The BBC have announced that a new series Amandaland, a spin-off from hit sitcom Motherland, is in the works.
This is welcome news to fans after the quiet cancellation of the BAFTA-winning original series earlier this year. Leading star Diane Morgan who plays Liz in the series, confirmed the cancellation in an interview with The Times.
Amandaland will focus on Motherland character Amanda (Lucy Punch) as she navigates the nightmare of teenage parenting alongside a divorce and a house move. Interestingly, while Motherland sees Amanda act as the leader of the middle-class mum group that others are desperate to join, in this spin-off, she will now be the outsider.
However, she won’t be completely alone as Joanna Lumley who plays Amanda’s mother Felicity, and Philippa Dunne who plays friend Anne, are also set to return.
Head of Comedy at the BBC Tanya Qureshi has complimented all three returning cast members saying, “Lucy, Joanna and Phillipa are three of the funniest comedy actors around and we’re thrilled to have them on board.”
Co-creator of both Motherland and Amandaland Sharon Horgan has also voiced her excitement for Amandaland: “We have new parents, a new school and new problems to look forward to. We can’t wait to get going on it”. Amandaland will be produced by Horgan’s production company Merman, also known for comedy-drama There She Goes and sitcom Catastrophe.
This is not the first time that the Motherland franchise has attempted to expand. Last year, a pilot for a US remake of Motherland titled starring Ellie Kemper was commissioned. However, the adaptation starring Ellie Kemper was later dropped by network ABC.
Amandaland will consist of six 30-minute episodes. Not much is known yet about other cast members or a release date.
While waiting for Amandaland, you can catch up on all the playground politics of Motherland on Netflix now.
Words by Jennifer Cartwright
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