Amandaland review – a rare chance to laugh so hard you wee yourself
Amandaland begins, in time-honoured Motherland fashion, under pressure on the school run. Except we're not in Chiswick – we're now in south Harlesden, Amanda is driving a Tesla for ever on the brink of running out of battery, and Georgie and Manus, who aren't so little any more, have been forced to move school after the collapse of Mummy's ruthlessly Hygge-Tygge'd life. Cue a pep talk by the worst, by which I mean the best, Motherland mother of all. 'I'm a people person,' says Amanda. 'And historically our people are people people. So get out there and find your people!'
Ah, it's good to be back in hell. Spin-offs are always a risk, but Lucy Punch's Amanda was a sure bet. Sorry, team Liz, but she was the best character in Motherland: the ideal Sharon-Horgan-sharpened instrument for impaling the worstexcesses, blind spots and hypocrisies of the posh, white, west London middle classes. By the end of the third and last series, Amanda had perversely become the cruel heart of the show. I felt actual compassion for her when she did that dance at the PTA fundraiser that got 400 TikTok likes. Weird, I know, but that's what satire at its most skewering can do. It makes you care.
Amandaland is created and written by the Motherland team Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz and Barunka O'Shaughnessy, with Horgan credited as creator. More of the same, then, which is a compliment, because it's not as though the schedules are teeming with laser-sharp satirical sitcoms about vaginal mesh. Thus from the ashes of W4 Amanda rises to become the 'queen of SoHa'. Because, according to Amanda, that's what property experts are calling south Harlesden. 'You mean that area around Wormwood prison?' asks Anne (Philippa Dunne). There's lots to love, she prattles on, about the new school … the Stem hub, rock choir; they say the torture scene from A Clockwork Orange was filmed in the playground. Amanda: 'I'm actually glad I took the kids out of private school. They've got way more chance of getting into Oxbridge from a bog-standard state.' When the writing is this good, it fizzes with the hysterical energy of perimenopause.
So no Julia, Liz or Kevin, then – at least not in the first four episodes – but Anne, happily, features heavily. The relationship between her and Amanda is toxic and codependent, but also, you have to concede, kind of sweet. The same goes for the narcissism-powered dynamic between Amanda and her mother, Felicity, played with Ab Fab levels of relish by Joanna Lumley. In episode one, she arrives with a tuck parcel from Waitrose, 'now that you've only got a Tesco Metro'. There's white wine, Earl Grey chocolates for the children and goji berries for Amanda. 'That actually will be really nice for my bircher muesli,' Amanda says. 'Still doing breakfast?' Felicity bats back with a sneer.
There are lots of new characters, some more successful than others. More men reside in Amandaland (in Motherland, they were mostly noticeable by their absence), but they are less convincingly drawn than the women. Where it's best is in setting up bog-standard, thoroughly British, inherently absurd scenarios – the car boot sale! The parents' evening! – in which to carefully insert the characters so everyone reveals their worst side.
Take episode one, when Amanda tries to befriend SoHa lesbian power couple Della (Siobhán McSweeney, in fine brusque fettle) and Fi (Rochenda Sandall) at their house party. Della is the head chef at Shin, the small-plates restaurant beside the megachurch that used to be Debenhams; Fi is worryingly into wicker basketry. Together, they possess an alarmingly relaxed approach to parenting. 'I trained in France,' says Della, right before the teenagers get hammered on armagnac and the grownups eat artisan chocolates laced with magic mushrooms in the hot tub. 'Oh, I love the whole 'du pain, du vin, du Boursin' thang,' Amanda replies.
The gags – about Gloria Hunniford, the Just Seventeen problem page and Sinn Féin – are very British and aimed at a very particular audience, namely strung out middle-aged mums longing to laugh until they wee a bit at jokes about wellness supplements. Too rarely do we get the chance.
Ultimately, though, this is Amanda's show. Her descent from alpha west London mummy to single mother carrying a mood board on a bike (the Tesla doesn't make it) to sell waste disposal units is uproarious, but also unexpectedly moving.
