Much-beloved Australian docuseries Love on the Spectrum has already been a hit with audiences on Netflix. The sweet show explores individuals and couples, all of whom are on the autism spectrum, as they explore the tricky nuances of dating and relationships. New audiences are finding that the show works to undermine stereotypes: That people with autism don't ever date, or that they don't have interest in romantic relationships, for example. "The goal was to show that people on the spectrum do want to find love and have relationships, and bust myths, and also just to help audiences understand more about autism by introducing them to a large group of real people," creator Cian O'Clery told Oprah Mag. The show's been such a hit that plans are already in progress for a second season. So what do we know so far?
Will Love on the Spectrum season two have the same cast?
In a word, no. O'Clery explained that future seasons will be focused on telling many different stories within the neurodiverse community.
"There are so many more stories to tell. We're barely scratching the surface as it is," he said. Lots of fans are hoping that there'll be a reunion for the past season, because fans fell in love with the original cast members. But the premise of the show isn't exactly a "find your true love and walk away into the sunset forever" kind of thing—the end of the season was seen as a beginning for the individuals to go down the path to potential romantic happiness. And a few of the cast members have commented since about their love journeys.
When will the second season be released?
Applications for season two opened in late June; the show was immensely popular in Australia and promises to be again. The casting can be quite different from other reality dating shows, or at least it was for season one.
"We had a flyer that we would post as far and wide as possible, so people within the autism community could then come to us and express interest in being a part of this series. We had hundreds of hundreds of applications, which showed that there is a real want and need out there," said O'Clery.
When he started moving forward with the show, there was no infrastructure for those with autism hoping to date, and the show had to find and work with experts. This season, they may not have to do quite as much work, given the show's popularity—we're likely to see a new season in 2021, so stay tuned on the exact dates.
WATCH 'LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM' ON NETFLIX
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