A star rating of 3 out of 5.
A comedy about AI? In 2026? What a novel concept! In truth, this new BBC sitcom – written by, and co-starring, Diane Morgan and Australian comedian Sarah Kendall – feels pleasingly retro.
The BBC has been making a concerted effort of late to re-embrace the sitcom, with recent hits including Here We Go, Amandaland and Smoggie Queens, plus the upcoming Hopley Hall. And this six-part series, about an older woman’s friendship with a new robot, slots firmly into this category.
Recent widow Sue (Sue Johnston) could use some extra help around the home. As a solution, her self-centred son Michael (Motherland’s co-star Paul Ready) decides to buy her a second-hand eldercare machine called Linda (Morgan).
Sue initially baulks at the idea and is desperate to send Linda back. But soon she is reluctantly bonding with her new AI helper. Could Linda ultimately prove the surprising answer to her loneliness?
The humour is both broad and irreverent, but there’s an unexpected amount of heart, too. The first episode in particular leans more towards “sadcom” with Sue’s pain at the loss her husband still raw. She’s mourning him, but also mourning the life they shared together. But when Linda arrives, is unpacked and switched on, so is the humour.
Despite exploring themes around AI, which couldn’t be more in the zeitgeist, it all feels a bit 2010s (Is that charming or just a bit antiquated? The jury’s out). While Johnston is an endearing lead, Morgan’s performance is the real selling point. As she’s previously demonstrated in Cunk and Mandy, she delivers another comedic masterclass.
That’s not to diminish the work of Johnston and Ready, both of whom have comedy pedigree, but it’s Morgan’s performance that’s the USP.
Once the necessary plot mechanics are out of the way, and the dynamic between its two leads settles in, it’s around the midway point that Ann Droid hits its stride. This is also when the series delivers on the emotional front, examining bereavement and loneliness with surprising nuance and resonance.
Michael’s storyline similarly takes time to get going. He is back with his ex, who is unrepentant despite cheating on him. He’s also trying to hold down his job at a music store, battling against the rising tide of robot workers who can do the job better than him.
In another world, Michael could be a sympathetic character, a slightly pathetic yet endearing wastrel. Instead, his lack of emotional intelligence and utter self-absorption make him rather detestable. The laughs are less consistent throughout his subplot, but Ready still manages to eke out some amusing moments, particularly in scenes at his shop and a disastrously misjudged open mic night.
The set up can often be the tricky part of any sitcom. The ‘sit’ often has to be fully bedded in for the ‘com’ to follow. With that out of the way in this first series, a second would be welcome if it could lean more into Sue and Linda’s buddy comedy.
Given the finale delivers laughs and emotion in equal measure, Ann Droid proves to be anything but artificial.
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