Netflix's latest original series is already winning great feedback - and it's not even been released yet. Titled Special the new eight-part series is based on Ryan O'Connell's memoir, I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves. You can watch the trailer here:
Special is being dubbed a comedy, and follows the life of Ryan (played by Ryan O'Connell), a gay man living with cerebral palsy who is going "after the life he has always wanted" to follow.
Advert
However, he hides his disability from his new colleagues by lying to them. Rather than revealing that he lives with cerebral palsy, Ryan tells them that he was hit by a car and it caused him to have a limp.
"If you could get rid of the thing you hate most about yourself, the thing no one else understands, wouldn't you do it?" he says in the trailer. "I was in the closet about being gay, and then I was in the closet about being disabled, and now no more closets."
As per the official synopsis: "Why be normal when you can be Special? Special is a distinctive and uplifting new series about a gay man, Ryan with mild cerebral palsy who decides to rewrite his identity and finally go after the life he wants.
Advert
"After years of dead-end internships, working in his pajamas as a blogger and communicating mostly via text, Ryan eventually figured out how to take his life from bleak to chic and began limping towards adulthood.
"The offbeat comedy is based on series creator and star Ryan O'Connell's memoir, "I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves." O'Connell also serves as executive producer alongside Jim Parsons."
Starring as Ryan's mum, Karen, is Jessica Hecht, who is best-known for her role in Friends as Susan. And Punam Patel plays Ryan's new pal, Kim.
The series is already winning positive feedback for its disability and LGBT themes and plot.
Advert
"I can't wait to see this film, but I'm proud being #Gay, #disabled & got #CerebralPalsy and hopefully this film will show it's fine having relationships with anyone," shared one fan on Twitter.
And a second person wrote: "As a gay man with muscular dystrophy I wasn't prepared for this but I'm so happy it exists and I can't wait."
"Looks promising, a show that celebrates diversity is always welcomed! (hope it doesn't get cancelled like other similar shows," added a third.
Special hits the streaming giant on Friday, 12th April.
Topics: TV Entertainment, Netflix