TV review: There is gold in The Assembly, even if hour-long episodes are a stretch
The spotlight is on Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the opening episode of The Assembly
(Virgin Media One and Virgin Media PLAY) is a fresh idea.
A group of autistic and neurodivergent people get to interview a well-known personality, hopefully teaching us about those on both sides of the table. It might even transform the viewer as well.
Future celeb guests include Ryan Tubridy, Joanne McNally and Rosie O’Donnell, but tonight the spotlight is on the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin.
At first, that feels like a problem. Not that Martin isn’t an engaging subject, or the questions aren’t good. It’s just he gets asked a lot of questions about policy issues like housing and mental health supports, which leads to him giving standard politician’s answers, and it feels like you’re watching Oireachtas TV.
When a woman asked him why there aren’t more bus shelters in Wicklow i t felt like Joe Duffy was back on the radio. It also allowed the Taoiseach to do that weird thing politicians do, where he pretty much says “that’s terrible, if only I was in charge of running the country, I could make sure that doesn’t happen.”
But in the end, it proved a brilliant way to shine a light on what life is like for neurodivergent and autistic people. I didn’t know that 85% of autistic people in Ireland are unemployed.
The highlight for me was Max, who is non-verbal. People thought Max was intellectually disabled, and he wanted to know how this sort of misdiagnosis could be stopped from happening again. The Taoiseach responded by saying the right things about trusting the parents etc but then came the kicker in Max’s slot, when two guys performed a song he had written,
I’m embarrassed to say I nearly fast-forwarded past the song. I’m glad I didn’t. It’s a simpl e, beautiful song with a hard-hitting message. To paraphrase from Max, I’m in here, I’m alive and I want to achieve things too.
There were tears in the room, Micheál Martin as stunned as anyone by the beauty of it. If nothing else comes from it’s worth watching for that alone.
There were lighter moments too, like when Martin was talking about how he went to a party with his future wife in Sunday’s Well rugby club before they got together, adding that ‘things happened that night.’ Host Muireann O’Connell wanted to know what happened, but Theo, who asked the question, said he didn’t want to hear any more. Good call.
Hour long episodes might feel like a stretch for But there is gold in there.
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