Sitcom: Exceptional ‘Speechless’ will have people talking
The title of the show almost says it all, except that while the quality of “Speechless” may leave you that way for a minute or two, it’s a show you’ll be talking about and watching every week.
The series, premiering on Wednesday, Sept. 21, is about a family. OK, so what sitcom isn’t? But this one is different. Not because one of the three kids has cerebral palsy, but
because of the character dynamic among the members of the DiMeo household: They feel like a real family.
Created by Scott Silveri, who spent several seasons in significant jobs on “Friends,” “Speechless” is about a fierce, confrontational mom named Maya DiMeo (Minnie Driver, “About a Boy”), who will take the world on to make sure her son J.J. (Micah Fowler, “Labor Day”) is treated fairly, with respect, and without pity at all times.
And woe betide anyone who doesn’t observe every clause, sentence and participle of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Maya’s vigilance has not only earned her the reputation of someone to avoid, but also caused the family to move from school district to school district in search of one that measures up to Maya’s standards.
Husband Jimmy ( John Ross Bowie, so brilliant as Kripke in “The Big Bang Theory”) is supportive to an extent, but knowing that his wife can and does go overboard, regularly reminds her that she has two other kids, the youngest, Dylan (Kyla Kenedy, “The Walking Dead”), who only cares about sports, and Ray (Mason Cook, “Spy Kids: All the Time in the World”), a socially awkward nerd who is wary of making friends because he’s certain the family will just pick up and move again.
The show is a perfect balance of comedy and heart, and the performances are superior on every level. Micah Fowler, though: wow. He doesn’t utter a word, but he communicates more than words could ever say with facial expressions and the inflections of his monotone responses to life around him. There’s no BS about J.J. He’s centered, smart and determined. Fowler delivers one of the most eloquent, Emmy-worthy performances you’ll ever see. He makes you feel sorry that every other kid in the world isn’t as great as J.J.
“Speechless” is exceptional television.