10 Years Later, This Forgotten 63-Episode Sitcom Is Still One of the Best Ever Made

Published Sep 22, 2026, 4:51 PM EDT

Lloyd 'Happy Trails' Farley: the man, the myth, the legend. What can be said about this amazing - and humble - man that hasn't been said before? Or, more accurately, what can be said in public? Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Lloyd is a master of puns and a humorist, who has authored one pun book to date - Pun and Grimeish Mint - and is working on a second. His time with Collider has allowed Lloyd's passion for writing to explode, with nearly 1,000 articles to his name that have been published on the site, with his favorite articles being the ones that allow for his sense of humor to shine. Lloyd also holds fast to the belief that all of life's problems can be answered by The Simpsons, Star Wars, and/or The Lion King. You can read more about Lloyd on his website, or follow his Facebook page and join the Llama Llegion. Happy trails!

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One of the criticisms most often lobbied toward television is its lack of representation. That said, there have been series that have been lauded for challenging the status quo, and, while not perfect, great strides have been made toward increasing the visibility of different genders, races, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. But people with disabilities continue to be underrepresented — even outright ignored — on television.

If they're not reduced to secondary, recurring characters — 9-1-1's Christopher Diaz (Gavin McHugh), for example — they're played by actors who do not share their disabilities, like Glee's Artie, a wheelchair user played by Kevin McHale, who does not use one. However, one sitcom, Speechless, not only featured an actor with a disability in a main role, but captured the realities facing people with disabilities and the families who love them. A decade after it premiered, its 63 episodes remain a model for the kind of representation television still struggles to get right.

What Is 'Speechless' About?

Image via ABC

Speechless follows the lives of the DiMeo family: Maya (Minnie Driver), a headstrong mother who is relentless in her pursuits; Jimmy (John Ross Bowie), the easy-going father; athletic daughter Dylan (Kyla Kennedy), the youngest and most mischievous; nerdy middle child Ray (Mason Cook), who is frequently the target of Dylan's pranks; and JJ (Micah Fowler), the oldest child who has a wicked sense of humor and a quick wit. He also happens to have cerebral palsy, and communicates with others by using headgear with a laser pointer, which he uses to point at words, letters, and numbers on a board attached to his wheelchair. JJ is assisted at school by a full-time aide, groundskeeper Kenneth (Cedric Yarbrough), with whom he makes a connection.

The character of JJ is a unicorn of sorts, a character with cerebral palsy who is front and center as a main part of the cast, and who is played by an actor with cerebral palsy himself (unlike his character, Fowler can use a walker for shorter distances and speak, albeit with great effort). What further separates JJ from the bulk of disabled characters is how he is utilized. JJ has legitimately funny lines, emotional depth, and behaves as a normal teen would, not as a PSA or as a token character meant to showcase how wonderful the character's caregiver is by keeping them around. As a result, Fowler and his character are empowering, proving that disabled people don't need to have pandering storylines or be ignored, but can be just as effective when given meaningful material.

'Speechless' Humorously Addresses the Realities Facing Families

Speechless isn't unique in having a character with a disability, but in how it addresses the realities facing families with disabled children. In the first episode, we learn that the DiMeo family has moved frequently in an effort to find a school that can effectively accommodate JJ, and they believe they've found it in Lafayette High School. It is, however, in an upscale part of town, and the family is forced to move into the cheapest house they can find in the neighborhood, which we'll politely call a fixer-upper. The move, and the school's efforts at promoting how inclusive it is, are exaggerated to the point of satire. Many parents have to either pay out of pocket or make extreme decisions to ensure their child gets the help they need.

Speechless also succeeds in showcasing how all members of the family are affected. Maya is constantly attentive to JJ and helps him navigate a world that is not always built with his needs in mind, or at least her perception of those needs. She forces the school to cancel a pre-game bonfire for the football team after realizing JJ wouldn't be able to traverse the rocky hillside to get there, earning JJ's ire for making him the reason why. It often puts her at odds with Kenneth, who tries to normalize things for JJ at school, and alienates her other two children, similar to how Mary (Zoe Perry) dotes on Sheldon (Iain Armitage) in Young Sheldon.

Other episodes see the family contend with issues unique to their situation — feeling guilty for having fun at an event, like paintballing, where JJ isn't involved — and those that every family deals with, like first dates and parents struggling to rekindle their passion after years spent doting on their children. It all feels authentic, as it should, given that creator Scott Silveri based the series on his own family, with an older brother with cerebral palsy and two younger siblings. Despite being canceled in 2019, its 63 episodes stand as a testament to how television can — and should — challenge conventions.

Speechless