Vancouver father-daughter duo's series brings new perspective to disability, family dynamics

Adapting is a new family drama series written and produced by Garner and Rachael Ransom. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

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Father-and-daughter duo Garner and Rachael Ransom came up with the Vancouver-made dramatic series Adapting during their car rides in 2021.

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Produced by Bread & Better Films Inc., and set in the fictional coastal town of Halfway Bay, B.C., the show follows twin sisters Lennon and Lola trying to find their way around growing up amid loss, disability and finding their identity in a small town.

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“I would pick Rachael up where she was getting Botox treatments for her legs, and to take her mind off of the pain she experienced, we would brainstorm premises and ideas for show stories,” said Garner. “Rachael was studying screenwriting, the idea of a family dynamic storyline loosely mirroring aspects of our lives came up.”

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Rachael, who has cerebral palsy and scoliosis, works in film and TV and is also an accomplished singer/songwriter who released her debut, sixty seven ten, in 2024. Garner, a graphic designer for over 30 years, had no screenwriting experience.

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“Dad would look at my assignments and was really interested in the process, so we kind of learned the craft together,” said Rachael. “I had worked on a show for Black Rhino hosted by singer Christa Couture and they introduced me to the AMI folks. When they mentioned looking for a scripted series focusing on disability, I brought up what we were developing and they wanted to see it.”

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Much to Rachael and Garner’s surprise, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), a Canadian creator of original content reflecting diversity and inclusion, wanted the show and requested a meeting with their team.

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“I had to tell them that our ‘team’ was me and dad,” said Rachael. “So they introduced us to Big Time Decent Productions in Burnaby. Four days later, we got the call and contract.”

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Big Time Decent produced unscripted hit shows such as Vet Detective and Rust Valley Restorers. Bread & Better Films Inc. is the company’s scripted original content affiliate. Netflix, Hallmark Channel, Hulu and others are all clients. The Ransoms were in business.

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“We didn’t really even have a completed pilot, so we got to writing quickly,” said Garner. “Since we have been developing and writing ideas for a while, it came together. We also have a genuine team now.”

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AMI made clear that they want actors with disabilities playing disabled characters in their shows. A search led to Vancouver actor Threnody Tsai.

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Tsai, who has cerebral palsy, has a recurring role as the demigod archer Sarah in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. She plays 16-year-old Lennon Anderson in Adapting.

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Following a family tragedy, Lennon moves with her sister Lola (played by Junnicia Lagoutin from The Imperfects) and their widowed father Mel, played by Liv and Maddie’s Kurt Long, to Halfway Bay. Tsai says it’s exciting to have a lead role in a series.