Netflix Renews Ryan O'Connell's Special for Season 2

Netflix has shared some special news with the world.

Special, a series on the streaming platform that centers on a gay man with cerebral palsy, will be renewed for a second season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The series, inspired by Ryan O'Connell's memoir of the same name, will return for eight episodes. O'Connell starred in, wrote, and served as executive producer as the first season, which was based on his real-life experiences. Jim Parsons, the gay star of The Big Bang Theory, is also an executive producer of Special.

Actors Jessica Hecht, who portrays the protagonist's mother, and Punam Patel, who is his coworker and best friend, will return as series regulars for season 2.

The first season of Special was unique for its runtime; each of the eight episodes was only about 15 minutes. It is not yet revealed if the second season will continue with the 15-minute format or extend it to a half-hour comedy, as O'Connell has expressed it his wish to be in interviews.

In addition to putting a character with cerebral palsy front and center, Special also stood out from other TV shows in its frank depiction of gay sex -- an issue O'Connell said he would explore further in future seasons. Inspired by HBO's Girls, which showed how sex among straight people can be complicated, O'Connell wanted to depict that level of sex complexity for the gay community.

"I don't know why people are still afraid of gay sex," O'Connell told The Advocate in an interview earlier this year. "I don't know why gay sex can't be shown for what it is, which is, awkward, funny, sexy, embarrassing -- sometimes all at the same time, within two minutes."

This year, Special received several nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series, as well as acting nods for O'Connell, Hecht, and Patel.

A release date for Special season 2 has not yet been announced.