BBC Confirms Renewals For ‘Amandaland’, ‘Black Ops’, ‘Am I Being Unreasonable?’, ‘Such Brave Girls’, ‘Mammoth’, ‘Things You Should Have Done’ & More

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The BBC has gone big on British comedy renewals, with BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie using the BBC Comedy Festival in Liverpool to unveil a bumper slate of returning favourites, including ‘Amandaland‘, ‘Black Ops‘, ‘Am I Being Unreasonable?‘, ‘Things You Should Have Done‘, ‘Such Brave Girls‘, ‘Mammoth‘ and ‘Two Doors Down‘.

Speaking at the festival, Petrie announced 10 new and returning comedy projects, with six fan favourites all returning for a third series, alongside an eighth series for Scottish sitcom ‘Two Doors Down’, a special documentary celebrating ‘Not Going Out’, and two brand-new commissions.

“What sets the BBC apart is that we are British comedy’s biggest backer by far. And in tough times, when there is less and less scripted comedy on television, that matters even more,” said Petrie. “Because the BBC does not back comedy to make money. We back it for laughs. And if we weren’t here to support comedy properly, the simple truth is there would be a lot less of it. A lot less space for original voices. A lot less room to take risks.

“The case for comedy is stronger than it is often given credit for. And as other channels and streamers wake up to the fact that comedy can land like no other genre, our message to them is simple. Make more. We welcome the competition. Quite literally, the more the merrier.

“The evidence is there in the hits people watch now and the comedies they come back to again and again. Invest in comedy and the British public will do what they always do. Judge it mercilessly, insist they could have done it better, and then absolutely love it.”

Amandaland

One of the biggest returning hits is ‘Amandaland‘, which has been confirmed for Series 3 following a successful two-series run and a record-breaking Christmas special. The ‘Motherland’ spin-off stars Lucy Punch (Bloods) as Amanda, the self-appointed queen of SoHa, alongside Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) as Felicity and Philippa Dunne (Motherland) as Anne.

Since launching, ‘Amandaland’ has averaged five million viewers over 28 days for series one, making it one of the BBC’s biggest comedy series since 2022. The 2025 Christmas special drew 7.4 million viewers over 28 days, becoming the UK’s top comedy episode of 2025.

Co-writer and creator Holly Walsh and co-writer Laurence Rickard said: “We are thrilled to be heading back to SoHa for a third series of Amandaland and delighted the showhas found the sort of audience that Amanda’s Instagram account could only dream of. We are already priming our keyboards to prompt AI into creating another batch of scripts and can’t wait to be reunited with our incredible cast and crew.”

Black Op

Also returning for a third outing is ‘Black Ops‘, the award-winning comedy starring Gbemisola Ikumelo (Famalam) and Hammed Animashaun (The Wheel of Time) as Dom and Kay, the chaotic but loveable duo now handed their first undercover mission by MI5.

Series 3 sees Dom acting as leader and Kay as her undercover “asset”, as they try to uncover the identities of a secretive far-right terror group via a shady museum director selling off artefacts to fund them. Naturally, things are unlikely to go smoothly, especially when a figure from Kay’s past resurfaces and threatens both the mission and Dom and Kay’s friendship. The new series will be filmed in Manchester and the North West, and set across London and the North West.

“We’re back again and I’m so excited to step back into Dom’s shoes for series three and to share what shenanigans she gets up to,” said Ikumelo. “It’s such a gift to be creating the thirditeration of this show, as we are all a well-oiledteam of creatives now, who genuinely love and respect these characters and the world of Black Ops.We can’t wait to get started!”

Am I Being Unreasonable?

Twisted comedy thriller ‘Am I Being Unreasonable?’ will also return to BBC iPlayer and BBC One for a third and final series. Written by and starring Daisy May Cooper (This Country) and Selin Hizli (Mum), the series picks up after the cliffhanger ending of Series 2, with Nic, Jen, Dan, Ollie and the rest of Copbury’s deeply questionable residents forced to confront their increasingly messy realities.

“We’re so 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 athird time with our incredible cast and crew. 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…So, stay safe, trust no one and remember to always keep the receipts…” said Cooper and Hizli.

Things You Should Have Done

Meanwhile, Lucia Keskin’s wonderfully oddball family sitcom ‘Things You Should Have Done’ has been recommissioned for a third series on BBC iPlayer and BBC Three. Created by and starring Lucia Keskin, the show returns to Ramsgate as Chi continues to work through the list of “Things You Should Have Done” left by her late parents, with help, or more often hindrance, from Dave, Lucas and unhinged grief therapist Ruth.

Series 3 sees Chi attempting to become a positive force in the world after a brush with the law, while Lucas continues to do the wrong things for the right reasons, Dave worries about the legacy he is leaving behind, and Ruth has to turn therapy on herself when her own life is shaken up.

