In Special, he plays out a version of his life story, which involves a BFF (Punam Patel) at the website where he interns, a heinous (and hilarious) bitch of a boss (Marla Mindelle) and some stumbles towards having a sex life. Like O’Connell, the show is sweet, but with a hard exterior. (On Netflix from Fri., Apr. 12) 3.5 stars
'Special' is unlike any other Netflix comedy series
And not just because it's about Ryan O'Connell, a gay guy with mild cerebral palsy
- by
Gavin Scott
It’s an idea so genius, it’s a surprise it has taken this long for Netflix to do it – all the episodes of new comedy series Special are around 15 minutes long, making it even more perfect for binge-watching. Watch the trailer below.
Special is based on the experiences of Ryan O’Connell, a gay man with a case of cerebral palsy mild enough for him to make jokes about not feeling like he is sufficiently disabled. In real life, O’Connell is a TV writer for shows like Will & Grace as well as an author – his memoir I’m Special prompted Jim Parsons, who is an executive producer on the show, to help him pitch a TV adaptation.
