Finally an original show worth watching on HBO. Set to show later this year, a biography of Temple Grandin will feature Claire Danes in the leading role. Diagnosed autistic in 1950, Grandin is an avid speaker and author on issues related to autism and her work with livestock handling. Currently an associate professor at Colorado State University, she has used her own experiences to challenge and improve the way American agriculture moves and handles livestock. Her research of sweeping curved corrals and squeeze chutes has had major impacts on the animal industry.

Exact viewing dates of the film are not currently available, though it is in the post-production phase and still slated for a 2009 release. Claire Danes (recently appearing in Me and Orson Welles, Stardust, The Hours and Romeo + Juliet) plays a college-age Grandin who later became one of the most respected animal handling facility designers to date. Julia Ormond plays Grandin’s mother, Catherine O’Hare, her aunt and David Strathairn, a university scientist and Grandin’s teacher.

Grandin has authored more than 300 articles on animal handling, welfare and facility design. She has authored several books, two of which were on the New York Time’s best seller list, several videos, appeared in on numerous TV programs, and is an active speaker.