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Mandy, a BBC Studios comedy production written and acted by Diane Morgan, is back on TV.
The show explores the adventures of one hapless woman and her colourful and disastrous experiences in the modern UK gig economy.
Season one, which first debuted in 2019, explored Mandy’s adventures as a banana factory worker, dog walker, voodoo practitioner, human sushi platter, robber, and Airbnb host to a Russian spy on the run.
The show is written and directed by Morgan herself. Morgan is a familiar face in the TV world by now following starring roles in BBC sitcom Motherland, mockumentary Cunk On Britain, and Ricky Gervais’s comedy drama After Life.
The show received broadly positive reviews when it first debuted in August 2020, before returning to screens in January 2022.
i praised the 2022 return for its “gleefully silly performances” as well as for its “knife-sharp writing”.
The third season debuted on Wednesday 27 March at 10pm on BBC Two. All videos are currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Who is in the Mandy cast?
Diane Morgan
Morgan plays the shows titular main character, in addition to writing and directing the series. Morgan got her first breakout TV performance in Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe in 2013, where she played ill informed current affair host Philomena Cunk.
She reportedly struggled for years after graduating from East 15 Acting School in Loughton, working a series of odd jobs, including telemarketing and potato peeling. But she did manage to nab an uncredited cameo in Phoenix Nights alongside Peter Kay early in her career.
She gradually started to pick up more high-profile roles such as David Brent’s public relations expert in David Brent: Life on the Road in 2016 and as working class mum Liz in the sitcom Motherland, which first aired 2016.
Michelle Greenidge
Other returning stars include Michelle Greenidge, who featured in seasons one and two. She will make a return as nail technician and Mandy’s best friend, Lola.
You might recognise Greenidge from her starring role as Valerie, the main character’s suffering receptionist in all three series of After Life.
You might also know her from the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special, in which she played the mother of the Doctor’s companion, Ruby Sunday.
Thomas William Basden
Basden is set to made return as Mandy’s benefit adviser. The actor is perhaps best known for his role in creating the award winning ITV2 sitcom Plebs.
The rest of the cast includes:
- Jo Hartley (After Life, In My Skin) as Chief Constable Linda Markel
- Mark Silcox (Reel Encounters, Swede Caroline) as various characters
- Roger Sloman (EastEnders, Reds) as various characters
- Alistair Green (Ted Lasso, The Great) as various characters
- Michael Spicer (Lady Killers and Paradise Males) as various characters
- Jackie Clune (The Bill and Smack the Pony) as various characters
- Yuriko Kotani (Pls Like and Quality Assurance) as various characters
Who has guest starred on Mandy?
The show featured numerous guest stars from all walks of life in its first two seasons.
Shaun Ryder, from iconic “Madchester” band The Happy Mondays, made a guest appearance as Mandy’s ex-husband in season one.
Maxine Peake, who played Veronica Ball in Shameless, made an appearance as Mandy’s nemesis Susan Blower in another season one episode.
Comedian Sean Lock made appeared during a season two cameo on the show before his death in August 2021.
Season three continues the show’s habit of using celebrity cameos.
Graham Norton makes an appearance in, as does Michaela Strachan of Springwatch and The Really Wild Show fame.
