BBC’s new sci-fi show earning rave reviews, here’s how to catch-up

'Sure, it’s a show about a robot, but it’s shot through with a love and care that are entirely human.'

Created by and starring Diane Morgan (Cunk on Britain) and Sarah Kendall (Frayed), the six-part show is set three years in the future. It centres around Sue (Sue Johnston, The Royle Family), an elderly woman whose husband passed away 18 months ago.

When her only son, Michael (Paul Ready, The Terror), announces he is moving out, he gifts Sue with a surprise that will help her live independently. This is a second-hand AnnDroid, a robot (played by Morgan) that was created to keep the ageing British population company and monitor their health, taking the pressure off the ever-stretched NHS.

"The android, later named Linda, is Sue’s worst nightmare. An overly attentive, socially inept pain in the arse," the plot synopsis adds.

"But she soon works out she can use the droid to her benefit in settling scores and doing the things her son never gets round to. What develops is a buddy comedy between an older woman and her robot who isn’t quite as advanced socially as she is technically."

Also featuring Ed Jones (How to Get to Heaven from Belfast) and Kathryn Hunter (Black Doves) within its cast, Ann Droid premiered on BBC One on Friday to glowing reviews.

In particular, critics singled out its lead turns by Johnston and Morgan, its funny premise, and its surprisingly emotional and thoughtful story for praise.

You can read a sample of these positive write-ups below:

Digital Spy: "If the AI revolution is on its way then Diane Morgan's Linda had better be at the helm because she's the only one we'd happily concede to... Ann Droid will have you in absolute stitches with its daft silliness - but also largely because of [Morgan's] insanely impressive physicality."

Financial Times: "What could have been pure farce is tempered with poignancy and pathos, particularly when it comes to the loneliness of later life... This is a sly sitcom... silly on the outside, but when you look closer, smart and heartfelt throughout."

The Guardian: "Ann Droid feels wonderfully fresh and funny, set in a world that draws on existing tech tropes while remaining silly and singular. Much of this is down to Morgan, who commits to the bit entirely as Linda, with the perfect level of unblinking stiffness... Sure, it’s a show about a robot, but it’s shot through with a love and care that are entirely human."

The Telegraph: "Sue Johnston is wonderful in this surprisingly poignant robot comedy."

How to watch Ann Droid

Ann Droid airs weekly on Fridays at 9.30pm on BBC One NI.

If you are in Ireland and want to catch up with the show's first episode, it is being re-played on BBC Two NI at 3.05am this Sunday night/Monday morning.