Amandaland series 2 is now airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, after launching on Wednesday 6 May, with Lucy Punch returning as Amanda, alongside Philippa Dunne as Anne, Joanna Lumley as Felicity and Samuel Anderson as Mal in the Motherland spin-off.
The new episodes find Amanda still living in South Harlesden, or “SoHa”, as she juggles parenting her teenagers Georgie, played by Miley Locke, and Manus, played by Alexander Shaw, developing her online “Senuous” brand and holding down her “co-lab” role at Kitchen’s Bathrooms and Kitchens.
According to Punch, Amanda may be slightly more settled this time around, but that does not mean she has become any less Amanda. “Amanda is still in SoHa, she’s more settled now but still doing everything she can elevate to her social standing and circumstances,” Punch said. “She’s just as delusional about herself as ever!”
Amanda Is Still Trying To Make SoHa Happen
Series 2 sees Amanda resigned to staying in the area, though her mood improves when a hipster coffee shop opens nearby, which she takes as a promising sign of incoming gentrification.
Her ambitions soon grow bigger when she discovers a large house in the area is up for sale. Desperate to own it, Amanda turns to Felicity for help, only to discover that financial support from her mother may come with a few conditions attached. Felicity may still see herself as evergreen, but the series hints that she is beginning to show signs of ageing, raising the possibility that living alone may no longer be an option.
For Amanda, family concern, property ambition and social status all seem destined to become one deeply inconvenient problem. Very on brand.
Romance, Teenagers And Dog Walking Chaos
The series also continues Amanda’s not-quite-romance with fellow divorcee and basement neighbour Mal. Punch teased that there is still “a glimpse of romance”, though it remains “buried very deep”. Mal’s world expands with the arrival of his ex, Abs, played by Harriet Webb. According to Anderson, Mal and Abs have moved past many of their earlier regrets, with their shared parenting of Ned, played by Archie Smith, handled with care rather than conflict.
Meanwhile, Anne remains Amanda’s loyal and long-suffering best friend. Dunne described Anne as more self-assured this series, balancing her job, parenting and her devotion to Amanda’s latest dramas. Elsewhere, Fi, played by Rochenda Sandall, begins to find a new calling as a professional dog walker after Della, played by Siobhán McSweeney, heads off to work on a cruise. The season also builds towards the teenagers’ school prom, bringing exams, relationships and parenting pressures into the mix.
Joanna Lumley Returns As Felicity
Lumley is also back as Felicity, Amanda’s cutting, self-involved and often alarmingly accurate mother. Asked what advice she would give her character, Lumley kept it brilliantly simple: “Stop being so selfish.” Felicity also gets a love interest this series, which Lumley described as “a charming brief encounter”.
CultureCues Final Thoughts
For CultureCues, Amandaland works because it understands that Amanda is funniest when she is completely ridiculous and weirdly recognisable. She is a social climber in a changed postcode, a mother trying to survive teenagers, and a woman who can turn almost any life crisis into evidence that she is still winning.
Amandaland series 2 is available now on BBC iPlayer, with episodes airing on BBC One.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.