“Thanks BBC for making me have to get out of bed and work again. I’m very excited to work with my favourite people even more,” said Keskin.

Such Brave Girls

Kat Sadler’s gloriously bleak comedy ‘Such Brave Girls’ is also back for Series 3, with Kat Sadler, Lizzie Davidson and Louise Brealey (Sherlock) returning as Josie, Billie and Deb. The BBC says the new series “pinkypromises to be genuinely uplifting”, before immediately undercutting that by confirming that things are, in fact, going to get worse for the family at the centre of its “feel-bad sitcom”.

The series launched in 2023 to critical acclaim and won Best Scripted Comedy at the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards, alongside Emerging Talent: Fiction for Sadler.

“An honour and a shock that the BBC would willingly let us rancid little worms back into the building. I promise I will make them regret this decision,” said Sadler.

Mammoth

Welsh comedy ‘Mammoth’ is also returning for a third series, with Mike Bubbins (Tourist Trap) back as Tony Mammoth, the 1970s PE teacher who was believed to have died in an avalanche during a school trip in 1979, only to return from the dead after being discovered frozen in time.

The new five-part series, set and filmed in and around Cardiff, sees Mammoth continuing to adjust to the modern world, although his thin skin and total inability to keep his thoughts to himself means he will, once again, be putting his big retro shoes in it. Returning cast include Sian Gibson (Car Share) as Mel, Joel Davison as Theo, and Joseph Marcell (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) as Roger.

“I can’t wait for people to see the next adventures in the life of Tony Mammoth. He’s back funnier, bolder, and dafter than ever. When I first came up with the idea, I didn’t dream that in a few years it would be back for a third series,” said Bubbins.

Two Doors Down

The BBC is also heading back to Latimer Crescent, as ‘Two Doors Down’ returns for a full eighth series on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland. The new series picks up after the 2025 Christmas special, with Beth and Eric still hoping for a quiet life. Obviously, they have met Colin, Cathy and Christine, so that is not happening.

Returning cast include Arabella Weir (The Fast Show) as Beth, Alex Norton (Pirates of the Caribbean) as Eric, Jonathan Watson (Only An Excuse?) as Colin, Doon Mackichan (Smack the Pony) as Cathy, Elaine C Smith (Rab C. Nesbitt) as Christine, Joy McAvoy (Avengers: Endgame) as Michelle, Kieran Hodgson (Prince Andrew: The Musical) as Gordon, Graeme Stevely as Alan and Jamie Quinn (Still Game) as Ian.

“It was a lot of fun putting the band back together for the Christmas episode last year, so I’m really excited to be coming back with some new tunes, which we hope will turn out just as special. The cast are the most talented group of performers you could wish for, and I can’t wait to get started,” said writer and co-creator Gregor Sharp.

Not Going Out documentary

Alongside the renewals, the BBC will also celebrate 20 years of ‘Not Going Out’ with a one-off documentary, ‘Twenty Years Of Not Going Out’ (w/t), coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year. Created, co-written by and starring Lee Mack (Would I Lie To You?), ‘Not Going Out’ is the longest-running British sitcom currently on air, with 106 episodes and counting.

The documentary will look back at classic clips, archive material and never-before-seen outtakes, while also going behind the scenes of the forthcoming series as a brand-new episode is made from idea to studio recording.

“After 20 years of Not Going Out we are delighted to finally give a warts and all peep behind the curtain of how it’s made. Thankfully we have Hoovered behind that curtain, but unfortunately the warts have not cleared up,” said Mack.

New Comedy

The BBC also used the festival to announce two brand-new comedy series. Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (Derry Girls) will star in ‘Hopley Hall’ (w/t), a Northern Ireland-set ensemble sitcom created and written by Daniel Peak, centred around a slightly shabby Grade 1 listed country house and the eccentric staff and volunteers trying to keep it running. Amy Gledhill will also star in new comedy ‘Opening Up’.

The renewals come after a strong year for BBC Comedy, with the broadcaster noting it had eight out of the top 10 comedy programmes in the market, reaching 37 million people with over 231 million hours viewed. Recent BAFTA Television Awards success also included wins for ‘Amandaland’ as Best Scripted Comedy, Katherine Parkinson (Here We Go) as Best Leading Actress in a Comedy, and Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge) as Best Leading Actor in a Comedy.

‘Amandaland’, ‘Black Ops’, ‘Am I Being Unreasonable?’, ‘Things You Should Have Done’, ‘Such Brave Girls’, ‘Mammoth’ and ‘Two Doors Down’ do not yet have premiere dates but will air on the BBC in the UK. If you want to keep track of these or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when they get a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.