The Best Show You’re Not Watching.
Is called Donna On The Go and it’s a show like no other. Starring an actress, Donna Russo, who uses a walker and sometimes a wheelchair and Created by Writer,Director and Producer Peggy Lane it has drama, comedy, sketches and dances. Yes, dances!
Donna dances and in Season 2 provided to critics,
the Season ends with a beautiful dance choreographed by Tam Warner called Fall For You.
Donna is joined by a wonderful cast including EMMY winner Kim Estes as her friend Mick and in a fantastic cameo as Len from Dancing With The Stars, Danny Arroyo as Rocky, and two wonderful actress JC Henning and Marbry Steward as The Little Sisters.
JC and Marbry recall the women from AbFab and their performances allow Russo to shine.
One of my favorite episodes is Garage - Directed by New Zealander Craig Hutchison. They aren’t kidding about being an International show. Donna On The Go has a HUGE following in China and Thailand as well as Australia and New Zealand.
One of THE Funniest episodes I have seen this season on all of television was Written and Directed by Vince Deadrick Jr. It is called Really! and is about a Runaway Wheelchair. Deadrick is a Stuntman and Stunt Co Ordinator who won awards for his ground breaking work doubling Michael Douglas in Romancing The Stone. In fact there is a line in this episode that is a homage to it. I was shocked to read that Deadrick hadn’t Directed much before this. His work here is solid. Equally solid is the editing by Peggy Lane the show’s Creator.
The piece de resistance is an episode called Fall. Written and Directed by Lane it balances tragedy and tears with comedy. It forces you to not look away at the very real challenges that handicapped people face.
With all the talk of inclusion riders now - here is a show whose Lead Actress is a Person With A Disability and it’s the most entertaining, moving and thought provoking show I’ve seen this year.
Look for it at the Emmys. It deserves to win.
Terri Jones TV critic