Amandaland TV preview: Spinning back
Motherland’s spin-off Amandaland proves its staying power as it reshuffles its ensemble
Successful sitcom spin-offs are essentially an American phenomenon, with classic series such as Cheers begetting the sublime Frasier while Happy Days produced no fewer than seven offshoots, including Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy. Overlooking Alan Partridge’s singular broadcasting career, in the UK you need to go back to In Sickness And In Health and Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? for follow-ups that matched the original. So when Motherland spawned Amandaland, with Lucy Punch reprising her role as the hit comedy’s most cringe-inducing character, it was undoubtedly a gamble from the BBC. Not too big a swing though, given the experience and proven pedigree of the writing team. And last year’s transition to Amandaland’s debut series turned out to be a smooth, rewarding one.
Fans of Siobhán McSweeney will be disappointed to find her appearances as eye-rolling Della drastically reduced in the upcoming second run. But her role as the show’s resident cynic, calling out Amanda’s pseudy self-delusions, has been picked up by Big Boys’ Harriet Webb as Ned’s straight-talking mum Abs. Della’s absence also affords her partner, immature fashionista Fi (Rochenda Sandall), the chance for personal development. And while there’s no Peter Serafinowicz as swaggering Johannes, the writers (led by Holly Walsh and Ghosts’ Laurence Rickard) have more than compensated by gifting the peerless Joanna Lumley extra screentime. Meanwhile, the invariably excellent Philippa Dunne gets some hilariously eccentric B-plots, as Anne inadvertently becomes an influencer, begins a relationship with ChatGPT and spins the menopause on its head.
Available on BBC One from Wednesday 6 May.