We have the likes of Strictly Come Dancing and The Masked Dancer bringing the glitz, glam, and completely bonkers to our Saturday nights but with the colder weather rolling in, nothing beats a nice new series to hunker down with.
And this is where Ralph and Katie come in. From Wednesday night (October 4), viewers will be treated to a spin-off of The A Word which ran for three series between 2016 and 2020. Six half-hour episodes will air across the next three weeks, starting tonight at 9pm.
The episodes will follow the continuing story of Ralph and Katie Wilson, with each featuring a different story focusing on the domestic challenges they face. This will include issues faced by all newlyweds, but with an added ingredient in the mix being that the couple have Down’s Syndrome.
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The ground-breaking series is created by Peter Bowker who is also the lead writer as he was on The A Word. Bowker revealed early last year the team who have since worked alongside him were all new and emerging disabled writers, who were chosen in partnership with BBC Writersroom.
The official synopsis for Ralph & Katie reads: "The last time we saw Ralph and Katie, they’d just had the wedding of the year. So what happened next? In this new comedy drama for BBC One and iPlayer, we will make a triumphant return to the beauty and splendour of the Lake District, and journey with our couple as they embark on their first year of marriage.
"Navigating their own way through life, love and independence, Ralph and Katie will face many of the challenges faced by all newlyweds... but with the added blessing or complication that they both have Down’s syndrome."
Leon Harrop and Sarah Gordy will reprise their roles as the couple while former EastEnders and Waterloo Road star Pooky Quesnel also reprises the role of Louise, Ralph's mum, now Katie's mother-in-law. Other familiar faces making a return are former Emmerdale and Doctor Who actor Nigel Betts and Sherry Baines, who starred in Coronation Street and Waterloo Road, who play Katie's parents Steve and Clare.
There is also a welcome return for Waterloo Road, Casualty and Bohemia Rhapsody actor Matt Greenwood who previously delighted audiences as Tom in The A Word. However, one major character who won't be returning for the series is Christopher Eccleston as Maurice Scott, Louise's partner.
But there will be some new characters joining the cast including Get Even and Coronation Street's Dylan Brady as Danny Hyde, Jamie Marie Leary, known for Traces and River City, as Emma Hibbert, former Corrie and Ackley Bridge star Sam Retford as Gary and The Royle Family legend Craig Cash as Brian Denton.
External filming for the series took place in Cumbria and Cheshire, specifically in Keswick in the Lake District, and Bollington in Cheshire while other scenes were filmed at Space Studios in Manchester. It's thought that Keswick’s Moot Hall was used for Christmas scenes while Cheshire Live has previously reported that film crews set up in the village Market Place, Water Street, and Green Cafe.
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