
Special (TV series)

Special is an American comedy streaming television series that premiered on Netflix on April 12, 2019. The series is based on the memoir "I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves" (2015) by Ryan O'Connell, who also stars, writes, and executive produces the series. In December 2019, the series was renewed for a second and final season, which premiered on May 20, 2021.
Synopsis.
"Special" is "a distinctive and uplifting new series about a gay man, Ryan, with mild cerebral palsy who decides to rewrite his identity and finally go after the life he wants."
Production.
Development.
On February 5, 2019, Netflix announced that it had given the production a series order for an eight-episode first season. The series is created by Ryan O'Connell, who is credited as an executive producer, alongside Jim Parsons, Anna Dokoza, Eric Norsoph and Todd Spiewak. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of That's Wonderful Productions and Stage 13. On December 16, 2019, the series was renewed for a second and final season by Netflix.
Casting.
Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that Ryan O'Connell, Jessica Hecht, Punam Patel, Marla Mindelle, Augustus Prew, and Patrick Fabian would star in the series. In February 2020, Max Jenkins was cast in the recurring role for the second season. In March 2021, Charlie Barnett, Ana Ortiz, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lauren Weedman, Buck Andrews, Anjali Bhimani, Ajay Mehta, and Karan Soni joined the cast in recurring roles while Leslie Jordan was cast to guest star.
Release.
On March 25, 2019, Netflix released the first official trailer for the series. The first season, consisting of 8 episodes, was released on Netflix on April 12, 2019. The second season was released on May 20, 2021.
Reception.
Critical response.
The first season received positive reviews upon its release. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 95% with an average rating of 7.29/10 based on 22 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Honest and genuinely affecting, "Special" lives up to its name with a funny—if a bit too concise—first season brightened by Ryan O'Connell's infectious charms. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Variety gave the show a positive review calling the main character "quick and snarky, deeply insecure and sometimes more selfish than he's willing to admit. He makes mistakes and pays for them, undergoing a hell of a lot of change in the short time "Special" gets to show it." TV Guide gave the show a mixed review saying that, "Hopefully "Special" gets a second season with a bigger budget, a writing staff, and more time to plan. The way Season 1 improves as it goes along shows "Special" still has a lot of potential."