Bafta award-winning comedy Amandaland is set to return for a third series, the BBC has confirmed, alongside a significant slate of renewals and new commissions, signalling a robust commitment to the genre.
The acclaimed show, featuring Lucy Punch, Dame Joanna Lumley, and Philippa Dunne, recently secured the Bafta for Best Scripted Comedy and will now deliver a new six-part run.
Jon Petrie, Director of BBC Comedy, made the announcement at the BBC Comedy Festival in Liverpool. Mr Petrie also revealed that Black Ops, another award-winning series featuring Gbemisola Ikumelo and Hammed Animashaun, will be back for a third series, following Ikumelo’s Bafta win for best female comedy performance.
New programmes commissioned include Hopley Hall, following staff and volunteers at a Northern Irish country house, starring Derry Girls’ Jamie-Lee O’Donnell.
Meanwhile, Opening Up is set and filmed in Manchester, featuring Amy Gledhill. A new documentary, Twenty Years Of Not Going Out, will celebrate two decades of Lee Mack’s hit sitcom.
Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli’s Am I Being Unreasonable? has also been renewed. The duo expressed their anticipation, stating they were "excited (and slightly concerned) to return to the mad world of Am I Being Unreasonable?"
"The first two series have been an absolute joy to make and we couldn’t be more grateful to be back for a third time with our incredible cast and crew," they added. "There’s a lot to say in this series – some of which we probably shouldn’t – but we’re hoping to end on a high. Even if some of our characters might not."
Other popular shows confirmed for new series include Things You Should Have Done, Such Brave Girls, Mammoth, and Two Doors Down.
Amandaland has rapidly become one of the BBC’s most significant comedy series, with Lucy Punch’s portrayal of the glamorous divorcee Amanda resonating widely.
Seb Barwell, BBC Comedy commissioning editor, commented: "Amanda and friends continue to capture the hearts of the nation, so we’re delighted to announce a third series and to keep up our ‘co-lab’ with this amazing team."
In his festival address, Mr Petrie paid tribute to Liverpool’s rich comedic heritage, from Ken Dodd and John Bishop to Alison Steadman. He described comedy as "part of our survival mechanism," asserting it is "what people turn to again and again, what we quote, rewatch, and what brings us together".
Concluding, Mr Petrie joked about lobbying incoming BBC director-general Matt Brittin to ensure the BBC keeps backing comedy, so the genre can "not only survive, but thrive."
