Lucy Punch opens up about fear of leading role in Amandaland ahead of Christmas special
Actress says she was scared to read early reviews and worried about fan reception as the BBC spin-off moves to centre stage.
Lucy Punch says she was too scared to read early reviews of Amandaland because she had never carried a lead role before and feared how the BBC spin-off would be received. The 47-year-old actress portrays Amanda, the titular character in the new series that expands the Motherland universe.
Punch told The Sunday Times that producers first pitched the spin-off with her in the lead, and she worried that fans might be disappointed if the show no longer centered on the ensemble around Motherland. She said she genuinely feared how it would be received and noted that she had never before been front and centre.
Amandaland follows a recently divorced mum juggling children, a new relationship and the school-run social circle, while also navigating life with her mother, Felicity Sanderson, played by Joanna Lumley. The cast also includes Philippa Dunne as Anne Flynn and Samuel Anderson as Mal, with Lumley reuniting with Punch for the spin-off.
Since its February debut on BBC One, Amandaland has drawn about 6.4 million viewers on average and has become the BBC’s second-biggest comedy launch.
Fans were thrilled in October when it was revealed there would be a festive Christmas special, bringing Amanda, her mum Felicity and Anne Flynn back together for a holiday instalment. The first look shows Amanda, her family and friends heading to Aunt Joan’s country house, with Jennifer Saunders appearing as Aunt Joan in the scenes released so far. Earlier this month the BBC dropped the first trailer for the highly-anticipated Christmas special.
Amandaland is written by Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz, Barunka O'Shaughnessy and Laurence Rickard, and directed by Simon Bird and Alyssa McClelland. The show is a spin-off of Motherland, which aired from 2016 to 2022 and followed a group of parents at a busy school. The festive installment will cap a season that has cemented Amandaland as a major BBC comedy launch.
The Amandaland Christmas Special is scheduled to air on Christmas Day at 9:15 p.m. on BBC One and iPlayer.