Joanna Lumley lets slip huge Amandaland series two update ahead of BBC show return
Dame Joanna Lumley has let slip an update about the return of Amandaland. The actress, 79, signed on to star as Felicity, the mother of Lucy Punch's title character, in the BBC sitcom that served as a spin-off of Motherland and the national treasure has now revealed when fans can expect to see the second series.
Motherland featured an ensemble cast made up of the likes of Anna Maxwell-Martin, and Diane Morgan alongside Lucy and followed the ups and downs of parents whose children all attend the same school. After three series, the focus shifted to PR worker Amanda, who has to learn to cope with her new life after her divorce.
Joanna told hosts Dermot O'Leary and Rochelle Humes on Wednesday's This Morning: "We're starting shooting in October. We finish shooting two days before Christmas so with any luck, it'll be out in the spring." It comes as the hit series had already been commissioned for another run of episodes, but fans had not been given any confirmation of dates.
The Absolutely Fabulous legend made her first appearance as Felicity with a guest role in the original series, but actually worked with Lucy several years ago and played her mother back then as well. She said: "I just adored it and it was so wonderful to meet up with Lucy Punch again. I played her mother before in Ella Enchanted when she was a very young teenage girl. She's always had comic chops, and she's a wonderful clown. Very beautiful and very funny. Very, very funny."
Joanna, who started her career as a model in the 1960s before starting up her acting career with prominent roles on Coronation Street and The New Avengers, described the new scripts as 'magic' even though she and the creative team did wonder how it was ever going to match up to the success of its predecessor.
She added: "The whole script is magic, written by the Motherland team. We wondered, because everyone adored Motherland so much, what it was going to be like. And it flew!" It's divine. In Motherland, I was her mother but I was just there for an afternoon sitting in a shop or something."
Amanda pulled in 6.4million viewers across its first run. In the show, following her divorce, Amanda had to downsize and up sticks from leafy Chiswick to South Harlesden, or as likes to call it 'SoHa'. Once there she set about using information from her old friend Anne (Philippa Dunne) to try and elevate her standing in the area - with mixed results. She also had to deal with two teens, eco anxiety and a mother who is bored and lonely but won't admit it.
The series, made by production company Merman, also introduced a host of new characters, including Amanda's long-suffering downstairs neighbour Mal (Samuel Anderson) and his ex-wife's new partner JJ (Ekow Quartey), now stepfather to Mal's son Ned. Also in SoHa are power couple Della and Fi (Siobhán McSweeney and Rochenda Sandall) plus South African property developer Johannes (Peter Serafinowicz).
Co-writer and creator Holly Walsh said: 'We've been bowled over by the response to Amandaland and can't wait to get co-labbing on the next series.'
Merman co-founder Sharon Horgan, added: 'With any new show you put out there, your main hope is to make something you love and are proud of. The extra bonus is that it's a critical hit. But to have a loyal audience of this size is just beyond your hopes and expectations.
"Special thanks to Lucy for being the most extraordinary front woman and to the BBC for having such faith in the idea of Amandaland from the off.'"
BBC comedy boss Tanya Qureshi, said they'd always had high hopes for Amandaland. "But it's been amazing to see how much viewers have embraced not just the returning characters, but the brilliant new additions too. We're so thrilled to reunite with this talented team for another instalment of Amanda's new life in SoHa."
The series proved a huge hit with critics, with one declaring: "Amandaland will make you howl with laughter – Lucy Punch has never been better". Another agreed: "Punch makes the turn from enjoyable side character to magnetic main character with unexpected, brilliant ease."
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