Though 20 percent of the American population has some form of disability, just 2 percent of working actors represent that population on screen and stage. Is it any wonder so many roles for those with disabilities are played by actors without them? And is it any wonder that this discrepancy is causing more and more controversy and discussion?




That's what makes the new Sundance Now series This Close so interesting. It's the first show in American television history to be created and showrun by two deaf writers, and those creators, Josh Feldman and Shoshannah Stern, also star as Michael and Kate, two best friends whose co-dependent relationship sometimes keeps them from building healthy relationships with other people (or, on the flip side, helps keep them from being burned by genuinely unhealthy relationships). 

The show is a fascinating little slice-of-life dramedy, but it's also an insightful look at what it means to be deaf in America, and the many different forms of experience within that community. It's the best kind of TV show, one that tells you a new story you maybe haven't heard quite this way.




Feldman and Stern joined Todd to talk about their show, along with the series' director, Andrew Ahn. But they also talked about what non-deaf writers get wrong about the deaf experience and why it's so important for those with disabilities to tell their own stories.