Diane Morgan comedy returning for second run

Hit comedy Ann Droid is powering up for a second outing on BBC, while the corporation has commissioned a history docuseries about monarchy from 72 Films.

Returning for a second 6 x 30-minute series, Boffola Pictures and Witchcraft Industries’ sitcom Ann Droid stars creator and co-writer Diane Morgan as ‘Linda’, a second-hand robot carer for the elderly. She is bought to help Sue (Sue Johnston) live independently so her son Michael (Paul Ready) can work on repairing his marriage. Initially wary to use Linda, Sue soon develops an unlikely and poignant friendship with the robot.

The first episode launched in July and has gathered a whopping 28-day audience of 7.6m, making it the BBC’s second largest new scripted launch of the year, behind Small Prophets. It has continued to grow outside the 28-day timeframe, accruing 8.1m views to date.

Ann Droid was commissioned by Emma Lawson, interim director of BBC Comedy, and is exec produced by Morgan, Shane Allen and Pippa Brown, the latter of whom is also series producing. Morgan co-wrote the series with Sarah Kendall. The commissioning editors for the BBC are Seb Barwell and Navi Lamba. BBC Studios handles global sales.

Lawson said: “Diane and Sarah have created such a warm, relatable, and uniquely funny comedy that audiences in their millions have fallen in love with. Alongside the brilliant team at Boffola and Witchcraft Industries, they’ve given us something truly distinctive, and Linda and Sue have quickly become two of comedy’s most lovable characters.”

Meanwhile, BBC2 has greenlit 6 x 60-minute doc series King and Queens: The Story of the Monarchy, from Fremantle label 72 Films. The series tells the origin story of the story of the foundation of the modern British monarchy – and how the Norman conquest shaped Britain forever.

The series tracks a tale of a family at war, and a kingdom torn apart by a life-or-death struggle for power, from William the Conqueror’s bloody invasion to King John and Magna Carta.

The doc will use drama, cutting-edge graphics and insight from world-leading historians to explore how England, between 1066 and 1216, was transformed from a conquered land into a powerful state.

Kings and Queens: The Story of the Monarchy is commissioned by Jack Bootle, head of commissioning, specialist factual. The exec producers are Rob Coldstream and David Glover and the commissioning editor is Simon Young, head of history commissioning. Fremantle is handling international distribution.

Young said: “As the Bayeux Tapestry returns to Britain for the first time in a thousand years there feels like no better moment to bring British audiences the founding history of our modern monarchy. This is the origin story of our age, for all ages to explore, appreciate and enjoy – a proper ‘Game of Thrones’, only this time it’s real.”

Coldstream said: “Kings and Queens plunges viewers straight into the heart of one of Britain’s great founding stories. A family saga told with real ambition, this is history at its most gripping, a story of bloodlines, power and betrayal that still shapes who we are today.”