BBC Comedy has released the first-look images for ‘Ann Droid’, a new six-part comedy from BAFTA and Emmy-nominated Diane Morgan (Mandy, Cunk), coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One this summer.
Written by Diane Morgan (Mandy, Cunk) and Sarah Kendall (Frayed, The Other One), the series stars Morgan as Linda, a social humanoid robot designed to keep elderly people company and monitor their health. Because, apparently, nothing says “comforting companion” quite like a second-hand care robot with the social skills of a malfunctioning lift.
The comedy also stars Sue Johnston (The Royle Family, True Love) as Sue, and Paul Ready (Motherland) as her son Michael.
In a world where AI is becoming ever more present, ‘Ann Droid’ asks what is replaceable and what is not. The series follows Sue, whose husband David passed away 18 months ago, just as her only son Michael is moving out again to try and fix his marriage, again. To help his mother live independently, Michael gets her a surprise: an AnnDroid Z58/100 Basic Eldercare Robot, played by Morgan.
For Sue, this is not exactly the dream. Linda is overly attentive, socially inept, and immediately a pain in the arse. However, Sue soon realises the droid can be useful, particularly when it comes to settling scores and doing the odd jobs her son never quite gets round to. What follows is a buddy comedy about an older woman and a robot who may be technically advanced, but socially still has a fair bit of buffering to do.
The six-part, 30-minute series comes from Boffola Pictures and Witchcraft Industries for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. It was commissioned by BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie, with Shane Allen, Diane Morgan and Pippa Brown executive producing. Brown also serves as series producer. The series is directed by Joe Roberts (The Power of Parker), with Seb Barwell and Navi Lamba as commissioning editors for the BBC. BBC Studios will handle global sales.
‘Ann Droid’ does not yet have an exact premiere date but will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK this summer. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
Login to Geektown