This is largely due to Punch's comic timing and earnest delivery of killer lines such as: 'I'm actually reclaiming the word 'simpleton'.' But it's also down to the unforgiving terrain of Amandaland, which is to say our land. Amanda may be a narcissistic vortex who has had to invent a new word – 'senuous' – to capture her essence, but she is also a mother, who is alone, unmothered, unravelling and yet refusing to loosen her grip on a world designed to break her. And that, tragically and comically, will always be relatable.
Sign up to What's On
Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday
after newsletter promotion
Amandaland airs on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
37 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
I made a fake Tinder account to catch my boyfriend cheating – my revenge will give him self-esteem issues for eternity
Read on for the red flags your partner is cheating CHECKMATE I made a fake Tinder account to catch my boyfriend cheating – my revenge will give him self-esteem issues for eternity Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A YOUNG woman has shared how she got the ultimate revenge on her cheating boyfriend. Emmy Stove was praised for giving the opportunistic man confidence issues that would last for a lifetime. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Emmy stove caught her boyfriend cheating so she decided to get revenge Credit: tiktok/@emstove22 3 She decided to catfish her boyfriend on the dating app Credit: Free for editorial use Taking to social media, she revealed she had a feeling her boyfriend was cheating and took matters into her own hands. Instead of asking him outright, she decided to create an account on the dating app Tinder, the same one he was using to meet other women. Emmy used different pictures in her profile so he wouldn't know it was her and began to message him. Not long after, she revealed they planned to go on a date. She said: "(I) told him to meet 'me.'" While he did turn up for the date, Emmy obviously didn't but he did send him a savage message from her new persona. "When he did, I texted and said I saw him but left because I thought he was too ugly," she said. But her revenge plot didn't end there. Later, when he came home to Emmy with his tail tucked between his legs, she decided to give him the same treatment. She broke up with him then and there, telling him she didn't find him attractive anymore. 3 Women are praising her for getting her own back Credit: tiktok/@emstove22 How my 'perfect' beauty regime exposed my ex as a cheating rat - what his other woman did is totally unforgivable But the clever woman didn't let him know she knew he was cheating or that she was one of the 'girls' he cheated with to make him feel even worse about being called unattractive twice in one day. "Hope he has self-esteem issues for eternity," she captioned the post. The clip was shared on her TikTok account @emstove22 and it soon went viral with over 1.5 million views and 222k likes. People were quick to praise her revenge tactic with some claiming she should do it again. Four red flags your partner is cheating Private Investigator Aaron Bond from BondRees revealed four warning signs your partner might be cheating. They start to take their phone everywhere with them In close relationships, it's normal to know each other's passwords and use each other's phones, if their phone habits change then they may be hiding something. Aaron says: "If your partner starts changing their passwords, starts taking their phone everywhere with them, even around the house or they become defensive when you ask to use their phone it could be a sign of them not being faithful." "You should also look at how they place their phone down when not in use. If they face the phone with the screen facing down, then they could be hiding something." They start telling you less about their day When partners cheat they can start to avoid you, this could be down to them feeling guilty or because it makes it easier for them to lie to you. "If you feel like your partner has suddenly begun to avoid you and they don't want to do things with you any more or they stop telling you about their day then this is another red flag." "Partners often avoid their spouses or tell them less about their day because cheating can be tough, remembering all of your lies is impossible and it's an easy way to get caught out," says Aaron. Their libido changes Your partner's libido can change for a range of reasons so it may not be a sure sign of cheating but it can be a red flag according to Aaron. Aaron says: "Cheaters often have less sex at home because they are cheating, but on occasions, they may also have more sex at home, this is because they feel guilty and use this increase in sex to hide their cheating. You may also find that your partner will start to introduce new things into your sex life that weren't there before." They become negative towards you Cheaters know that cheating is wrong and to them, it will feel good, this can cause tension and anxiety within themselves which they will need to justify. "To get rid of the tension they feel inside they will try to convince themselves that you are the problem and they will become critical of you out of nowhere. Maybe you haven't walked the dog that day, put the dishes away or read a book to your children before bedtime. A small problem like this can now feel like a big deal and if you experience this your partner could be cheating," warns Aaron. One person wrote: "Big fan of your work." Another commented: 'Him losing twice the same night is gold." "Ma'am you are a psychological genius," penned a third. "He's still thinking about that to this day. In fact his new girlfirend has to remind him he's beautiful once a week." Meanwhile a fourth said: "He was trying to play checkers but BABYYY you were playing CHESS." "Not gonna lie that's a pretty solid way of handling that,' claimed a fifth. Someone else added: 'Girl, if you don't catfish him every year like it's a nationally observed holiday, what are you doing with your life? Get him again."
