BBC sitcom Amandaland’s return cements it as the best female-led UK comedy since Derry Girls

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Fans of the popular BBC comedy Motherland were thrilled when last year’s spin-off, Amandaland, lived up to the original’s high standards. Now, the show starring Lucy Punch – featuring the hilariously terrible mother from Motherland – is back for a second season, and it’s even funnier than before.

Amanda, who’s recently divorced and cares about her appearance, is adjusting to a simpler life in South Harlesden, London. She lives there with her two teenage children, Georgie and Manus.

Amanda’s mother, Felicity (played by Joanna Lumley), visits often, though she’s not always thrilled about it. Instead of buying gifts, she simply writes checks to her grandchildren. Amanda is busy building her lifestyle brand, ‘Senuous,’ while also working at a kitchen and bathroom store. Luckily, her patient friend Anne (Philippa Dunne) is there to keep Amanda grounded when she gets too caught up in herself.

Mal, the downstairs neighbour played by Samuel Anderson, returns in the new series. We also meet his ex-wife, Abs (Harriet Webb from Mr Bigstuff), who isn’t fooled by Amanda’s pretentious behaviour.

Amanda remains friends with Fi (Rochenda Sandall), who’s navigating life on her own while her partner, Della (Siobhan McSweeney from Derry Girls), is working as a chef on a cruise ship. She’s also still close to Abs’ husband, JJ (Ekow Quartey), and their friendship with Mal grows after they start bonding over their shared love of power tools.

Although Mal and JJ’s friendship is often funny, like in the first season, it’s the female characters in Amandaland who truly stand out. They have the most developed stories, the sharpest writing, and the most hilarious scenes.

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Honestly, Lucy Punch is amazing as Amanda. She brings so much to the character, you end up rooting for her even when she’s being totally awful. Like, remember her school careers talk in the first episode? It was cringeworthy – she was all about inspiring a generation of ‘online creators’ – but you couldn’t look away! And later, when she tries to partner with a local shop? Total disaster, but hilarious. She just nails the awkward, embarrassing mom vibe.

Right from the beginning, she’s hilarious. Amanda creates funny social media videos – like pretending to train for a marathon by spritzing water on her face – and even turns a simple bank meeting into an energetic pitch, similar to the show Dragon’s Den.

It’s a testament to Punch’s comedic skills that she shines even alongside the wonderfully talented Philippa Dunne and Joanna Lumley, who both bring a lot of energy and fun to the show.

In this new show, Anne is a much more confident character compared to her role in Motherland, and she’s less likely to let people walk all over her. Viewers will likely be thrilled when she unexpectedly outdoes her friend in a social media challenge during the second episode.

Felicity remains wonderfully witty, and Joanna Lumley shines throughout, with a particularly hilarious plotline in episode three that we won’t give away. It really showcases her incredible comedic skills.

The actresses have fantastic chemistry, and along with writers like Holly Walsh and Laurence Rickard (from Ghosts), they’ve created a brilliantly funny show about the joys and challenges of being a parent, navigating mid-life, and what it means to be a woman. It’s a truly hilarious and memorable comedy.

Now that season two has arrived, Amandaland is just as brilliant as the beloved Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls, and stands out as one of the best comedies led by women in recent years.

Amandaland airs on BBC One, and season 2 is now available on BBC iPlayer.

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2026-05-06 17:51