, I'm actually sort of glad I just discovered it because now I don't have to wait as long for new episodes like everyone else who first watched it two years ago.

by Anonymousreply 107April 27, 2021 7:52 PM

The second season is out now.

by Anonymousreply 108May 20, 2021 7:27 PM

Why did I they mess with the episode length, it now seems to drag on forever? They could have just as easily given us 16 episodes and we’d be very happy.

by Anonymousreply 109May 21, 2021 7:32 PM

The relationship between Ryan and his mom really made me miss my mother.

by Anonymousreply 110May 21, 2021 9:23 PM

I really wanted to like the series. Oh, well.

by Anonymousreply 111May 22, 2021 12:44 AM

[quote]The relationship between Ryan and his mom really made me miss my mother.

The scene where Patrick Fabian's character tells Ryan's mother those memories of his mother really got me. It's my same feeling about my mother and when she passed away I, too, thought no one has ever loved me as much as my mom did.

I'm glad that the show increased to nearly 30-minutes. It gave the show a chance to build out and focus on other characters like Ryan's mother and best friend.

And I give it to Ryan. He made sure his character gets to have sex and make out with cute guys.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 112May 22, 2021 1:48 AM

I was hoping for another season, but at least they wrapped it up nicely.

by Anonymousreply 113May 22, 2021 1:50 AM

I heard him on Radio Andy (Sirius). He came across like every other vacuous and shallow twink who is obsessed with going to the gym and being seen in the “right” places. Pity.

by Anonymousreply 114May 22, 2021 2:55 AM
Loading
Need more help? Click Here.

Yes indeed, we too use "cookies." Take a look at our privacy/terms or if you just want to see the damn site without all this bureaucratic nonsense, click ACCEPT. Otherwise, you'll just have to find some other site for your pointless bitchery needs.

×

Become a contributor - post when you want with no ads!