NBC News
4 hours ago
- NBC News
'Prankster' storms stage at Katy Perry concert in Sydney
SYDNEY — Pop star Katy Perry was surprised at her concert in Sydney on Monday when an attendee briefly ran up to her on stage and grabbed her before being escorted away by security. Perry was midway through her show at the the 21,000-seat Qudos Bank Arena, the second of three sold-out dates in the Australian city on her 'Lifetimes Tour.' Video footage posted by a concertgoer and verified by NBC News showed a man run down the circular stage, throw an arm around Perry's shoulder and start bouncing and dancing wildly. Perry, who appeared surprised, quickly moved away as she continued singing her 2008 hit 'Hot N Cold.' 'There's never going to be another show like this, so just enjoy it, Sydney,' she said, as the fan appeared to struggle with security guards. 'What the hell is going on?' Perry said to the crowd, as the man was dragged off stage. A representative for Perry could not immediately be reached for comment. The incident highlights growing concerns about poor etiquette at concerts, with audience members throwing items at artists such as Harry Styles and Lady Gaga. Police in the state of New South Wales, which includes Sydney, told NBC News that a man had been arrested and charged with two offenses: entering enclosed land and obstructing a person in performance of work or duties. They said he had been detained by security after jumping on stage during a concert around 9:20 p.m. local time. The man has been granted conditional bail and is due to appear in court on June 23, the police said, declining to name him in the meantime. He has also been banned for six months from Sydney Olympic Park, where the arena is located. The man has been identified in Australian media as Johnson Wen, who describes himself as a 'prankster' on his TikTok account, where he goes by the username pyjamamann and has a little over 1,100 followers. 'I was like, 'Let me get on stage with you,' and then she freaked out because I think she realized I wasn't a performer,' Wen told Australia's 9 News about the incident, adding that he was 'about to do the extra Fortnite move, but security got there too quick.' Previous videos posted on Wen's account show him running on stage at a concert by The Weeknd in Melbourne last year, and onto the field at the FIFA Women's World Cup final in 2023. 'I'm planning to quit forever, because you get in way too much trouble for it,' he said. Wen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. By Tuesday, he had posted four different videos of him rushing the stage. "Katy Perry your songs are my Childhood Memmory since 2008," he wrote in a caption for one of the videos. Another caption read,"Me Hugging Katy Perry on Stage. I said to Her 'let me dance for you'"
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Noel Edmonds says 'crystal bed' and shower routine are key to looking young
The weird and wonderful world of Noel Edmonds is revealed in his new show, as the star explains how he still looks so young at 76, but not all the steps are easy to follow at home The weird and wonderful world of Noel Edmonds is revealed in his new show - including how he manages to stay looking so young thanks to a detailed regime. Former TV host Noel is launching a career comeback next week on ITV. Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure sees him building a new life in New Zealand with his wife Liz. And in the first episode Noel explains how he still looks so young at 76, but not all the steps you will be able to follow along at home. Wife Liz first explains Noel is sat on a crystal bed, with beautiful quartz crystals lit above him and a sound of five to eight hertz being omitted into his headphones as he lies down. Noel says: 'The light bulb moment about my health, and it's a good term to use, was when I found all this information about what we really are. All we are is body energy systems, and that body energy system touches everything around us, which is how you move into the bigger matrix, the universal energy system. 'I find this so exciting, because this is all based on ancient spiritual wisdom.' Listing purified water, an oxygen tank and cold showers amongst the other things which make him feel youthful, Noel said: 'I suddenly realised actually there were six components that worked really well for me. The formula consists of nutrition and structured water, this is water in its purest form. Demonstrating the next element he added: 'Pulsed electromagnetism. And what is happening now is, by pulsing electromagnetism, all my little cells are going 'Whoa now we've got good frequencies'. Now we can work properly.' He also said there is 'a certain way to exercise, which I do very slowly and quietly, called tranquil power, He calls it tranquil power because 'everything about it is quiet and slow' but it is similar to people doing normal weight sessions in a gym. He said: 'Then something I call vibe, visualisation of body energy meditation. This takes me somewhere else, and it's beautiful. Those things together. Then I chuck in a little bit of cold showers I normally have a warm shower in the morning and wash it off with a cold shower and a sauna and infrared proven science. Very, very good for you. 