Happy Friday! This week’s “global TV to watch” includes titles from Australia, France, and South Korea that center on individuals on the autism spectrum.
April is World Autism Month and, in the US, Autism Acceptance Month, so today we offer up three international TV series whose lead characters, fictional and actual people, are autistic. As these (and other) shows demonstrate, many persons with a disorder related to brain development can be courageous and humorous and smart, do fun and incredible things, and lead fulfilling lives.
Astrid (France-Belgium)
Astrid is one of my favorite series. This is due in large part to the character Astrid Nielsen (Sara Mortensen, Murder in Rochefort), a woman with Asperger’s syndrome who works as an archivist in the criminal records department of the French Judicial Police. Although she’s had a guardian for years, and despite certain challenges that stem from the autism, Astrid has managed quite well on her own at home and at work. Her world begins to expand, as does Astrid herself, after she meets Police Commander Raphaëlle Coste (Lola Dewaere, Fear by the Lake) and helps the detective solve a triple murder case. So begins one of the most heartwarming and life-affirming friendships, not to mention one of the most effective crime-solving duos, on telly today.
The series Astrid, for me, is like Endeavour meets The Bridge. Similar to British detective Endeavour Morse, Astrid has a thing for puzzles, and her talents in seeing and sensing things beyond the obvious to solve various types of posers are key skills that she applies to assist Raphaëlle in criminal investigations. And akin to how Danish investigator Martin Rohde connects with and becomes friends with Swedish detective Saga Norén, and helps her to better understand certain things about neurotypical people while they’re delving into nasty crimes, so, too, does Raphaëlle with Astrid. So while Astrid revolves around a murder mystery of the week, the show is squarely centered on the friendship of Astrid and Raphaëlle.
Seasons 1-2 of Astrid are currently available for streaming in the US on the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel. Season 1 is streaming on PBS Passport now, with Season 2 arriving April 20. Also, select PBS member stations are broadcasting the series (check your local listings). In the UK, Season 1 of Astrid: Murder in Paris is currently available for streaming on Walter Presents via All 4; Season 2 recently launched on More 4. In France, one or more (of four) seasons of Astrid et Raphaëlle are currently available for video-on-demand streaming and digital purchase on several services.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (South Korea)
Another show that I adore is Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which centers on Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin, The King’s Affection), a whale-loving young woman with serious smarts and a photographic memory, who is extraordinary in that she is the (fictional) first attorney with autism (specifically Asperger’s Syndrome) in Korea. But this doesn’t spare her from the prejudice and even hate that so many neurotypcial people direct toward autistic individuals. The series doesn’t shy away from the challenges that parents with autistic children have to deal with, and it shows how wide the range of neurodiversity in autistic people can be.
On the lighter side, the series gives us feel-good moments through Young-woo’s close friendship with a former schoolmate, the romantic feelings a colleague has for her, and the daily breakfast ritual she has with her single father. As for the cases that Young-woo works on — from fraud and intellectual property infringement, to assault and attempted murder — these stories hinge on her sharp thinking and incredible recall of South Korea’s laws, codes, and statutes. Combined with the other subplots and intrigues, Extraordinary Attorney Woo makes for some terrific binge-watching.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is currently available for streaming on Netflix in the US and others of the streamer’s territories.
Love on the Spectrum (Australia)
One of these days, I’m going to write a piece on the joys of watching certain reality TV series, because ones like Love on the Spectrum are absolutely brilliant. While there is an American version of this show, here I mean the original Australian series. Over the course of its two seasons (I hope there will be more), I’ve grown quite attached to the men and women who participated in this looking-for-love series — especially Michael, Mark, Chloe, and Teo — and want so much for them to find the love they long for and deserve. (Perhaps they have since the end of Season 2!)
Until I started watching Love on the Spectrum, I knew next to nothing about autism. Since finishing both seasons, I’ve learned a smidgen more and gained a better sense of the ways neurodiverse people experience various symptoms of autism and handle what they may or may not consider challenges of being autistic. I also get that, save for the symptoms, many individuals on the autism spectrum are just like neurotypical people: They work and volunteer, engage in hobbies and interests, have close and supportive friends and family, and want to share their love with and be loved by that special someone.
Seasons 1-2 of Love on the Spectrum is currently available for streaming on Netflix in the US and others of its territories.
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