Downton AbbeyThe soap’s Sue Johnston has been praised for being the “beating heart” of the upcoming BBC sitcom. Ann Droidset to debut on Friday, July 17th.
At a press screening ahead of the series’ launch, co-creator and co-star Diane Johnson (who plays the humanoid robot Linda) said: Digital Spy and other journalists noted that the comedy started out as “a really funny idea”, adding: “Then Sue joined us and she got really excited.”
“Ann Droid “It’s a comedy about Sue, a grieving widow, and Linda, her outdated robot caregiver who does everything completely wrong and causes chaos, while teaching Sue how to love life again,” the synopsis reads.
BBC
He goes on to say, “In a world where artificial intelligence is becoming ever larger and ever present, Ann Droid asks the question: what is replaceable and what is not? No matter how funny it may be, Anne Droid tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Sue (Sue Johnston) and Linda (Diane Morgan), a social humanoid robot created to keep the elderly company and monitor their health.”
Speaking about Linda and Sue’s relationship on the show, Sue said: “I realized how Sue started to feel affection for her… Diana bought me a robot cat at the end of filming… He purrs, he meows, he answers his name, his heart beats and he sits.
“I’m sitting and the dog is looking at me askance. I sit with this thing on my lap and apologize to it if I leave it down there. (I think): “What are you doing?”
In a press release, Morgan explained how she got the idea for the show from a news article, saying, “I read an article in the newspaper that said they were apparently launching (robots) in Japan, and I told Pippa to my producer and we started laughing about it.
“It was also inspired by my time in lockdown when I decided to send my mum a tablet so she could do her shopping online – she reacted as if I had sent her a nail bomb.”
When asked what attracted her to the role and her experience working on the series, Johnston said: Digital Spy and other journalists: “It was a joy to film. The script was so beautiful and I loved the idea. It made me laugh and makes me think.
BBC
“I’m at that age when you start to think, even if not very much, but the thought occurs to you that you will fall and you will have to be looked after.”
Morgan added: “(The story) is steeped in all these things. Grief and loneliness, the aging of your parents and technology. There are all these things that I hope people can relate to.”
Ann Droid debuts Friday 17 July at 9.30pm on Channel One and airs weekly. The full episode will also be available on BBC iPlayer at 6am the same day.
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TV writer, digital spy Janet received her Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally in the industry ever since. She honed her analytical skills for six years at the Good Housekeeping Institute, eventually becoming acting head of food testing. She also worked as a freelance film and television journalist from 2013-2020, interviewing A-listers such as Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021, she joined Digital Spy as a TV writer, where she’ll get to dive deeper into what she loves and watch copious amounts of TV in the name of work. Since taking on the role, she has given red carpet interviews to the Bridgerton cast, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time, she also works as a part-time author of The Gothic Angel.