Nick Sherreard

Having only recently discovered Motherland I was looking forward to this spin off. Despite the ridiculous negative reviews by self appointed armchair critics, Amandaland isn’t super “woke”. It’s based in London, the characters are representative of the area. This isn’t Eastenders or Whitechapel or the film Notting Hill with barely a brown or black face to be seen. This is the reality of where Amanda lives. Joanna Lumley is perfect casting as Amanda’s mum, and her comic timing is immaculate as ever. Anne’s character has evolved into an overly protective mum from Hell from the dogsbody of the previous series. And Amanda herself has emerged as a far more sympathetic character now we get a chance to see behind the gloss. Much of the humour is intelligent and subtle but there are still laugh out loud slapstick moments and embarrassing faux pas to catch you off guard. Yes A Chocolate Orange is the best joke so far. Ignore the snobs, enjoy it for what it is. Brilliant well executed comedy