“Love On The Spectrum” EPs by Cian O’Clery and Karina Holden

Courtesy of Netflix

For a long time, there was a very stereotypical portrayal of autism in the traditional media. For Cian O’Clery and Karina Holden Love in the spectrum was a perfect opportunity to showcase a diverse group of neurodiverse people. “It’s important that people can tell their own stories and that autism is something that brings different needs for different people,” Holden says.

Based on the Australian series of the same name, Netflix’ Love in the spectrum follows a neurodiverse group of people with autism spectrum disorder as they navigate the world of dating and relationships. Although the series doesn’t follow the typical American reality show format, O’Clery and Holden are thrilled with the response from fans and the support each cast member receives.

DEADLINE: What was the process like bringing the series from Australia to the US?

KARINA HOLDEN: It’s been six, seven years, so it’s been a long journey, but the great thing was when Netflix came on board and launched the Australian series in 2020. It’s been amazing to see how global audiences embraced the concept. And the American series we produced is so true to what we originally created.

CIAN O’CLERY: When we were asked to do a US season, we had a few concerns that maybe they wanted to put some bells and whistles on it and change the tone and style to make it seem bigger, but Netflix has just been a really great partner in helping us tell the stories the way we did in the Australian series. We’ve been telling character-driven stories in a certain way for a while now, and I think one of the great things about this show and the way we tell it is that we have rules about how we tell the stories and what the grammar is.

The difference from some reality shows is probably that we let our scenes speak for themselves. We don’t intercut them with interviews that we shoot later that then help us tell a story. Our scenes are all self-contained, and if we do pop up to hear from someone, it’s only from an interview in the moment and only if someone maybe walks away or there’s a change in the room itself. So we like to stick to the grammar that we used in the previous series as well, and that’s served us well so far. It’s hard to make a show that still captivates an audience in this market where we have so much content and where we have no conflict, no competition, no villains. Thanks to the cast, whose stories are just so unique, interesting and compelling, we’re able to keep the show a character-led show at its core.

DEADLINE: What did you think of the cast?

O’CLERY: Imagine if you were casting a typical reality series, and we do everything very differently. We cast the show as a team of producers, so we don’t hire a separate casting team to do all the work and then send you tapes. We actually do the calling ourselves. We basically try to get the word out to as many people as possible that we’re looking for people who are dating and looking for love and maybe need a little bit of support along the way. And we spread the word through autism organizations, social groups, individuals, experts in the field, influential people in the autism community, whoever. We get a lot of people writing to us and really wanting to be a part of the show, which is great and just shows that there’s a desire and a need out there from a lot of people on the autism spectrum who want to date and find love and relationships.

HELD: I think the other thing that is really important in this casting process is to make sure that the representation of autism is really broad. Until recently, through shows like Love in the spectrum particularly that that’s changing, there’s a sense that autism looks a certain way, and it’s important that people can tell their own stories and that autism is something that presents different needs for different people. There are a lot of people who operate very independently and want to date neurodiverse or neurotypical people who have as many wants and needs as the spectrum itself. So that’s something that we really need to consider as well if we want to make sure that the show itself is something that encourages moving away from the stereotypical view of autism.

O’CLERY: The best thing for us is that we get to showcase all these different voices and this incredibly diverse group of people who are real people on the autism spectrum who aren’t really represented in traditional media. And what’s also so great about it is that the cast is so loved and adored by viewers around the world just for being themselves, and that there are now people who are reality stars who are playing autistic characters from Love in the spectrum.

HELD: Especially this journey for some of them who have been bullied and misunderstood and now to have the support of an entire country and to be recognized in some places worldwide because they have this desire for love and have the support of this production team around them as they go on this dating journey. They have their dreams out there for us all to experience and people cheer them on in such a positive way and I think that has boosted the confidence of the people who are on the show so much.

O’CLERY: When we first started shooting with Abbey, one of the things that was notable was that her mom said that she was really worried and scared that people would see Abbey on the street, talking to herself and acting a little bit differently, and that people would cross the street to get out of her way and look the other way. And she was scared that Abbey wouldn’t be OK if she wasn’t there because people wouldn’t understand her. And from that thought to now having people running up to her and saying, “Abbey, I love you, you’re amazing!” It just shows what that kind of representation can do, and other people who behave in ways that might not be as familiar to neurotypical people will hopefully find more acceptance through representation on the show.

DEADLINE: One thing I find really interesting is your willingness to get involved. For example, Cian, when you mentioned to Connor that he shouldn’t take no for an answer to people sitting in front of him at speed dating. Could you talk about that connection with the cast?

O’CLERY: It’s interesting because when we first shot the show, we didn’t necessarily plan on being involved behind the camera. It just happened, and sometimes you just feel like it’s a good moment to mention something or share something with somebody, and it just felt right in the moment. I think that’s definitely a moment that really resonates with people on the show. He’s dating for the first time in his life, not knowing the rules, not being sure how to do things. It just felt right to bring that up in the moment and not let him go ahead with it without maybe giving a little hint that it might hurt his chances at speed dating.

HELD: I think you’ll also notice that Cian would never step in in the middle of a date or change the dynamic of a person trying to navigate their relationship. But if there’s a lull and someone leaves the table, he just checks in with them. It’s really like having a wingman by your side. I think that’s the director’s role here, because he’s not just directing, but he’s built a relationship with these people that he’s built trust with and whose family he’s spent time with. It’s just checking in and making sure that they’re thinking positively about what’s happening and letting them know that they can ask for help if they need it. In a way, it’s an extension of the duty of care that’s snuck onto the screen because it’s also revealed a truth for that person.

DEADLINE: You mentioned that there is this diverse group of neurodiverse people. What do you think is being done to counteract the idea of ​​the stereotypical “one type of autistic person” that is typically represented in the media?

O’CLERY: The representation and understanding has really changed a lot in the last few years. When we started making the series, it was still pretty much Rainman and I think The good doctor had only just started, but there wasn’t much at all. Things have changed a lot even since we started producing the show, but what better way to raise awareness and understanding that it’s a very diverse condition than a show with so many people that the audience gets to know.

HELD: I think it shows that there are people who accept their illness and see it as part of their identity. They don’t see it as a disability. The spectrum is really wide. There are people with autism who have very great needs and go through life with a lot of support, who can’t speak and struggle with a lot of situations. I think the whole idea of ​​changing words like disability and moving things to illness and seeing things as a difference… We’ve had some really great young people talk about it and inspire people who have received this diagnosis to not be afraid of it and to accept the difference. The diagnosis you may receive is not that bad and could be something completely unique to you.