Amazon Prime Video users will be able to watch brand new trailblazing series 'As We See It' from Friday, January 21.
The eight-part series has been written by Jason Katims, who is known for being a writer on American drama series Friday Night Lights, and has been praised for the inclusivity of its cast.
Newcomers Rick Glassman, Albert Rutecki, and Sue Ann Pien star as three twenty-something roommates who are all on the autistic spectrum, as they try to find, and hold down, jobs, make friends, fall in love, and navigate a world that eludes them.
With their families help, and sometimes even the help of each other, the roommates experience trials, tribulations and triumphs on their own unique journeys towards independence and acceptance.
Actors Glassman, Rutecki and Pien all identify as being on the autistic spectrum, and are joined by Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians), Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), and Sosie Bacon (Mare of Easttown).
Mantegna, a Tony-award winning actor, plays the father of Glassman's character Jack, something which came naturally to him as his daughter, Gia, is autistic.
Speaking to the Boston Herald, in the US, Mantegna said: "I’ve been involved in it since its inception,
"They came to me shortly after ‘Criminal Minds’ stopped, and when I read the (pilot) script, I was really knocked out by it … for a lot of reasons. Jason is such a wonderful, beautiful writer, and it had a very personal impact on me."
Mantegna, 74, is not sure whether Katims knew about his eldest daughter's autism. He said: "I never asked, Jason might have thought that might be an interesting layer, but I know that it’s also a personal thing for him.
"They really thought it out to the point where, besides that the three main actors were identified as being on the autism spectrum, they were going to hire 12 (autistic) people on the crew — which is really unheard of.
"You have to go through the unions and all that, and they did that. I hope it’s a sign of the times, in terms of where we’re going with inclusion.”
As We See It is based on the Israeli show On the Spectrum, with the original creators Dana Idisis and Yuval Shafferman returning as executive producers for the American reboot.
The whole series will be available on Amazon Prime Video as of Friday, January 21.
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