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Even though Lucy Punch, the leading star of the Amandaland series two, was recently recognized as a ‘comedy icon,’ she was one of the ‘snubs’ at the event.BAFTATV honors on Sunday evening.
The British actress was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy for her outstanding performance in the first season of the popular showBBC show.
However, Lucy was not able to win the award together with her co-stars.Jennifer Saundersand Philippa Dunne, who were part of the same category.
Completing the category were Diane Morgan (Mandy), Rosie Jones (Pushers), and overall champion Katherine Parkinson, recognized for her role in Here We Go.
Fans posted on X to express their surprise, with one sharing a meme stating she’s “ignoring the decision” and others arguing the three actresses were “cheated.”
They stated: “Three legendary women from Amandaland up for best comedy actress, along with OG Motherland performer Diane Morgan, and none of them took the prize?! That’s a scandal, I’m telling you.”
It might have been Philippa Dunne, as her portrayal of Anne in #Amandaland is highly amusing and she shines especially in this second season. #BaftaTV #Baftas
“Should have been Lucy Punch, but I guess the winners are chosen by a small panel, so it could have gone to anyone anyway”;
Although the top actresses were overlooked in the category, Amandaland managed to win Best Scripted Comedy.
The BBC show documents the downfall of Motherland’s high-and-mighty Queen Bee Amanda, who has transitioned from a luxurious life in the affluent area of Chiswick to being a single parent in the less desirable South Harlesden — which she calls ‘SoHa’.
After winning the top scripted comedy award, writer Holly Walsh expressed her joy when people mentioned they watched the show with their kids.
She stated: “We can all take pleasure in watching an affluent woman from Chiswick being struck in the face with a soccer ball.”
The popular show, whose second season has been called a ‘triumph’ and the ‘best comedy by far’, defeatedBig Boys, How are you? It’s Alan (Partridge) andThings You Were Supposed to Do
Meanwhile, at the BAFTAs, Christine Tremarco unexpectedly claimed the Best Supporting Actress award. gong beating her co-star Erin Doherty, who had previously won theGolden Globe and Emmy Award.
Lucy Punch portrayed the character throughout all three seasons of the original series Motherland before reviving Amanda in January of last year, followed by aChristmasunique, all of which received great acclaim for the humorous behavior of the character.
After returning on Thursday, critics rushed to commend the program, with the Daily Mail and the Telegraph awarding it five stars, noting: ‘This show is filled with creativity, so full of potential that it packs three or four sources of entertainment into half an hour.’
Lucy’s performance received abundant acclaim, even though her mother Felicity, portrayed by Joanna Lumley, and Philippa Dunne, who plays the oppressed Anne, were praised as “magnetic” and “excellent” in their supporting roles.
Season two features Amanda, who craves attention, discovering her passion as an online influencer. It doesn’t matter that, since she has no followers, she’s not really influencing anyone. She has a lifestyle brand and ‘that’s all she needs’.
Critics have compared the character to comedy legends like David Brent from The Office and Steve Coogan’s iconic Alan Partridge, noting their awkward lack of self-awareness, arrogance, and hidden deep insecurities.
Regarding the topic, The Guardian’s Rachel Aroesti states: ‘Amanda fits comfortably within a line of British comedy legends; place her alongside the delusional, self-centered, relentless figures such as Alan Partridge and David Brent.’
The Independent’s Katie Rosseinsky added to the acclaim, giving it four stars: “It’s fairly simple comic material, but the jokes are witty and occasionally unexpectedly dark enough to break the comfort (“Have you been DBS checked?” Amanda’s colleague at her “co-lab” asks her, only for her to quickly respond, “Women can’t be pedophiles, Daniel!”).
And Punch, with her big grin and innocent eyes, manages to turn even Amanda’s strange behaviors and worries into something charming.
Huw Fullerton from Radio Times states: ‘Apart from that, this second season is a comedic success; a successful mix of characters, storyline, and humor that makes a sitcom worth watching again.
Whether you identify with Amanda, her friends, her mother, or her children – or with none of them – it’s the type of polished, relatable “content” that Amanda’s feed could only wish to feature.
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