Comedian John Bishop has thanked viewers for the "overwhelming" response to what he described as the hardest piece of TV he has ever made. John & Joe Bishop: Life After Deaf, which aired on Thursday, explored the comedian's journey with his eldest son, who began losing his hearing when he was a teenager.
The documentary was initially supposed to be about John's attempts to learn sign language - and the show featured John attempting an entire gig in sign language. But as the project progressed, John said it turned into a "healing process" for him and his family.
Writing on Instagram this morning, John said: "Thank you to everyone for the overwhelming response to last night's documentary Life After Death. As a family we had no idea when we started how it would be received and we are so grateful to everyone who participated in it and the superb production team."
Joe, 27, has an autoimmune condition called Cogan’s syndrome which causes progressive deafness. It developed after he contracted a virus 12 years ago, Leicestershire Live reports.
The documentary has helped the family come to terms with Joe's deafness and even "embrace" it. John said on Instagram before the show aired: "I would honestly say [it] is the hardest piece of television I have ever made. Its (sic) started out as a documentary about me learning sign language to do stand up and turned instead to a healing process for me and my family which we never expected and which is still ongoing."
The documentary, which also featured John's wife Melanie, was well received by critics and viewers. The Guardian and The Times both gave the show positive reviews, while viewers on social media raved about it.
Writing this morning, John said: "I could not have been prouder of Joe and Melanie. As a family we have learnt a lot making this film and I am sure we will continue to learn in the future - one thing is for certain - we will keep trying to do our best."