'And the hyperbaric chamber - a little bit of oxygen three times a week. You don't have to wear this, but it shoots almost pure oxygen into your body.' Noel joked he has been 'researching it for 76 years' when it comes to staying young, and he and wife Liz certainly seem happy in the documentary and living a wonderful life together. They are in the Tasman region of the South Island in the countryside with Nelson their nearest town. The UK presenter and his wife Liz are reported to have practically bought an entire town in the Motueka Valley - in an estate valued at NZ$30m (£14.5m). Eccentric Noel also has clocks around his New Zealand home stopped at 11.06, in tribute to his wife Liz who was his make up artist on Deal Or No Deal when they met. He makes no secret of the fact he is besotted with her. He added: "Generally speaking, when you round here, see a clock at six minutes past 11. It's not broken. That was the time on the sixth of October, 2006 Yep. When my earth angel arrived and introduced herself. 'Liz was sent to me. She is an earth angel, which I know some people will fall about laughing. I knew she was in the room before I turned around. I looked her and went, Oh, thank goodness, there you are, the sustenance of her energy is my lifeblood. I mean, it really is. 'You will never, ever pull us apart, because we are one. To find that in your life is a gift. 'I believe it's a gift from the cosmos. It was an unforgettable moment. So the clocks are there, the time of my life.' In response Liz jokes: 'I thought someone has got to look after him. Doing my little bit of care in the community!' Liz also explains that the couple didn't have a real plan when they moved to New Zealand six years ago, but they have ended up buying River Haven estate. She says: 'There was no plan whatsoever to come and buy a vineyard and do this. I don't know. It's just a feeling of, oh, we could work on this. We could develop this.' The ITV series will show Noel and Liz trying to build New Zealand's first energy garden and a fledgling business which includes a pub called The Bugger Inn and a coffee truck. Noel tells the cameras: 'When we get to the end of whatever this is, how big are your regrets? When I get to the end, I aim to have no regrets whatsoever.' In March, rumours of the show leaked out and it drew comparisons with Jeremy Clarkson show Clarkson's Farm, which airs on Prime Video. But Clarkson's Farm is now making money and it remains to be seen if Noel can ensure his business makes a profit as he has to cope with unseasonal bad weather and "feelings of being an outsider'. Noel is unlikely to be back to the UK to live anytime soon. Asked what he loves so much about New Zealand, he said: 'I struggle to explain why I'm so excited about this Kiwi adventure. It comes down to the land - the look, the feel of it. We have a beautiful home, and in the morning, we wake up to a view of the mountains. Whether or not you can see them tells you what the weather will be like. Just a few kilometres away, there's a beautiful beach, the Moutere River, and within an hour's drive, you're in serious bush - wild terrain. The scenery here is magical. Even after six years, we'll go for a drive and still say, wow.' He thinks his love of the outdoors and greenery could be 'a reaction to being born in Ilford, in Essex, surrounded by bricks, concrete, and tarmac'. Once he has money from his TV and radio career he bought land and said he has been farming since the 80s. Asked why he had invited the ITV cameras to New Zealand he said there were three reasons including to promote New Zealand and to support the local economy. On the third reason, he added: 'To show a different side of me. I'll admit it: there's a bit of ego involved. People still ask, 'Noel Edmonds? Didn't he die? Is he still around?' Yes, I'm still here - and living life to the full.' In 2018, Noel went on I'm A Celebrity and picked up a reported £600,000 fee and a feeling he could be one of the leaders of the camp for the rest of the series. But in one of the biggest shocks in reality TV history Noel Edmonds was the first contestant to leave the show that year. Rather than try to make more TV he then headed to New Zealand soon after to begin a new life. Noel started his broadcasting career hosting Top of the Pops in the early 70s and later went on to present nineties hit Noel's House Party with beloved Mr Blobby and Deal Or No Deal. Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure starts on ITV on June 20.
