Fan Outrage Over Netflix’s Misleading “New Season” Announcement
Fans of the popular BBC sitcom Motherland have expressed their frustration and disappointment after being misled by a recent announcement from Netflix. The streaming giant had suggested that a new season of the show was available, but fans quickly realized that the so-called “new season” was actually just the 30-minute Christmas special from 2022. This revelation has sparked outrage among viewers who were hoping for a full fourth season.
The series, which starred Anna Maxwell-Martin, Lucy Punch, Dianne Morgan, and Joanna Lumley, explored the challenges and successes of middle-class motherhood. While all three seasons are available on BBC iPlayer, fans had been eagerly anticipating a fourth season to conclude the story. The excitement was further fueled when Netflix added a banner to its site indicating that a “new season” had been added.
However, what turned out to be the “new season” was simply the Christmas special, which wrapped up the previous three seasons. This led to widespread confusion and anger among fans, many of whom took to social media to express their disappointment.
Social Media Reactions
On X (formerly Twitter), fans voiced their frustration, with one user writing: “Netflix saying they were adding a new season of Motherland and it’s literally just the 2022 Christmas special…” Another fan chimed in, asking, “Why was I misled by Netflix into thinking there was gonna be a fourth season of Motherland?” A third person agreed, stating, “There is no Season 4 of Motherland. Netflix lied.”
Another fan joked about the situation, saying, “Season 4?!! Netflix appears to have crashed… maybe with the sheer numbers of people clicking to see if this is real, or if they’ve just got the Christmas special in the last series Motherland.” On TikTok, a viewer shared their experience, saying, “I was so excited. I even set a reminder in my phone. Found it weird there was no advertising, so Googled it and said it was the Christmas special. I was fuming.”
On Reddit, fans also took to the forums to express their disappointment. One user wrote, “Classifying a one-off Christmas special as a 4th season is diabolical!” Another added, “I didn’t realise it was only a Christmas special and got all settled in for a bit of binging! Gutted it was only one!”
Despite the backlash, Netflix still displays a banner over the series title showing a “new season” is available, and the platform lists four seasons despite the lack of a full-length run of episodes.
Hopes for a Revival
The confusion around the “new season” comes as the show’s star, Sharon Horgan, teased a potential return of Motherland last Christmas. She mentioned that a spin-off focused on Lucy Punch’s character, Amanda, was in the works, with Joanna Lumley and Philippa Dunne also starring.
Speaking to Jessie and Lennie Ware on the Table Manners podcast, Horgan shared her excitement about working with Joanna Lumley, 79, and hinted at the possibility of a revival. She said, “Joanna is the best. She’s just so, so beautiful. She plays Amanda’s mum — so it’s her, Amanda and Anne and then this whole new cast. I’m so excited for people to see it.”
Horgan also mentioned that while she wouldn’t be part of the new season, there could be more if the show proves successful. “We’ve jumped on a few years so now it’s [about having] teenagers,” she added.
In February 2024, Diane, who plays single mother Liz, revealed that the critically acclaimed comedy would not return. She told RadioTimes, “I hate to say it because I still get women running up to me with prams in the street asking me when it’s coming back.”
Meanwhile, the spin-off series Amandaland hit screens in February, with a second series confirmed in October, and a Christmas special currently in the works. Motherland is available to stream on both Netflix and BBC iPlayer.