Deaf U
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- American Sign Language
- English
| Deaf U | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Genre | Docuseries, Reality Show |
| Music by | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original languages |
|
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Sami Housman |
| Cinematography |
|
| Editors |
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| Running time | 16–21 minutes |
| Production company | Hot Snakes Media |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | October 9, 2020 |
Deaf U is an American reality television program on Netflix that follows a group of deaf and hard of hearing college students who attend Gallaudet University, a federally chartered private university for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing that is located in Washington, D.C.[1] Among the series' executive producers is deaf activist, model, and actor Nyle DiMarco.[2][3] According to DiMarco, the goal of the series is "to show deaf people as humans, from all walks of life."
The series was released on October 9, 2020, on Netflix.[4][2]
Nyle DiMarco sought to create a series featuring Gallaudet students to show a variety of deaf experiences, including students from signing Deaf families and students who arrived on campus not knowing sign language.[5] DiMarco cited the inspiration for the series to be conversations with friends while attending Gallaudet about a reality television show reflecting their unique college experience. He said that while on spring break students from elsewhere were interested in partying with him and his friends and learning about deaf culture and sign language.[6]
During the development process, the casting department cast students who had strong Deaf identities. DiMarco also encouraged casting students who did not have a strong Deaf identity growing up so different stories could be told and compared. He said with the final cast, "They knew that it was going to be on Netflix, but they weren't sure if this was something that would really tell their story. They were worried that the show could potentially cause them some harm in the future." One of the students, Daequan, hesitated to be involved with the series, not feeling "deaf enough", but DiMarco said he found Daequan's story pertinent to include.[6] Variety reported one of the producers, Naimah Holmes, sharing "that it was a challenge for the creative team to find students who were willing to both spare their time and be vulnerable in front of the camera". On the lack of black women in the cast, she said the crew did not want to force that "into the group based on need for diversity as a token" and hoped to feature more women of color if a second season was greenlighted.[7]
Deaf U was produced by Hot Snakes Media. Eric Evangelista and Shannon Evangelista from Hot Snakes served as executive producers alongside DiMarco and Brandon Panaligan.[8] DiMarco said he intended that a significant portion of the crew be deaf, aiming for 30%, and said that the final portion turned out to be an unprecedented 50%.[5] In July 2020, Netflix ordered the documentary series.[9]
Cast
- Cheyenna Clearbrook
- Rodney Burford
- Tessa Lewis
- Alexa Paulay-Simmons
- Renate Rose
- Daequan Taylor
- Dalton Taylor
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "My Left Ear Broke as S**t" | October 9, 2020 |
| 2 | "I Have So Many Questions" | October 9, 2020 |
| 3 | "Am I Not Deaf Enough?" | October 9, 2020 |
| 4 | "Are You over Me?" | October 9, 2020 |
| 5 | "Do You Usually Bring Girls Here?" | October 9, 2020 |
| 6 | "So, I Smash Things" | October 9, 2020 |
| 7 | "I Really Love You, Blah, Blah, Blah" | October 9, 2020 |
| 8 | "It's Time to Grow Up" | October 9, 2020 |
