BBC2 controller Jane Root has commissioned a ground-breaking new drama that will be the first to feature two disabled people in lead roles, writes Leigh Holmwood.
The 90-minute film Are You Looking at Me?, which was co-commissioned by controller of drama commissioning Jane Tranter, stars Lisa Hammond and Mat Fraser as handicapped people who fall in love.Fraser's character Chris is a thalidomide victim, with short arms and no thumbs, and is also 16 years older than Hammond's character, Nicky, a 4ft 1 inch-tall midget.Sinners and Messiah creator Lizzie Mickery wrote the drama with Hammond and Fraser in mind following their roles in two short films that accompanied last year's critically acclaimed disability drama Flesh and Blood. Ewan Marshall will produce with Hilary Salmon and Alex Holmes is executive producer of the show which will air later this year.Meanwhile, Root this week unveiled her£97m autumn schedule, spearheaded by a gun and gang culture season. The Girls, from Century Films, looks at two teenage girl gangs, while Gun Traffic, from the Correspondent team, looks at the sources of illegal guns.

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