I'm a huge fan of Motherland, but spin-off Amandaland is (dare I say it!) better than the original

Philippa Dunne as Anne, Lucy Punch as Amanda, and Dame Joanna Lumley as Felicity sit together on a sofa in Amandaland.
(Image credit: BBC)

Amandaland, the much-anticipated Motherland spin-off is finally here - and boy was it worth the wait.

Motherland went down in comedy history with its pitch-perfect depiction of the trials and tribulations of middle-class parenting, with characters everyone at the school gate can relate to. But comedy genius Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters and Catastrophe) has done it again with Amandaland, which follows Motherland's 'alpha mum' Amanda (Lucy Punch) as she moves to a new area and juggles divorce with raising teenagers.

Just like Motherland, Amandaland once again offers those laugh-out-loud moments along with a good dose of cringe, with Lucy Punch playing Amanda to perfection. I am a huge Motherland fan and have watched every episode countless times, but I have to admit, I think Amandaland has done what many spin-offs fail to do, and that's making it as good, if not better, than the original.

Alongside Lucy Punch is Joanna Lumley who is back as Amanda's narcissistic mum, Felicity, while the amazing Philippa Dunne returns as Amanda's long-suffering minion - sorry, I mean friend - Anne Flynn. Each returning as their iconic Motherland characters, but this time stepped up a gear and polished to comedy perfection.

Alexander Shaw as Manus, Miley Locke as Georgie, Lucy Punch as Amanda and Dame Joanna Lumley as Felicity stand in a row by a bar in Amandaland.

Lucy Punch and Joanna Lumley are back as Amanda and her mother, Felicity. (Image credit: BBC)

If you are yet to watch, Amandaland picks up a few years after Motherland ended, with Anne and Amanda's kids now teenagers.

Amanda has had to downsize and up sticks to South Harlesden, or as the estate agent calls it, SoHa (definitely not the area around Wormwood Scrubs prison!), and as she navigates teenage drinking and fake Instagram accounts, Amanda is also trying to make her new job as an interior influencer take off.

Of course, good old Anne is on hand to introduce her to the other parents at the school - and after a few years off from being Amanad's downtrodden sidekick, Anne is well and truly back under Amanda's well-manicured thumb.

Also among the Amandaland cast are Samuel Anderson (Gavin & Stacey) as Amanda's neighbour, Mal, plus Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls) as Della, Rochenda Sandall (Line of Duty) as Fi, Ekow Quartey (Trying) as JJ and Peter Serafinowicz (The Gentlemen) as Johannes.

With all six episodes now on BBC iPlayer and each one only half an hour long, this is binge-worthy TV at its very best. Enjoy!

Amandaland airs on BBC One on Wednesday evenings at 9pm from February 5 and all six episodes are available on BBC iPlayer now.

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Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia. 

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz! 

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book. 

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