Amandaland launches in February
Motherland spin-off Amandaland launches on BBC One in February.
Focused around the character of Amanda, played by Lucy Punch, the series also sees Joanna Lumley returning as Amanda's mother Felicity, with Philippa Dunne as Anne.
It's now been announced that joining the cast list will be Samuel Anderson (Fingers from Gavin & Stacey) as Mal, Derry Girls star Siobhan McSweeney as Della, Rochenda Sandall (Line Of Duty) as Fi, Ekow Quartey (Trying) as JJ and Peter Serafinowicz (The Gentlemen) as Johannes.
Sharon Horgan, who wrote Motherland with Holly Walsh, Helen Serafinowicz and Barunka O'Shaughnessy and produces the show via her production company Merman, says: "I was genuinely sad having to say goodbye to Motherland. There's such a fondness for that show and those characters. So it was a real thrill to get to pick up the further adventures of Amanda and Anne, not to mention Felicity. Lucy, Phillipa and Joanna are top of their game in these roles and are joined by an incredibly funny and talented new cast. Can't wait to showcase the next challenges of parenthood and the very particular kind of friendship the school gates bring."
The six part series, written by Walsh, Serafinowicz, O'Shaughnessy and Laurence Rickard, focuses on Amanda after her divorce. She has to downsize and up sticks to South Harlesden, "or as the Estate Agent calls it SoHa (definitely not the area around Wormwood Scrubs prison)".
With both Manus and Georgie now at secondary school, Amanda has to try and get her head around raising teenagers, dealing with modern motherhood horrors like teenage drinking, fake Instagram accounts and eco anxiety. Not even a woman as certain of her parenting as Amanda can deal with these nightmares alone.
Amanda's mother Felicity is constantly around, and completely in denial that she is, in fact, lonely. Theirs is a slightly unhealthy co-dependent relationship based on backhanded compliments and veiled snipes about her new home.
After a brief spell of freedom, Anne is sucked back into being Amanda's minion to help her navigate the social scene with the other parents at the children's new school. Thank God for Anne.
Tanya Qureshi, Head of Comedy at the BBC, says: "We can't wait for audiences to see Amanda's new chapter, brought to life by such a talented cast and a wonderfully sharp set of characters. It's going to be a real treat."