Ralph & Katie: BBC One release date, trailer, and cast of The A Word spinoff with Leon Harrop and Sarah Gordy

Ralph & Katie, a new spin-off of The A Word, is coming to BBC One on Wednesday 7 October.

The series, which stars Leon Harrop and Sarah Gordy, follows The A Word characters Ralph and Katie as they embark on married life.

Here’s everything you need to know about Ralph & Katie.

What is it about?

The official BBC synopsis for Ralph and Katie reveals that “Navigating their own way through life, love and independence, Ralph and Katie will face many of the challenges faced by all newlyweds... but with the added blessing or complication that they both have Down’s syndrome.”

Who stars in Ralph & Katie?

Leon Harrop stars as Ralph Wilson, who recently married the love of his life Katie. You’ll recognise Harrop from The A Word, of course, but he’s also appeared in the Jimmy McGovern drama The Street, Brassic, and Casualty.

Sarah Gordy stars as Katie Wilson, who recently married the love of her life Ralph. Again, you’ll recognise Sarah from The A Word, but she’s also appeared in Upstairs Downstairs, The Long Call, and Strike: The Silkworm.

Pooky Quesnel stars as Louise Wilson, reprising her role from The A Word as Ralph’s mother. Quesnel has previously starred in W1A, Top Boy, Doctor Who, Class, Accused, and of course Waterloo Road.

Other familiar faces from The A Word include Nigel Betts (Ridley Road, Boy Meets Girl) and Sherry Baines (Jungle Cry) as play Katie’s parents Steve and Clare, and Matt Greenwood (Bohemian Rhapsody, Waterloo Road) as Katie’s friend Tom.

They’re joined by Craig Cash (The Royle Family, The Fast Show, Gogglebox) as Brian, Dylan Brady (Get Even, Coronation Street) as Dan, Jamie Marie Leary (Traces, River City) as Emma, Sam Retford (Screw, Ackley Bridge) as Gary and Daniel Cerqueira (Pennyworth, The Spanish Princess) as Dr Graves.

Who writes and directs Ralph & Katie?

Ralph & Katie is written by a team of emerging d/Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent writers, lead by The A Word creator Peter Bowker.

Genevieve Barr (Then Barbara Met Alan), Annalisa Dinnella (Sex Education, The Brightness), Amy Trigg (The A-Z of Things: A is for Award), Lizzie Watson (ITV’s Original Voices 2022) and Tom Wentworth (Criptales: The Real Deal) have each written an episode of Ralph & Katie.

Jordan Hogg, a director with cerebal palsy, helmed all six episodes. Hogg has previously worked on Screw, Death in Paradise, and Ackley Bridge.

Is there a trailer for Ralph & Katie?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When and how can I watch Ralph & Katie?

Ralph and Katie begins on BBC One on Wednesday 5 October at 9pm with a double bill of episodes.

The full series will be available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer from then, with new episodes airing weekly on BBC One thereafter.

How many episodes is Ralph and Katie?

There are six episodes to Ralph and Katie, each half an hour long.

Will there be a second series of Ralph and Katie?

It’s a little early to know either way, but we’ll update this piece with that information as soon as it’s available.

Why should I watch Ralph and Katie?

It’s one for fans of The A Word, of course, though its story about two newlyweds adjusting to married life should be approachable even if you’ve not seen the parent show.