BBC's new six-part comedy Ann Droid premiered on Friday night (July 17), with viewers quickly taking to social media to share their overwhelmingly positive reactions. The series stars Diane Morgan as Linda, a social humanoid robot, and Sue Johnston as Sue, a lonely widow grappling with grief.
Plot and Premise
In the first episode, Sue's son Michael (Paul Ready) purchases an AI eldercare robot to help his mother, who is struggling with her health and well-being. Despite Sue's initial annoyance, she reluctantly agrees to a trial run. The robot, whom she names Linda, immediately causes chaos, walking in on Sue in the bath and ruining her dressing gown.
Viewer Reactions
As the episode aired, viewers shared their thoughts on social media, with many expressing similar sentiments. One user wrote: “#AnnDroid Funny, sad, incisive. Diane Morgan and Sue Johnson are brilliant. SueSueSue is a winner.” Another added: “#AnnDroid is my new favourite telly show.” A third commented: “Just watched the first episode of #anndroid by @Sarah_Kendall and Diane Morgan, and it is a great piece of writing and acting. Deserves to be a hit with viewers #suesuesue.” One fan said: “Ann Droid is sharp, witty and gorgeously funny. Sue Johnston is brilliant as per, and if you’re a fan of Diane Morgan, it’s a real treat #AnnDroid @BBCOne.” Another viewer noted: “Watched episode 1 of #AnnDroid. Brilliantly funny, but also so full of emotion. It made me cry! Absolutely loved it.”
Diane Morgan on Playing a Robot
Actress Diane Morgan shared the challenges of portraying a robot, particularly during emotional scenes. She explained: “What was hard was that Sue got these really emotional scenes, and I’m sitting next to her, motionless. But obviously I’m hearing everything, and she’s amazing. There were times, sitting on the bed, where I thought, ‘I’m gonna cry, I’m gonna cry’. And I can’t cry, I’m a robot. It was really difficult.”
Heart-Warming Turn
Despite the rocky start, the episode ends on a touching note. Sue decides to keep Linda for a little while longer, as the robot helps her navigate loneliness and grief, leading to an unexpected friendship. Ann Droid is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
