Netflix has ordered an eight-episode second season of Emmy-nominated comedy series Special, created by and starring Ryan O’Connell. Warner Horizon Scripted Television will join Warner Bros. Digital Networks’ Stage 13 and That’s Wonderful Productions as producers of the series for season 2.
Based on O’Connell’s part-memoir, part-manifesto I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, the semi-autobiographical series centers on a gay man with mild cerebral palsy, played by O’Connell, who decides to rewrite his identity as an accident victim and finally go after the life he wants. O’Connell also writes the series and executive produces.
Jessica Hecht and Punam Patel will return as series regulars for the second season.
Jim Parsons, Eric Norsoph and Todd Spiewak serve as executive producers for That’s Wonderful Productions. The series is also produced by Campfire. Anna Dokoza is also an executive producer.
O’Connell’s I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves was published by Simon & Schuster in 2015 to critical acclaim. The actor-writer-producer served as editor of Thought Catalog and has contributed to Vice, BuzzFeed and numerous other publications. His writing career spans television as well, having recently served as an executive story editor on NBC’s revival of Will & Grace. O’Connell also was on the writing staff of MTV’s Awkward.
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