Anna Maxwell Martin has spoken out about the much-loved comedy series Motherland coming to an end after three seasons and whether or not she will be watching the new spin-off, Amandaland.
Motherland, Sharon Horgan's hilarious comedy following a group of West London parents, gained a loyal following of fans after three seasons and two Christmas specials... however earlier this year it was revealed that the BBC had decided not to commission the series for a fourth season.
Alongside Anna, the show starred Paul Ready, Philippa Dunne and Tanya Moodie, Diane Morgan and Lucy Punch. But Anna has revealed that it wasn't just the rumoured BBC budget cuts that saw the show cancelled.
She told The Times: “Does any show need more than three seasons? We’d reached a point where everybody 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 are there to tell. You don’t want to drag on with a show you’re so proud of.”
But while we might not have any more episodes following the trials and tribulations of parenting from our favourite school gate gang, we do have Amandaland, a Motherland spin-off announced by the BBC that focuses on Lucy Punch's character Amanda. “I’ll definitely watch that — I love Lucy.” says Anna of the new show.
Fans are over the moon because Joanna Lumley is also back as Amanda’s passive-aggressive mother Felicity and Philippa Dunne is also returning as long-suffering Anne.
The show will follow Amanda as she moves to South Harlesden after her divorce and has to navigate being a mum to teens. Felicity, who is in denial about being lonely, is constantly around while Anne is sucked back into being Amanda’s minion.
Amandaland is a six-part series that will arrive on BBC1 and BBCiPlayer in late 2024 or early 2025.
