The A Word, BBC1 - TV review: The curious case of the autism drama overshadowed by the soundtrack

Episode one focused too much on the boring lives of the adults rather than giving an eye-opening insight into life with autism

King of the hill: Max Vento plays Joe in 'The A Word'

Thanks to the success of novels such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Rosie Project, autism is not only talked about more – it is celebrated. But parents can be racked with worry when they first hear that their child is on the autistic spectrum.

Dedicated parents Alison and Paul Hughes have to face up to that fear in new BBC1 drama The A Word, when it emerges their five-year-old son, Joe (Max Vento), has problems with emotional responses and communication. He may enjoy listening to Human League and other bands far beyond the tastes of most primary school children, but when his parents brought out his birthday cake, he lay unresponsive on the floor.

The opening scene looked promising. As Joe sang his heart out to Arctic Monkeys in the front of a lorry winding through the Lake District, I was excited for a drama – perhaps a touch on the indie side – about a boy overcoming the odds. But episode one focused too much on the boring lives of the adults rather than giving an eye-opening insight into life with autism.

Perhaps the adult world wouldn't have seemed so dull if the characters were more likeable. Instead, mum Alison (played by Morven Christie, currently seen on ITV's Grantchester) was a pent-up control freak, and her sister-in-law, Nicola, seemed far too haughty to survive one day up North. The men were marginally more likeable, except when lad dad Paul kept calling his five-year-old son “mate”.

The A Word will no doubt resonate with parents across the country trying to do the best for their children, while struggling to juggle work with various family crises. The soundtrack is a good'un and the scenes of Cumbria are beautiful. If only the script had fewer clunky sex scenes and more told from Joe's perspective.