Kirkmoore review – disability is way funnier than this comedy can handle

This sitcom about disabled young people at a residential college is spot on with its depiction of disabled dating and friendships. Unfortunately, it forgets one thing – making people laugh

There are some really nice moments in BBC Three’s new one-off comedy, Kirkmoore, about three disabled young people living at a residential college. Chloe, a smart, wheelchair-using queer woman, is trying to explore the dating scene with the usual assortment of apps (and an ill-advised fling with a care worker) but is almost thwarted by a care manager who pointedly comments that Chloe has arranged her “third date this week,” before warning her: “if you don’t knuckle down I’m going to have to involve your parents.”.

Chloe, it should be noted, is an adult – she is still at college, aged 21, because she wasn’t given the right support by her previous sixth form. For many disabled people with care needs, it’s a day-to-day reality that a stranger with a checklist can control their choices. To see this dynamic properly represented on screen is refreshing, if a little painful.

Kirkmoore aired on BBC Three and is available on iPlayer.