How the Creators of Amandaland Crafted a Unique BAFTA-Winning Comedy Distinct from Motherland
The BAFTA-winning creative team behind Amandaland has shared insights on distinguishing the hit BBC spin-off from its predecessor, Motherland.
During the BBC Comedy Festival, co-creator Holly Walsh emphasized that the key differentiation lies within the characters, particularly the lead character portrayed by Lucy Punch. In Motherland, Amanda’s character was depicted as sharper and more cartoonish compared to her portrayal in Amandaland, which recently won the BAFTA for Best Scripted Comedy, having three of its stars nominated.
“We broadened her out and warmed her up,” explained co-creator Laurence Rickard. “She is a woman who cares about her friends and family, and is also just immensely shallow and awful. So we needed both of those things. You get the best comedy out of her when she is terrible but behind the veneer is a genuinely nice human being.”
Walsh noted that Amanda was the “easiest” character to adapt since her flaws enable numerous comedic opportunities. “You can make so many more jokes about someone who thinks she’s better than you,” she added.
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Rickard observed that the pilot of Amandaland introduced a “warmth and broadness” that contrasts with the tone of Motherland. The acclaimed Motherland, co-created by Graham Linehan and Sharon Horgan, spanned three seasons. Meanwhile, Amandaland has aired two seasons and was recently commissioned for a third, becoming one of the BBC’s most-watched comedies of the decade. Notably, Paul Feig attempted to adapt Motherland for American audiences, but the ABC pilot was not picked up.
“We didn’t want to just do Kevin again”
Walsh indicated that creating a distinct ensemble was crucial to separating Amandaland from Motherland. “We had to create a new ensemble of people who hadn’t been in Motherland,” she remarked. “We didn’t want to just do Kevin again. We had to really dig deep for that.”
She highlighted characters like Mal and JJ, portrayed by Samuel Anderson and Ekow Quartey, who represent a parenting couple. “It felt like a really fun angle,” she noted, “We were trying to find different approaches through parenting.”
The creative team shared their insights at the Comedy Festival, following discussions by James Corden and Ruth Jones.
At the BAFTAs last week, Walsh mentioned her aspiration to have Melania Trump as a guest star on Amandaland, quipping, “She’s America’s Amanda.”
