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Ralph & Katie

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Ralph & Katie
GenreDrama
Created byPeter Bowker
Based onThe A Word by Peter Bowker
Developed byPeter Bowker
Starring
ComposerAdrian Johnston
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Lucy Ritcher
  • Patrick Spence
  • Peter Bowker
  • Howard Burch
Producer
  • Jules Hussey
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release5 October 2022 (2022-10-05) –
present

Ralph & Katie is a 2022 British television drama series. It is a spin-off of The A Word, and is centred around the lives of a couple with Down syndrome. The six-part series, handled by a writing team made up predominantly of people with disabilities,[1] began broadcast in October 2022.[2] Disney+ picked up the programme across all of Europe, except the UK.[3]

Cast

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Production

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In August 2020 it was announced that a spin-off series, following the married life of characters from The A Word, had been commissioned by the BBC.[4]

Filming began in February 2022 at Space Studios in Manchester and continued at various locations across the Lake District. As well as hiring an inclusive writing team, the production ran a six month remote training scheme, on top of employing five entry level trainees, who had disabilities, across many of the departments during the shoot: relaying their experience to a further 30 Deaf, Disabled or Neurodivergent creatives through online sessions. The scheme allowed the DDN creatives who were early in their careers, a chance to familiarise themselves with various pieces of paperwork and meet the different members of crew responsible for the production. This scheme was funded by ITV Studios and BBC Drama and was made possible through DANC, the Disabled Artist's Network Community.[5][6]

The production pioneered the transfer of the role of the creative coach from stage to screen, hiring Jess Mabel Jones to facilitate the needs of both the lead actors and director just before and during the filming of scenes. "I was there to make sure they could do the best job they could, and in an informed way." Jess would translate director's notes into an easy-read or spoken direction and would feed back on any adjustments to the script supervisor and editor on small adjustments that could help during filming.[7]

Access All Areas, an inclusive theatre company, worked closely with the production, to advise on implementing inclusive innovations such as easy-read call sheets and mandatory name tags for all cast and crew members to wear to ensure everyone, regardless of whether they were DDN, could do their job more effectively.[7] Jordan Hogg noted that "we asked everyone who came in the door, ‘What do you need to make your job better?" and said "As soon as we started shooting it became clear that this was a special project."[8][9]

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"A Friend in Need..."Jordan HoggPeter Bowker5 October 2022 (2022-10-05)
2"Valentine's Day"Jordan HoggAmy Trigg5 October 2022 (2022-10-05)
3"Babysitter's Club"Jordan HoggAnnalisa Dinnella12 October 2022 (2022-10-12)
4"Empty Nest"Jordan HoggGenevieve Barr12 October 2022 (2022-10-12)
5"Ralph's Balls"Jordan HoggTom Wentworth19 October 2022 (2022-10-19)
6"The Motherships Have Landed"Jordan HoggLizzie Watson19 October 2022 (2022-10-19)

Reception

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Jack Seale of The Guardian awarded the first two episodes four stars out of five, praising the humour, warmth and characters.[10] Anita Singh in The Telegraph also gave it four stars out of five.[11]

Awards and nominations

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The series won Best Inclusive Practice at the RTS North West Awards 2023,[12] as well as winning the Special Award at the RTS Design and Craft Awards 2023.[13] The judges credited the production as "one of the most inclusive pieces of content that we've seen on screen for a long, long time", singling out Producer Jules Hussey and Director Jordan Hogg for leading an inclusive workplace that "celebrated diversity and supported a range of different accessibility needs".[6]

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Ralph & Katie". BBC iPlayer. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  3. ^ Middleton, Richard (17 October 2022). "Disney+ strikes 'Ralph & Katie' & 'The A Word' deal across Europe". TBI Vision.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ MBI (22 February 2022). "Ralph & Katie films in Manchester and the Lake District". The Knowledge Online. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b "RTS crowns Ralph & Katie's 'celebration of diversity'". The Talent Manager. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Ralph and Katie: 'People will now want to work on an inclusive set'". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  8. ^ "The Edgar Test for disabled TV talent: How small changes can make a big impact for disabled talent". Royal Television Society. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  9. ^ Lobb, Adrian (5 October 2022). "Ralph and Katie: 'I said from day one we were going to change the world'". Big Issue. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  10. ^ Seale, Jack (5 October 2022). "Ralph & Katie review – this is pure joy, like taking a holiday full of laughs". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  11. ^ Singh, Anita (5 October 2022). "Ralph & Katie, review: The a Word spin-off will charm even the most cynical old goat". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  12. ^ "WINNERS : RTS North West Awards 2023". Royal Television Society. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  13. ^ "RTS Craft & Design Awards 2023". Royal Television Society. 8 November 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
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