Diane Morgan reveals her Ann Droid doubts
Diane Morgan wasn't sure TV viewers would take to Ann Droid, her hit sitcom.
Diane Morgan wasn't sure whether Ann Droid would be a hit.
The 50-year-old actress co-wrote and stars in the hit TV sitcom - which centres on a social humanoid robot, created to keep elderly people company and monitor their health - but she doubted whether it would be a success with viewers.
During an appearance on The Romesh Ranganathan Show, Diane explained: "It’s a big risk. You think, will it work or will it just be people going, ‘What the hell is that?’. It could very easily have gone the other way.
"But then we had a couple of screenings where it went well.
"Then I got hopeful. And I thought, ‘Oh, don’t get hopeful. It’s not gonna go well. Just get used to that now.’"
The TV show explores the impact of AI technology, but Diane insists she's not trying to make any political statements.
She said: "I read this article about how in Japan they’re going to start rolling out robots for the elderly.
"And so I started talking about it to my friend Pippa, who’s the producer on the show, and she’s like, ‘This is really funny. We should try and write this.
"I was like, ‘Yeah, all right.’ I didn’t think it would go anywhere. We were just literally trying to make each other laugh."
Sue Johnston joined the cast of Ann Droid in 2025.
The 82-year-old actress - who previously played Barbara Royle in the BBC comedy The Royle Family - said at the time: "I’m thrilled to be back in the heart of BBC comedy, Diane and Sarah [Kendall, the show's co-writer] have created a comedy that will resonate with lots of different audiences, for different reasons and I cannot wait to get started."
Meanwhile, Jon Petrie, the BBC's Director of Comedy, previously observed that Ann Droid "marries heart and high-jinks in equal measure".
He explained: "Diane Morgan’s sharp comedic genius shines in Ann Droid, co-written with Sarah Kendall, as she brings to life an unlikely friendship between a feisty pensioner and her over-attentive robot. Equal parts clever and chaotic, this six-part sitcom marries heart and high-jinks in equal measure."
