Amandaland star teases Christmas special reunion for Absolutely Fabulous icons as Jennifer Saunders joins cast

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

We’re in a stately but cosy country pile somewhere north of London, sipping big mugs of hot chocolate by a roaring fire, with a table set for dinner and a towering, twinkling tree. It’s mid-October, but it definitely feels a lot like Christmas.

That’s because Amanda (Lucy Punch), whom we first met in Motherland but is now spinning happily in her own aspirational universe, is spending Yuletide with her mother Felicity (Joanna Lumley) at the home of her aunt Joan (Jennifer Saunders, in a bit of irresistible casting that sees the Absolutely Fabulous partners-in- disgrace reunited after nine years).

“Working with Joanna has been the dream. She’s smart and funny, and just charms everyone,” Punch tells RT. “Now having Jennifer as another maternal figure in the mix, I’m in absolute heaven. As a child, I had all of the VHS tapes of French and Saunders, and I watched them on repeat. And now here we are.”

Is it intimidating? “No, Jennifer’s brilliant to work with, coming up with ideas and lines, finding new stuff. She’s very generous.”

Such festive bonhomie all feels a world away from Amanda’s usual habitat of South Harlesden – sorry, that’s “SoHa” if you’re Amanda, or “that area around Wormwood Scrubs” if you’re her fawning but frank pal Anne (Philippa Dunne), who’s inevitably come along for the ride this Christmas. “Anne’s plans to go to Ireland and be with her family have been disrupted by weather,” says Dunne. “Being Anne, she’s very upset about it, but once she’s with Amanda, it’s fine.”

Bearing in mind Amanda’s condescension towards her faithful friend, why does Anne never rebel? “There have been a couple of times when the worm has turned,” says Dunne, “but generally for Anne, it’s about basking in the golden glow that Amanda gives, maybe hoping a bit of it washes off on her.”

Somehow, Amanda’s downstairs neighbour, single dad and still potential love interest Mal, is also in tow. “Amanda’s a fish out of water in SoHa,” says actor Samuel Anderson, “but she’s such a big fish, you kind of get sucked into her pool. It’s very British to love a snob who falls on their face, but she’s impossible to hate.

Then, just when you’re thinking she’s naive and beautiful, she’s back on her feet and doing something else really annoying.” He smirks. “What can I say? It’s reluctant surrender.”

On Amanda’s behalf, Punch takes such perspectives in her stride. With a wink to make Lumley proud, she explains it all away. “What can I say? Like moths to a flame.”

The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.

Amandaland is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Add Amandaland to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.