To mark Audio Description Awareness Day on 16th April, I list 8 TV programmes that should include audio description (AD) so blind and visually impaired people can enjoy the stories, entertainment and drama in full throughout the shows.
The quality and quantity of audio description have improved massively over the years but there are still many popular and much-loved shows that still don’t include the accessibility feature that helps blind and visually impaired people follow and understand the visual elements of a programme.
Below is a list of TV shows that I enjoy watching but starting to find more difficult to follow since my sight has deteriorated and shows I’m eager to watch but cannot due to no AD being available.
1. Not Going Out
Not Going Out is a BBC sitcom starring Lee Mack and Sally Bretton. The show has run for 12 series and tells the story of the relationship between Lee and Lucy who started out as lodger and landlord then later husband and wife. It is a very funny and witty comedy series, which frequently has me in fits of laughter and hysterics.
Sadly, none of the series has AD and there are many visual comedy moments that I, and many other people with sight loss, can’t follow. Occasionally we’ll miss out on a punchline to a joke at the end of a scene or an episode because the joke is visual (eg. a character in a silly outfit, showing a painting/photo or hiding in a car/bushes etc.)
As a popular sitcom with the 13th series set to air in 2023, I strongly ask the BBC and Lee Mack (who co-writes the show) to include AD in past and future series of Not Going Out so fans and future audiences with sight loss can enjoy the hilarious show equally with sighted people.
2. Angel
Angel is a fantasy fiction spinoff to the 90s fantasy drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Angel was a good-looking male vampire who had an on/off relationship with Biffy and was commissioned his own show in 1999.
I got the opportunity to binge-watch Buffy with AD on All4 back in 2020 and 2021. After completing the series, I saw the show Angel also on All4 but disappointingly, AD was not available.
I understand the main series are going to be more popular than spinoffs but for loyal fans with sight loss should get access to both series. Especially on a show like this when it has dark, action scenes.
Since then Buffy and Angel is no longer on All4 but there are versions on Amazon Prime, but sadly no AD is available there either.
3. The Originals
I’ve found a similar issue accessing another vampire series. Since January this year, I’ve been binge-watching The Vampire Diaries, which does have AD on Amazon Prime. Then I discovered there was a spinoff show called The Originals, which follows the story of the original vampires from The Vampire Diaries series.
However, this show does not have AD and you have to purchase the box set on Amazon Prime. Again, if The Vampire Diaries can have AD, why not The Originals too?
4. Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road is a school-based drama aired on the BBC. It had 10 series from 2006 to 2015 and then a new reboot in 2023.
The new version of Waterloo Road did provide AD, which was great but the original ten series that are available to watch on BBC iPlayer, do not have AD. When it first aired, my vision wasn’t as poor so I could follow it ok. But now, there are many visual elements of the show I struggle to understand. For example, fight scenes, text/photos on phones, characters kissing, dark scenes etc.
I think Waterloo Road is a great series and I’d love to watch it all again with audio description so I can fill in the gaps of bits I can’t see. Also, there must be a new generation of viewers with sight loss that would benefit from the description too.
5. Hebburn
Hebburn is a BBC comedy series based in the town of Hebburn, near Newcastle (where my Dad grew up). I was only aware of the show when I heard one of my favourite comedians, Chris Ramsey, starred in it.
Earlier this year, there was a petition to get the full box set of Hebburn on BBC iPlayer. It was a success but sadly did not include AD. I tried emailing Chris on his podcast with his wife Rosie – Shagged Married Annoyed – to ask if he could contact the people who created Hebburn and request AD be added. Unfortunately, I’ve not received a response.
Like most comedy series, I’m sure most of the show has dialogue, but there are still many visual jokes people with sight loss cannot follow, which is why audio description is such a vital tool, no matter the genre.
6. Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is an American medical drama on Disney+. I love watching medical dramas including BBC’s Casualty and Holby City.
However, I’m unable to watch Grey’s Anatomy in full because AD is only available from series 17. This is like giving someone a book that only contains the last few chapters or a film that only shows the last scene.
Why should blind and visually impaired people only have access to parts of a series? If we start at series 17, we know nothing about the characters or past storylines and miss out on a huge chunk of the series.
7. The Walking Dead
Another TV show that has only decided to include AD in its latest series is The Walking Dead. This means the first ten series, audiences with sight loss cannot follow most of the storyline, due to its dark, suspenseful and action-packed plots.
Yet, despite us not being able to watch the previous series and having no idea who the characters are, apparently blind and visually impaired people can watch series 11 with AD on Disney+.
Again, I find this so irritating. I understand creating audio description takes time and money but if a production company or streaming service is willing to include AD on its latest series, it should make a note to audiences that it is committed and in the process of adding audio description to its full box set and will deliver it as soon as possible.
8. Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
This is my all-time favourite Saturday night programme and I’m aware it is live so audio description isn’t possible throughout the whole show.
However, there are many pre-recorded moments where an audio describer or even a celebrity narrator could be used. These could be included in clips where members of the public get pranked/surprised, in the celebrity undercovers, in the game “I’m A Celebrity…Get Out Of My Ear” and in their fictional murder mystery sketches.
I’ve noticed over the last couple of series there have been more visual moments that I find hard to follow. A lot of the “end of the show show” performances are very visual, with a lot of dancing and miming involved. This has led me to switch off before the end as there is no point in me – a blind person – watching a dance routine.
I would strongly suggest for the next series, Ant and Dec and their production team should find better and more creative ways to make their show more inclusive and accessible to blind and visually impaired audiences.
If you know there are audio-described versions of the above shows avalable, please let me know. Also, what other favourite and much-loved TV programmes do you wish would have audio description? Share your suggestions in the comments box or on social media.
Audio description research project
As you may have seen over the past couple of months on my blog and social media, I’ve been seeking information and advice from audio describers and AD creators to find out more about how audio description is created, how and who decides which TV shows get AD and whether there is a way to get audio description available on all pre-recorded TV programmes and films.
I was hoping to gather more information and speak to more people over the past few weeks, then put an article together analysing my findings for audio description awareness day. However, I’ve had to postpone this due to work commitments and personal circumstances.
But, I’m still keen to pursue this and will hopefully be in contact with more people and write something up in the coming months. Thank you so much to those of you who have messaged me, spoken to me and sent me resources. It is all very much appreciated.
If you or someone you know works in the field of audio description and would be happy to share your experiences and knowledge on AD with me, please do get in touch.
In the meantime, please can everyone continue to sign and share my petition to make audio description available on ALL films, TV programmes and streaming services and use the hashtags #ADForAll and #DescribeIt.
