It's tough to fit in as a teen, but that's the goal of Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist) on Atypical, an upcoming comedy about an autistic teen and his family.
In the teaser, Sam reveals that his goals for adolescence overlap significantly with a lot of other teens. He's decided to date, and though it concerns his mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh), he's ready to take the plunge.
Gilchrist never experienced growing up with autism, but told USA Today that he was struck by Sam's honesty as a character who often speaks without inhibition. Series creator Robia Rashid said in the same article that she consulted with at least one academic professional with experience in autism research and treatment, a standard practice for shows seeking to do the subject justice.
Autism visibility on television is growing, such as with Sesame Street's Julia and Max Braverman (Max Burkholder) on NBC's Parenthood.
Netflix described the show briefly in a release:
Atypical is a coming of age story that follows Sam (played by Keir Gilchrist), an 18-year-old on the autistic spectrum as he searches for love and independence. While Sam is on his funny yet emotional journey of self-discovery, the rest of his family must grapple with change in their own lives as they all struggle with the central theme: what does it really mean to be normal?
Atypical starts streaming August 11.
Topics Netflix
