Representation on screen is something that many minority groups have continuously fought for over the years. Shoshannah Stern and Josh Feldman’s This Close represented a victory of monumental proportions in this area, with Stern and Feldman being the first television showrunners in history — as well as having one of so few shows revolving around deaf culture and representation.
Shoshannah Stern recently took to Twitter to announce that BBC America will be streaming This Close along with a multitude of other shows for the entirety of the month of October absolutely free in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
EMERGENCY ALERT: (finally) GOOD NEWS ON THIS THING! In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month both seasons of This Close are streaming FREE on @BBCAMERICA all month long! No log-in required. https://t.co/fVCOOSiVDu
— Shoshannah Stern (@Shoshannah7) October 2, 2020
This Close follows two best friends, Kate (Stern) and Michael (Feldman), as they navigate their twenties in the city of Los Angeles. The show has featured a slew of notable deaf actors such as Nyle DiMarco and Marlee Matlin and boasts around 25 deaf cast and crew members. Back in 2019, the show received the Ruderman Family Foundation Seal of Authentic Representation for its accurate portrayal of people with disabilities.
Other shows included in “The Visibility Collection” by BBC America are Crip Tales and Push Girls. BBC America is streaming all three of these shows all month with no purchase or log in. Make sure to go support a worthy cause and watch a wonderful show!
