Diane Morgan’s comedy Mandy commissioned for a second series and first-look image revealed

We’re great fans of just about everything Diane Morgan does (and list grows ever longer) and her BBC Two comedy Mandy is up there with the best of her work. We were therefore pleased to hear a second series of Mandy is already filming.

Originally starting life as a comedy short on BBC iPlayer in 2019, the series stars Diane Morgan (Motherland, Cunk On Britain, After Life) in the title role. As well as appearing as the lead character, Diane writes and directs the series.

She once again has big dreams with small success, as she attempts to find fulfilment in a series of short-lived jobs in the modern gig economy. Along the way she becomes a tour guide, goes on a reality show and gets thrown in at the deep end, both actually and metaphorically, when she attempts to learn to swim. All fun stuff, but none of which brings her any closer to her ultimate ambition of breeding Doberman pinchers.

Series two features an all-star comedy cast, which sees Michelle Greenidge (Code 404) as Lola, Mandy’s friend and confidante in the local nail bar, and Tom Basden (Plebs) as Mandy’s exasperated benefits officer, along with Alistair Green (Flowers), Mark Silcox (Man Like Mobeen), Michael Spicer (The Room Next Door) all returning.

New cast includes the multi-award-winning Sir Tom Courtenay; Anna Maxwell Martin (Line Of Duty, Motherland); Richard Hope (Poldark); Nick Mohammed (Intelligence); Alexei Sayle (The Young Ones); Jo Hartley (In My Skin); Peter McDonald (The Dig); Kate Robbins (Dinner Ladies); Nigel Planer (The Young Ones); Roger Sloman (Nuts In May); and comedian Charlie Chuck. TV presenter Konnie Huq, Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden and space boffin Professor Brian Cox all play themselves.

On the strength of the cast alone, this will be worth watching. If you’ve yet to see series 1, it’s on iPlayer, so there’s really no excuse!