Ralph And Katie | Interview with Annalisa Dinnella (Writer Episode 3)

Why did you take up the invitation to pitch for the series? What most excited you about an A Word spin-off focusing on Ralph and Katie?

The A Word had a powerful effect on me as a viewer and also as a writer. It was the first time I had seen disability represented on screen in a way that felt authentic and, crucially, joyful and funny. Before then I had only ever seen disabled people in drama shown in a mawkish, cliched and ableist way. I became a fan of Peter Bowker and have been stalking him ever since.

What sorts of things inspired the story idea that you pitched? What aspects of Ralph and Katie’s life were you keen to explore?

I was particularly excited to discover more about Katie – her voice, the way she deals with stress and how she was going to accept the challenges of being a wife. So my episode started there. I put Katie through a very hard time… but she came out of it with wit and poise.

Can you talk about the new characters that were created collectively in the writers room? How did you develop them?

Danny and Emma emerged pretty organically. We all had the same ideas about them. And we all loved the will-they, won’t-they love story involving Danny. Pete created Brian very much in his own image…

How do you think elements of your own lived experience have informed the series and your episode?

I felt able to step into this project as my whole self, without feeling like my visual impairment was going to cloud or confuse how people saw me as a writer. The writers room was tremendously relaxed because we all felt wholly accepted and on a level. I approached the subject matter by keeping in mind the way I feel when I see blindness poorly and lazily represented onscreen by non-disabled creatives and I was determined not to do that disservice to Ralph and Katie.

What can the audience expect from Ralph & Katie?

To be thoroughly entertained. Hopefully to have a laugh. And maybe, just maybe, for a few moments, have considered the world from a different perspective along the way.

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