DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
 
 
 
I Want My Deaf TV
November 2, 2019  | By Noel Holston  | 19 comments
 


[EDITOR'S NOTE: TVWW contributor Noel Holston is the author of
 Life After Deaf: My Misadventures in Hearing Loss and Recovery, a memoir to be published Nov. 5 by Skyhorse.]

Browsing a website called alldeaf.com recently, I noticed someone had posted a request, asking other visitors to suggest movies with deaf or hearing-impaired characters.

"I know Children of a Lesser God and Mr. Holland's Opus, and one or two others," said a woman named Holly. "Anybody else got some names of movies with deaf people or about deaf culture?"

What with my being a) hearing impaired and b) a veteran of the tele-criticism trenches, my first thought was that TV actually has more to offer than movies in this regard.

I doubt most people realize that The Miracle Worker, William Gibson's revered and enduringly popular play about Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, is a TV baby. Although it was subsequently made into a Broadway hit and a celebrated theatrical with Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft, it originated on CBS's Playhouse 90 in 1957 with Patty McCormack and Teresa Wright in the leads.

The bookend for that Golden Age look at deafness would be Sundance's This Close, the first TV series helmed by deaf people and with two deaf leads.

In between come quite a few productions, including two TV remakes of The Miracle Worker, one in 1979, another in 2000.

I'll never forget Love Is Never Silent, a made-for-TV film I reviewed when it first aired in 1985. It's about a young woman (Mare Winningham) torn between going out on her own or staying with her deaf parents, who depend on her to hear for them.

Then there's:

And Your Name Is Jonah, a poignant 1979 TV drama about a child believed to be autistic but later discovered to be deaf.

Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story, a TV biopic in which Stockard Channing starred as real-life stuntwoman and racecar driver who was born deaf. 

Bridge to Silence, a 1989 TV movie with Oscar winner Marlee Matlin as the deaf mother who has to fight to retain custody of her hearing child after her husband dies.

After the Silence (1996), a fact-based TV film about a social worker who teaches sign language to a deaf teenager rescued from an abusive home.

As you can see, "silence" was golden back then.

It also bears pointing out that these are artifacts of the heyday of TV movies, when inspirational stories of people coping with illness or adversity were more popular than, say, series about anxious gangsters or warring kingdoms with dragons instead of fighter jets.

In the decades since, while there have been movies dealing with deaf issues – like Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008), in which a father (Jeff Daniels) wants to restore his son's hearing with surgery while the mom (Marlee Matlin) opposes the plan – the deaf presence has been more prevalent in weekly series.

Freeform's Peabody Award-winning Switched at Birth (2011–2017, right) had a major character and a prominent supporting character, both played by deaf actors fluent in American Sign Language.

The West Wing (1999-2006) had a recurring character, a shrewd political consultant, played by the ubiquitous Matlin.

Picket Fences, Heroes, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The L Word, Jericho, and Weeds all featured deaf characters at some point.

What's missing, unless I somehow overlooked it, is a TV movie or series arc in which deafness or hearing impairment is more than a plot device or a character gimmick – i.e., a detective's quirky trait, like Kojak's shaved head or Monk's obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Movies and shows with deaf characters "often do not focus on the condition of deafness at all," wrote Miriam Nathan Learner in M/C Journal: A Journal of Media & Culture. "Rather, the characters seem to satisfy a role in the story that either furthers the plot or the audience's understanding of other hearing characters."

What I'd like to see is a TV movie or series episode that actually gives the audience a sense of what it's like to be deaf or seriously hearing impaired, that for at least some of the running time lets the audience hear – or not hear – like the protagonist.

It would be a challenge, no doubt, for a director, an actor or actress, and for sound technicians and designers. But wow, what a revelation it could be for people who hear and can scarcely imagine the alternative.

 
 
 
 
 
Leave a Comment: (No HTML, 1000 chars max)
 
 Name (required)
 
 Email (required) (will not be published)
 
NFKGD
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 1  | Go to page: 
19 Comments
 
 
Very interesting blog. A lot of blogs I see these days don't really provide anything that I'm interested in, but I'm most definitely interested in this one. Just thought that I would post and let you know
Nov 16, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
If you are looking for more information about flat rate locksmith Las Vegas check that right away.
Nov 16, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Thanks a lot for sharing us about this update. Hope you will not get tired on making posts as informative as this.
Nov 15, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Much appreciated such a great amount for this data. I need to tell you I agree on a few of the focuses you make here and others might require some further survey, however I can see your perspective.
Nov 15, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
fuji388
You have a real ability for writing unique content. I like how you think and the way you represent your views in this article. I agree with your way of thinking. Thank you for sharing.
Nov 14, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
definately enjoy every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff of your blog a must read blog!
Nov 14, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
You have a genuine capacity for composing one of a kind substance. I like how you think and the way you speak to your perspectives in this article. I concur with your mindset. Much obliged to you for sharing.
Oct 31, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
I got so interested in this material that I couldn’t stop reading. Your blog is really impressive
Oct 26, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
I truly awed after read this in light of some quality work and educational contemplations . I just wanna express profound gratitude for the essayist and want you to enjoy all that life has to offer for coming!.
Oct 21, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Hi just want say that this article is very nice and very informative article.I will make sure to be reading your blog more.
Oct 19, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work...
Jul 9, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Yes, great US Military force. Also, in his post you have given a chance to listen about US Military. I really appreciate your work. Thanks for sharing it.
Jun 24, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
jaeseu
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up!
I'll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back later

?? ?? ????
??? ?? ???
?? ?? ?? ?? ???
?? ??
?? ? ??
https://www.j9korea.com
Jan 21, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
We provide evidence-based services in psychological healthcare.
 
 
Andrea Sledge
Reasonable Doubts, a series starring Matlin as an assistant DA and Mark Harmon as her investigator
Nov 5, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Zeke
Overall, is it not a good thing that hearing impaired characters have been included, without making the plotline all about the deafness?
I should think inclusivity is a positive thing, far from the "look at the freak" style!
Nov 3, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Tom
When you mentioned your hope that a producer would put viewers into the experience of someone with diminished hearing, I thought of the "Point of View" MASH episode which was shot from the perspective of a wounded soldier. If a producer takes up your challenge, I hope it's as effective as that one. I know I'll be watching and hoping to learn more.
Nov 2, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Stephen Truhon
Marlee Matlin has been a continuing character on "The Magicians". Several of the other speaking characters also sign.
Nov 2, 2019   |  Reply
 
 
Roseann Milano
How could you not note JOHNNY BELINDA with Jane Wyman? It made such an impression on me.
Nov 2, 2019   |  Reply
 
Noel Holston
"Johnny Belinda" is a good movie, but this was a column about television's portrayal of deafness, not theatrical films'.
Nov 3, 2019
 
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 1  | Go to page: