Review of Speechless

Speechless has a ton of heart and the family under the monarchy of Minnie Driver has a feelgood chemistry. I don't think her British origin has ever actually been explained in the show (that I can recall), so it's somewhat offputting at first getting adjusted to an all American family with the matriarch being the lone Brit. It's not a common situation in a domestic sitcom, but neither is much else common about Speechless. From the lead character JJ DiMeo suffering from Cerebral Palsy and his silky-voiced partner Kenneth to their quirky dog Pepper, the entire main cast shines through--each member offering their own form of delivery (deadpan, self-deprecating, etc)--giving the viewer a buffet of all the different shades of comedy available. It's also refreshing that there's no canned laughter--ABC's better comedies tend to share that trait.

Another great thing about "Speechless" is that it never tries to make you feel bad for JJ. The show does a great job at showcasing JJ's humanity rather than his disability, and his personality takes front-and-center stage. JJ and Kenneth have great chemistry and they remind me of a mix of Shawn and Gus from "Psych" and Adrian and Sharona from "Monk".

If you like Speechless,. check out the show "Single Parents" too.

EDIT: Speechless has been cancelled and will not be back for a 4th season. RIP to an amazing show. I'm sad that we won't get to see JJ try to navigate life away from home as a student dorming at NYU but at least the show didn't end with a cliffhanger. Maybe it'll get picked up someday in the future.. *crosses fingers*