Apple's "El Deafo" is about a little girl who must navigate losing her hearing after an illness.
Apple on Wednesday announced via press release that its Apple TV+ original animated series, El Deafo, has been nominated for a Children’s and Family Emmy award. The inaugural honor is one of seventeen for the Cupertino-homed tech titan, whose television efforts are based in Culver City, near Los Angeles.
Other nominees include Ghostwriter and Helpsters.
El Deafo is based upon the graphic novel of the same name, written by Cece Bell. The series follows the main character, a young elementary school girl named Cece, who loses her hearing following an infection and must adapt to hearing aids. This column featured an in-depth interview with Bell back in January, where she told me about the show’s origins and how many of Cece’s experiences—especially at school—mirror what the author endured in real life facing similar circumstances.
In addition to the Emmy recognition, El Deafo last week was lauded by BAFTA, the British equivalent of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who run the Oscars, for its inclusion in the organization’s Content for Change category. BAFTA shared the news in a press release published October 25, wherein they announced the nominations for this year’s Children and Young People Awards.
Today’s news about El Deafo is yet another stake in the ground for the disability community and their depiction in film and television. The call for more authenticity in entertainment has risen greatly over the past year, led primarily by Apple’s CODA winning this year’s best Picture Oscar and Troy Kotsur winning Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the Rossi patriarch, Frank.
In addition to CODA’s historic accolades helping to amplify awareness of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities by permeating the mainstream consciousness, Apple continues to push onward with furthering disability representation in Hollywood with content such as Best Foot Forward and Life By Ella. Moreover, one of the OG launch series for TV+, the post-apocalyptic drama See, completed its three-season run last month, with Little Voice being canceled last year after only one season. Both shows remain watchable on the streaming video service.
El Deafo is available on the TV app now.
