TV writer-producer Scott Silveri earned his sitcom chops writing for Friends 20 years ago, and went on to work on shows like Joey, Perfect Couples and Go On. When he got a deal at Fox and had the chance to pitch his own show, Silveri decided he was done with writing standard sitcom relationships. He started thinking about stories from his own childhood, which included growing up with a brother with cerebral palsy. He's mined that past with his show, Speechless on ABC. He tells us about asking his family for permission to borrow some of their stories and about the nationwide casting search to find an actor who really has cerebral palsy to play a teenager who uses a wheelchair and communicates by pointing a laser at words and letters on a board.
Photo: Scott Silveri, creator of Speechless on ABC