Amandaland’s Christmas special just delivered one of the best festive TV moments of the year

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As a huge fan of Motherland, I was so excited to hear Amandaland was coming back for a Christmas special! And honestly, it’s the best gift ever – they’ve managed to get Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders, the iconic duo from Absolutely Fabulous, together on screen again! It’s just brilliant.

Amanda, a divorced mom, is determined to create a magical Christmas for her teenage children, Georgie and Manus. She’s arranged for the whole family – including her somewhat unhappy mother, Felicity – to spend Christmas Day at her Aunt Joan’s cozy country home in the Cotswolds.

Felicity isn’t looking forward to spending the day with her bubbly sister – she describes her as constantly cheerful, playful, and obsessed with cheese and snacks. The day gets off to a rocky start when their taxi doesn’t arrive, forcing them to ask their neighbor, Mal, for a ride. To make matters worse, Amanda’s upset friend, Anne, joins them after her flight to Ireland is cancelled.

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The Christmas episode starts like many others – festive chaos, silly mix-ups, and a heartwarming family reunion. However, a hidden secret between Joan and Felicity, combined with the brilliant comedic chemistry between Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, elevates it beyond the usual sitcom fare. Joanna Lumley’s perfect expressions of disapproval and lines delivered with dry wit, like “This is why I don’t go to therapy, some memories are best repressed…”, add an extra layer of humor and make this episode truly special.

(There’s also a fantastic line just before the end, that we won’t spoil here.)

Jennifer’s hilarious performance as the quirky and lovable Joan is a standout. The supporting cast is excellent, and while Lucy Punch has some great scenes, the show truly revolves around Jennifer Lumley and Joanna Saunders. Philippa Dunne and Samuel Anderson also play important roles in the delightfully absurd storyline.

For fans of Ab Fab, the main draw of this special is seeing Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders back together in a scripted series – something they haven’t done since the Absolutely Fabulous movie came out in 2016.

The scenes featuring these characters, both when they’re together and apart, are delightful. However, the most memorable part of the episode is around the 25-minute mark, when the sisters have a heartfelt conversation about their disagreements.

While they aren’t quite like Edina and Patsy, Joan and Felicity both enjoy champagne. Seeing these two actresses together again after so many years is wonderful, and their shared laughter is genuinely heartwarming – even for the most cynical viewers.

Amandaland airs on the BBC, with the Christmas special on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Christmas Day.

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2025-12-26 00:49