If the end of Bafta-award winning series Motherland left you feeling down in the dumps, have we got news for you. A brand new spinoff, Amandaland, is hitting our screens next month – and as the trailer dropped online, fans have already admitted they are ‘obsessed.’
Amandaland, starring Lucy Punch as Amanda, will hit screens on February 5th. Also returning are Dame Joanna Lumley as Amanda’s mother unbearable mother Felicity, and Philippa Dunne as overprotective Irish mum Anne.
Fans quickly took to social media to share their thoughts on the spin off - admitting they were already 'obsessed.' One wrote, 'I'm so excited about the Motherland spin off, Amandaland. Nothing like a school gate drama or comedy.'
‘I’m clearing my diary,’ added one, as another noticed Amanda's ever-so-chic striped scarf - writing, ‘Always knew Amanda would be a villa fan.’
This time round, Amanda is finding her feet post-divorce, leaving the leafy streets of Chiswick behind as she navigates raising two teenagers. The trailer shows Amanda struggling with her ‘rapidly growing Instagram start-up,’ as well as ‘fully embracing’ her ‘simpleton lifestyle.’
Opening up about the show, co-creator Sharon Horgan said, ‘It was a real thrill to get to pick up the further adventures of Amanda and Anne, not to mention Felicity. I can’t wait to showcase the next challenges of parenthood and the very particular kind of friendship the school gates bring.’
Set to air next month, here's everything to know about Amandaland.
What is Amandaland about?
Following her divorce, Amanda is forced to leave behind the idyllic streets of Chiswick for a move to SoHa (otherwise known as South Harlesden, and definitely not the area around Wormwood Scrubs prison...)
With both Manus and Georgie now at secondary school, the ever-glam Amanda is left facing a whole new string of modern parenting woes: juggling parenting horrors including teenage drinking, fake Instagram accounts, and eco-anxiety.
To top it off, Amanda’s silver-tongued mother Felicity is never far away, bringing backhanded compliments and veiled snipes with her along the way.
But Amanda isn’t finding her feet alone. Naturally, she’s relying on her close pal Anne to help her navigate the social scene with the other parents at her children’s new school. After all, Amanda simply has to get back on top...
Opening up about ‘the next chapter of parenthood and friendship,’ Sharon Horgan said, ‘We have new parents, a new school and new problems to be look forward to.’
Who is the cast of Amandaland?
Lucy Punch, Philippa Dunne and Dame Joanna Lumley are confirmed to be the main cast of Amandaland.
They’ll also be joined by an ‘incredibly funny and talented new cast' - including Derry Girls’ Siobhan McSweeney, will be joining as Della. Other characters we’ll be introduced to are Mal (played by Gavin and Stacey’s Samuel Anderson), Fi (played by Line of Duty’s Rochenda Sandal), JJ (played by _Trying’_s Ekow Quartey), and Johannes (played by The Gentlemen’s Peter Serafinowicz)
Although fans are holding out for some of our familiar Chiswick residents to make an appearance, it doesn’t seem we’ll be seeing too much of our original Motherland cohort. It's a move that has left some fans feeling a tad deflated...
Taking to social media, one lamented, 'I miss Julia, I miss Kevin, I miss Meg.'
Another added, 'I miss Motherland - but I'll take anything from this franchise!'
Why are the Motherland cast not appearing in Amandaland?
Given this one’s a spin-off focusing on Amanda’s new life in another part of London, it makes sense that the Motherland cast may not be the prime focus.
Released in 2017, the Bafta-award winning series ran for three seasons until 2021 (including a hilarious Christmas special in 2022). When the show ended, fans were up in arms over waving goodbye to the chaos we'd all grown to love - and many were holding out hope that we haven't seen the last of the Motherland crew.
However, Diane Morgan – who plays sarcastic single mum Liz – seemed to hint last year that her time on the show had run its course. ‘I hate to say it, because I still get women running up to me with prams in the street asking me when it’s coming back,’ she said, confirming that Motherland would not return for a fourth season. While she personally won’t be appearing, Diane did touch on Motherland, saying, ‘It’ll live on through her! The ladies in the prams will pleased, hopefully.’
Anna Maxwell Martin – who played no-nonsense mum Julia – also previously addressed Motherland’s end, saying ‘Does any show need more than three seasons? We’d reached a point where everyone was like, “We’ve done our time.” You come to a natural end in the way Gavin and Stacey and The Office came to a natural end.’
‘A lot of the storylines had been tied up. I know it’s so loved, but you don’t necessarily carry on just because the fanbase gets massive. It becomes massive because you’ve maybe told all the stories that there are to tell. You don’t want to drag on with a show you’re so proud of.’
However, Anna did say she was excited to see the Motherland universe expanding – with Julia making way for Amanda to take centre stage ‘I’ll definitely watch [the show] – I love Lucy,’ she said.
As for Paul Ready, who played doting dad Kevin, he said back in 2022, ‘I think Motherland does have a shelf life. As the kids age, for sure.’
There we have it: it does seem a Motherland return wasn’t something our cast were too keen on. As for any Amandaland cameos, we’ll have to wait and see.
When is Amandaland released?
The six episode series Amandaland will air on February 5th, hitting both BBC1 and BBC iPlayer. It’s time to clear your calanders!
Where can I watch the Amandaland trailer?
If you fancy a glimpse of what’s to come, you can go and watch the brand new Amandaland trailer on YouTube.