My husband and I finally found a TV character with Parkinson’s
We were pleased to learn of Harrison Ford's character in 'Shrinking'
Do you have a long list of binge-worthy shows typed into the notes application on your phone? If you’re like me, you do. Whenever a friend mentions a show they’ve enjoyed, I add it to my list.
My husband, Arman, and I watch our shows as we settle into our cozy den each night after dinner and a board game. We love reality TV and the binge-worthy shows from our list.
About a year ago, the Apple TV show “Shrinking” came highly recommended. I was excited to watch it because Jason Segel, in the lead role, appeared in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008), a cute romantic comedy and one of my favorite films. I still enjoy watching it today.
When we started watching the series, it was soon evident that Harrison Ford’s character, Paul Rhoades, was dealing with a medical issue. Paul is a cognitive behavioral therapist who works with two other therapists in a small, private practice. Early in the first season, Paul enters the office break room to grab a coffee mug. As he reaches into the cabinet, his hand is visibly shaking.
As we watched that moment, Arman and I looked at each other and simultaneously said, “Parkinson’s disease.” While we’d enjoyed the show before this revelation, it quickly became our favorite once Parkinson’s was included in the story.
Representation matters
During further episodes of Seasons One and Two, we learned more about Paul and his struggles with Parkinson’s. He’d initially kept his diagnosis private, which is typical for people learning they have Parkinson’s. Eventually, we saw Paul open up about his disease with colleagues and family members.
In one scene, Paul is counseling a patient in his office. He has a notepad in front of him and is attempting to handwrite his notes during the appointment, with extreme difficulty. Losing the ability to write is another common symptom for Parkinson’s patients.
I adore this show — its characters, humor, and storylines — and I’m thrilled that it’s raised public awareness and understanding of Parkinson’s disease. After some research, I learned that its co-creators have a personal connection to the disease, as both of their fathers live with it. They were also inspired by Michael J. Fox.
I hope this show’s success inspires other writers to explore the many different types of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s isn’t just about shaky hands and illegible handwriting, and it doesn’t just affect men in their later stages of life.
If you haven’t seen “Shrinking” yet, I hope I didn’t ruin it for you. It’s a fantastic series that covers more than the therapy practice at its center. It’s definitely binge-worthy, especially for those of us connected to Parkinson’s disease.
To all who made this show happen, I sincerely thank you for highlighting a disease that affects my family every minute of every day. I can’t wait for Season Three to see what’s in store for Paul!
Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.
About the Author
Ray Rogers
.I watched the show and was surprised to see Parkinson’s as part of the story line. While the interconnections of the characters is a little extraordinary, the different stories represented by the characters are excellent- a study in struggle, support and reaching a better place. And it’s told with humor. Worth watching. Thanks Jamie for bringing us this story.
Jamie Askari
Hi Ray! Yes, I agree that it is absolutely worth watching. Thanks for reading!
Carol L Savoie
I also watched this series and loved it! I also suffer from Parkinson's and am experiencing new problems every day. So I could relate to everything that Paul was going through too. Only a little less grumpily.
Jamie Askari
Hi Carol, I am so glad that you are also enjoying the show! Thanks so much for reading!
Kristin Woestehoff
I too thoroughly enjoyed this limited tv series on apple tv . the story is engaging, the characters are all very complex and flawed but loveable Every single actor in the cast did a phenomenal job with their character and the chemistry and interplayed between the characters was really fun and so the writing was excellent and Harrison Ford does a phenomenal job playing a grumpy old codger who get a Parkinson's diagnosis and he does a really great job of making it real but not making it the center stage because ld adn who has parkinsons which he protrayed in a very realisitc fashion with challenges that are accurate for people learning to live with parkinsons disease oe pol o pe oele iwth tO t was just a part of his character as it is in real life, where we all deal with the challengs
Jamie Askari
Hi Kristin,
I agree; the entire show is fantastic. I look forward to seeing next season!
Thanks so much for reading,
Jamie
Jim Gonzalez
Hi Jamie,
I'm a PWP and member of a non-profit that reinforces exercise and mindfulness to reduce and in some cases reverse symptoms of Parkinson's (Beat PD Today). I am also a movie and television fan, and have a few additions to share for your list on PD awareness in public media.
Your local PBS should stream or carry these feature documentaries that follow the lives of PWP and their individual struggles and conquests.
1. Power over Parkinson's (there are 2 films in the series).
2. Empowered by Parkinson's
Netflix (as of this writing) has a couple of documentaries as well.
1. It's Just Parkinson's
2. Elena Knows
3. Matter of Mind: My Parkinson's
4. Stutz (not directly about PD, but you'll see why it brings awareness to Parkinson's).
From further research, you'll find these titles of shows/movies that bring awareness to PD: "Love & Other Drugs" where Anne Hathaway portrays a character with Parkinson's, "Late Night" featuring John Lithgow as a man with the disease, and "Kaleidoscope" on Netflix where Giancarlo Esposito plays a character with Parkinson's.
With nearly 9 million of us suffering with PD as of 2019 (according to WHO), an amount that doubled in less than 25 years, which sadly means all of us will soon know what it means to be a PWP.
Tell your husband to check our group out at beatpdtoday.com, I'd love to talk TV with him.
Kind regards,
Jim
Jamie Askari
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the great list of recommendations! I think a lot of readers will also enjoy these recommendations.
I will send him your website; I appreciate you sharing that!!
Thanks for reading,
Jamie
Gina nemense
I also enjoyed the series! I hear that there is a season three. I just was wondering your thoughts about where they’re gonna go with the Parkinson’s disease in that season and I am a little apprehensive to actually watch it since my husband has been having some symptoms of Parkinson’s as the character is.
Jamie Askari
Hi Gina,
I am excited for season 3 and to see if they dive more into PD. I guess we need to wait and see!
Thanks for reading,
Jamie