Ann Droid

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British comedy television series

For the Doctor Who character Anne Droid, see Bad Wolf.

Ann Droid

First series poster

GenreSitcom
Created byDiane Morgan
Written by
Directed byJoseph Roberts
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
  • Shane Allen
  • Diane Morgan
  • Pippa Brown
  • Seb Barwell
  • Navi Lamba
ProducerPippa Brown
CinematographyJames Blann
EditorMark Williams
Running time28 minutes
Production companies
  • Boffola Pictures
  • Witchcraft Industries
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release17 July 2026 (2026-07-17) –
present

Ann Droid is a British sitcom created by Diane Morgan, and written by Morgan and Sarah Kendall, that premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 17 July 2026. It stars Morgan, Sue Johnston and Paul Ready.

The series proved popular with viewers and critics alike, becoming the BBC's second-biggest new scripted launch of the year. In August 2026, it was announced that the show had been commissioned for a second series.[1][2]

The series is set in 2029 and follows Sue, a widow whose husband died 18 months earlier, and her new android assistant robot, Linda. Linda is a "pre-loved" and discontinued AnnDroid Z58/100 Basic Eldercare Robot given to Sue by her son, Michael, who is moving out of the house to try to fix his marriage.[3][4]

Cast and characters

[edit]

  • Diane Morgan as Linda, Sue's robot carer
  • Sue Johnston as Sue Bevan, an older woman struggling with isolation and boredom
  • Paul Ready as Michael Bevan, Sue's lazy and hopeless son
  • Margot Leicester as Phyllis, a condescending and patronising acquaintance of Sue's
  • Kathryn Hunter as Eileen, Sue's closest friend, who runs a charity shop
  • Andrea Valls as Renee, Michael's unfaithful wife

Notable guest stars include Leila Hoffman, Rylan Clark, Michelle Greenidge,[5] Souad Faress,[6] Marion Barron,[7] Carla Woodcock and Simon Greenall.[8]

The series is written by Sarah Kendall and Diane Morgan, with Morgan also taking the lead role as humanoid robot Linda, and Kendall playing the delivery driver Cass. It is produced by Boffola Pictures and Witchcraft Industries. Shane Allen is executive producer with Morgan and Pippa Brown, who is also series producer.[10][11] Joseph Roberts directed the series.[12]

Filming on the series had commenced by October 2025.[13] Filming locations included Hemel Hempstead and Southend-on-Sea.[14][15] The series debuted on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 17 July 2026.[16][17]

On 27 August 2026, the BBC announced that a second series had been commissioned.[18]

The series proved popular with viewers and critics alike. Daily Mirror called it "a grief comedy". Jen Pharo wrote: "Diane [Morgan] was inspired to write the series after reading about robot carers in Japan and also by her own mum. ... Ann Droid has lots of laughs and lots of heart."[19]

Rachel Aroesti of The Guardian wrote: "Ann Droid is worth raving about on its own terms – it’s rambunctiously funny and exceptionally poignant ... I cried at least once per episode. ... In less capable hands, Ann Droid’s dramatic arc could have been a tough sell. Set a handful of years into the future, it sees many frightening predictions around AI come true: robots are decimating the job market, and Sue’s son Michael ... is eventually made redundant by a machine. Yet he’s so lazy, selfish and useless it’s hard to feel sorry for him. This is a world where robots are loyal and egoless, while the humans (Sue aside) are crushing disappointments."[20]

Hannah J Davies, also of The Guardian, awarded the programme five stars out of five, describing it as "wonderfully fresh and funny" and "shot through with love and care."[21] Writing for the Radio Times, James Hibbs called the series "pleasingly retro" and particularly highlighted Morgan's performance as a "comedic masterclass", giving the show three stars out of five.[22]

The first episode of the first series garnered 7.6 million viewers in 28 days. This made it second biggest new scripted launch of the year for the BBC to date, after Mackenzie Crook's comedy drama Small Prophets.[18]

  1. ↑ Kanter, Jake (27 August 2026). "'Ann Droid' Renewed For Season 2 After Breakout BBC Success". Deadline. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "Hit BBC comedy Ann Droid to return for a second series". BBC. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Mensah, Katelyn (21 May 2025). "Cunk and Motherland star Diane Morgan gets new AI-themed comedy on BBC". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  4. ↑ Soni, Divya (12 October 2025). "Motherland stars reunite for "brilliant" new BBC sitcom". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 11 May 2026. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  5. ↑ "BBC One - Ann Droid, Series 1, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "BBC One - Ann Droid, Series 1, Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "BBC One - Ann Droid, Series 1, Episode 5". BBC. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "BBC One - Ann Droid, Series 1, Episode 6". BBC. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "BARB Weekly top 50 shows". BARB. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Diane Morgan sitcom Ann Droid coming to BBC One". Comedy.co.uk. 21 May 2025. Archived from the original on 21 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  11. ↑ "Diane Morgan to play a robot in AI sitcom". Chortle. 21 May 2025. Archived from the original on 22 December 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  12. ↑ "BBC One - Ann Droid". BBC. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Soni, Divya (13 October 2025). "Motherland stars reunite for "brilliant" new BBC sitcom - here's what fans can expect". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 11 May 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  14. ↑ Allsun, Grace; Fawehinmi, Yolanthe (20 July 2026). "Diane Morgan BBC comedy Ann Droid filmed in Hemel Hempstead". Herts Adveriser. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "BBC Diane Morgan filming sitcom on Southend seafront". Southend Echo. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Sue Johnston and Paul Ready join Diane Morgan in Ann Droid". Comedy.co.uk. 13 October 2025. Archived from the original on 13 October 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  17. ↑ "Ann Droid" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  18. 1 2 "Hit BBC comedy Ann Droid to return for a second series". BBC Media Centre. 27 August 2026. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Pharo, Jen (7 July 2026). "Sue Johnston's star-studded robot show Ann Droid delivers poignant message about grief". Daily Mirror. London: Reach plc. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Aroesti, Rachel (3 July 2026). "'Suddenly I was a celebrity. I didn't want to be!' Sue Johnston on fame, loneliness and her new robot pal". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  21. ↑ Davies, Hannah J (17 July 2026). "Ann Droid review – Diane Morgan and Sue Johnston's fresh, funny robot comedy is just wonderful". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  22. ↑ Hibbs, James (17 July 2026). "Ann Droid review: Diane Morgan's irreverent comedy also has an unexpected amount of heart". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 28 July 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.