Gutted. Amandaland

[Shouldbeworkingnotreadingtalk]

Am I the only person to feel totally gutted / disappointed / sad … at Amandaland Christmas special ? … I LOVE all the motherland and ALand episodes and this was just awful. Or is that just me?

Dd and I liked it too.

I like that nothing terrible happened and it was just gentle humour all the way through. Not always up for a gut wrenching death/catastrophe like many shows give us at Christmas

Yes, I remembered Moriarty from One Day as well!

I loved the parlour games references actually!

Yes exactly. It felt somehow self-consciously contrived, with some rather weird bits (the kids behind the laundry curtain was on the creepy side), whereas the main Amandaland is so good partly because it just feels like real life, very relatable and we all recognise these mum characters and dynamics.

I didn’t mean showing sex 😂 - was being slightly tongue in cheek, but just meant there was a weak plot and not even a bit of flirtation to spice it up.

I enjoyed it. It wasn’t amazing but I absolutely loved Jennifer Saunders character and made me feel a bit sad for Amanda who had missed out on the jollity for so many years. The laughter at the christmas cracker jokes was just what happened at our own Christmas lunch.

I have had a tough year and it struck the right note for me.

I agree. That’s one reason why comedy at is best works - because it’s relatable and resonate (although heightened to some degree with writing, directing etc). Amandaland just doesn’t work in some posho’s Cotswold mansion. The diversity of characters in Motherland and Amandaland was another strength of both series’s, but that was lacking here.

The plot focused on individual characters coming together on Christmas Day.

I thought it was nice that the ones who had different plans for Christmas, Anne and the neighbour, both really enjoyed the random one they ended up at. Real spirit of Christmas stuff.
I love that Anne was “a guest of honour” and got Champagne for lunch.
Amanda and her mum were going with expectations from the past. Amanda looking to recreate it and her mum resentful of it.
The neighbour and Amanda definitely did flirt!

I found the Joanie character and surroundings completely relatable. My friend's DM lived in a house very like that when I visited as a teen from uni, right down to the extremely dusty cushions and animals wandering round the food stuff ( cats in her case).

Mum and I have been chatting about which friends and relatives we are reminded of by Joan and her house. I know so many women like her.

I really liked it. But I haven’t seen any Amandaland before…

I’ve already said I loved it, laughed out loud a few times - but reading further comments I’m reminded that MANY years ago I went to a VERY posh wedding with an ex Uni BF. The reception was at the brides house - very like that one - country pile - very posh guests - but the thing that made my jaw drop was that at the reception not only did the bride and groom’s dogs come to join us (which I could sort of understand as they were both horse and dog mad, they met through the dogs I believe 😆) but guests also went out to their landrovers and brought in their dogs….. there must have been 6-8 dogs wandering around , all beautifully behaved, none jumping up at the food, but they did lurk looking for droppings.

all I could think was “surely one of them is going to launch itself at the table”….. but none did.

A glimpse of a different world to mine 🤷🏼‍♀️😆

I thought it was great! Loved Jennifer Saunders' character too!

Joanna Lumley was AMAZING in that Christmas special. Her faces were hilarious all throughout 🤣 she a brilliant actress.

We gave up on it on Christmas Day but watched it again this afternoon and actually loved it.

It was very disappointing - the plot was pointless and unfunny.

I hope the New Year 'Here We Go' will be better.

“This is why I don’t go to therapy. Some memories are better repressed”.

“It’s just too much”

Absolute rubbish and didn’t laugh at one bit. The whole Jennifer Saunders routine is very old now too. Bring back Motherland which was really very funny.

What sort of plot do you want from a half hour Christmas special?!
It’s not supposed to be Inside No9 😁

I would have been happy with a plot that was slightly surprising.

I loved it. Lucy Punch has brilliant comic timing. Three very funny women. It was excellent.

This was just not funny at all. Didn't get any laughs from me!! ive loved Amandaland in the past but i agree there just wasnt any chemistry ! I love Jennifer Saunders but the plot about Mick Jagger was just a bit silly!

The face she pulled after aunt Joan cleaned up the paté the dog licked.
And the cracker joke about the coldest country.
Funniest thing I've seen in ages.

We saw a ha ha today! I had never heard of one until Amandaland and came across one in the park we walked through this afternoon. DH seemed less interested but he was trying to ensure rookiedog didn’t encounter any of the free roaming peacocks ( he didn’t and nor did we).

Just remembered the “oh I did sleep with Mick, a couple of times actually, but not in a way that you can get pregnant”

I mean, standards are abominably high if that is not titillating you all 🤣🤣