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.
Contents
Premise
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.
Cast and characters
Regular cast
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
Recurring cast
David Hargreaves as Tom, another friend of Sue's who works for Eileen
Sarah Kendall as Cass, a driver for R3botics, the company that made Linda
Nicole Sawyerr as Roxy, Tom's robot carer
Danny John-Jules as Brian, a cab driver
Rupert Vansittart as Jeffrey, Phyllis' husband, who is infatuated with Linda
Maximilian Osinski as Chris, Renee's Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor with whom she had an affair
Al Roberts as Mark, Michael's boss at the music shop
Ed Jones as Keith, Michael's robot co-worker
Matt Barkley as Guy, Tom's second robot carer
Notable guest stars include Leila Hoffman, Rylan Clark, Michelle Greenidge, Souad Faress, Marion Barron, Carla Woodcock and Simon Greenall.
Production
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. Joseph Roberts directed the series.
Filming on the series had commenced by October 2025. Filming locations included Hemel Hempstead and Southend-on-Sea. The series debuted on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 17 July 2026.
On 27 August 2026, the BBC announced that a second series had been commissioned.
Reception
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."
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."
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." 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.
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.