The new BBC sitcom Amandaland has been warmly received by viewers after the spin-off to Motherland debuted on BBC One.
The show stars Lucy Punch as Amanda, an insufferable and recently divorced mother of two, who has downsized her home and is attempting to make connections with new and old friends. Joanna Lumley also stars as Amanda’s chaotic mother, Felicity, while Philippa Dunne returns as Amanda’s pushover friend, Anne.
Bafta-winning Motherland, where the character originated, was created by Sharon Horgan and starred Anna Maxwell Martin. The series, which had a cult following, aired for the final time in 2022 with a Christmas special.
Judging by reactions on social media, Amandaland, written by Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz, Barunka O’Shaughnessy and Laurence Rickard, looks to have filled the hole that Motherland left behind.
As of Wednesday (5 February), all six episodes are now available on BBC iPlayer and those who have watched it are already full of praise. On X/Twitter, one person wrote: “Just finished watching every episode of Amandaland and I regret nothing. It sits beautifully alongside Motherland. It’s brilliantly written, laugh-out-loud funny and had just the right amount of cringe. A worthy spin-off.”
A second viewer said: “Just saw the premiere and I really enjoyed it, I laughed out loud so many times, I can’t wait to see the rest of the season.”
A third proclaimed: “Amandaland is everything and more than I wanted it to be. Lucy Punch is just absolute perfection.”
Comedian Jenny Eclair wrote: “Lucy Punch is so brilliant as Amanda in Amandaland – she could be one dimensional but the writing and her performance makes it so layered and sympathetic- it’s a really clever piece of work.”
Meanwhile, one fan is already calling for a second season: “Amandaland was everything I expected and more! Lets hope for a series two commission with cameo appearances from Julia, Liz and Kevin.”
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In a four-star review for The Independent, Charlotte O’Sullivan writes: “Every now and again, an iconoclastic gem spawns an entirely worthy spin-off (Rhoda was as groundbreaking, in its own way, as The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Phoenix Nights easily matched the highs of That Peter Kay Thing). It’s too early to say if Amandaland is in that league. Let’s just say this clever and jolly series is hard to resist.”
