BBC Amandaland secures huge Christmas special before first episode even airs

Motherland’s uptight alpha mum Amanda is back tonight with her own spin-off series. BBC bosses are so convinced that Amandaland is going to be a huge hit that have ordered a festive special before it has even aired. The series stars Lucy Punch as newly divorced Amanda, who has been forced to leave leafy Chiswick for a flat in grittier South Harlesden – which she calls SoHa. She is joined by her disapproving mother Felicity, played by Joanna Lumley, plus fellow Motherland mum Anne (Phillipa Dunne), her long-suffering “friend” who has also moved to the area with her teens. Motherland fans will remember Amanda as a wannabe influencer and shallow leader of the mum’s group joined by lead character Julia (Anna Maxwell Martin).

Lucy said while she was quite different to Amanda, she does have her trait of eternal optimism. “Amanda has this sort of teenage hopefulness bordering on delusion that I share,” she explained. “I don’t think, in all my years, I’ve ever had an audition for a job, whatever it is, that I haven’t been convinced I was going to get. “And even when I’ve done a terrible audition, or they’re just not interested, I dust myself off and then go, ‘Get me at the next one.’” Joanna said she was delighted to reprise what was a minor role in Bafta-winning Motherland. She said: “This was magic to be part of, to be in every episode. I think [Felicity is] so selfish and self-regarding. I just adore her.”.

She said she is only offered roles as baddies these days. “It’s written into my contract now – I must be mean,” she said. “I’m always cast as horrid, savage old grannies and mothers, and wizened, cruel aunts. I don’t know why, because I’m a sunny character.”. In the new series, Amanda finds romance with Johannes, a South African property developer played by Peter Serafinowicz, but fans will also notice she has chemistry with her dishy downstairs neighbour Mal (Samuel Anderson). Writer Holly Walsh said: “I think there’s a sort of nice little simmering thing going on with Mal. They have a kind of Sam and Diane thing going on from Cheers, where they hate each other but there’s slightly something underneath that.”.

Felicity remains dismayed with how her daughter’s life is going. “She’s obviously not as I would have hoped,” Joanna said. “It started off all right. She married somebody who had a bit of money and lived in the right place. But now, we’re reduced to, what is it, Aldi or something? Everything’s sad, and small, and shrunken.”. Insiders are predicting a Christmas Day special, after an early screening of the new series had the audience in stitches. Asked if there would be a festive special, Holly beamed while admitting: “I’m not allowed to say.” She added that if there was one, Amanda would “probably have three Christmas trees”.

But insiders revealed that a Christmas special is very much in the pipeline, hinting it had already been filmed. One said: “Amandaland is so funny, this could be the new jewel in the crown of the Christmas schedule. Everyone is thrilled. But it’s top secret.”. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs onTikTok,Snapchat,Instagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTubeandThreads.