Will there be a Motherland season 4?
Will the Sharon Horgan comedy be back for a fourth school trip? Here's everything we know so far.
The third series of Motherland may have aired back in June 2021 – and most recently landed on Netflix – but fans are still waiting expectantly for news of season 4.
In the meantime, viewers will be pleased to learn of the arrival of a festive special, Motherland: Last Christmas, which airs on Friday 23rd December.
The perfect parenting tonic for these chaotic times, the series stars Line of Duty's Anna Maxwell Martin as always-disorganised working mum Julia. The comedy series from Bad Sisters' Sharon Horgan follows a group of west London parents as they face the trials and tribulations of school gate politics.
Season 3 ended with various loose ends being tied up – from Meg's health problems to Kevin and Amanda's surprising tryst – but with the group's kids due to start secondary school very soon, there's lots to explore in a potential fourth season.
Here's everything we know so far about Motherland series four.
Will Motherland return for season 4?
The BBC has not yet confirmed whether Motherland is returning for a fourth series but, after exploring a number of big storylines in season 3 (Meg's cancer diagnosis, Kevin and Amanda's romance, gearing up for secondary school), we'd be surprised if the BBC Two comedy wasn't renewed for a fourth school trip.
Speaking on This Morning in 2021, Paul Ready and Tanya Moodie said they didn't yet know whether Motherland would be back for series four but gave fans some hope, with the latter saying: "I think with all these things, it's about having your ducks in a row. So even if there's a will, then there has to be a way, and those things don't necessarily come together always."
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Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press on the BAFTA TV Awards red carpet in May 2022, Moodie – who plays Meg on the series – said that she and her fellow cast members all had their "fingers crossed" for a fourth season. She also spoke about hopes of tackling a menopause-centred storyline, saying: "The menopause. I just think we can get some laughs out of that probably. Either that or Meg gets pregnant again. That would be really weird. Pregnant at 50 – what?!"
While news of the fourth season is still light on the ground, we can at least look forward to being reunited with the gang in the Last Christmas festive special, due to air on BBC One rather than the show's usual home of BBC Two.
When could a potential Motherland season 4 be released?
While Motherland has not yet been officially renewed, if a fourth series does get the green light, it's possible it won't arrive on our screens for some time.
Between each of the three existing series there's been a two-year wait, with season 1 premiering in 2017, season 2 landing in 2019 and season 3 making its BBC Two debut in 2021.
If this release pattern is anything to go by, RadioTimes.com predicts Motherland season 4 won't premiere until at least 2023 – however, we do have another Christmas special to look forward to at the end of this year.
What could happen in the plot of Motherland season 4?
**Spoilers ahead for Motherland season 3**
Motherland season 3 truly was a five-part rollercoaster, with Meg being diagnosed with, and eventually beating, cancer, Kevin's wife asking him for a divorce, Amanda sleeping with Kevin and Julia developing a crush on her new handyman.
At the end of episode 4, all fans could think about was the surprising new romance between Amanda (Lucy Punch) and Kevin (Paul Ready), and, while they brushed the encounter off as a casual one-off, hopefully season 4 would dive into the fallout of their no-longer-secret dalliance.
Those rooting for #Kevanda shouldn't hold out hope however, as Ready recently told RadioTimes.com that he doesn't think the pair would make a go of it in season 4.
"At this point, we don't know if there is more series. If there were more series, I think it would, I don't think they can become an item because I think there's the thrill of it happening in this season, but I don't think it will last," he said.
A fourth series is also likely to see Julia (Anna Maxwell Martin) try to repair the relationship with her often absent husband Paul (Oliver Chris) after admitting to him that she fancied their new builder Garry (Robbie Gee), while Liz's (Diane Morgan) long-distance relationship with her shepherd boyfriend Sam (Tom Meeten) will probably continue to progress.
Who would be in the cast of a potential Motherland season 4?
It wouldn't be Motherland without Anna Maxwell Martin, who stars as chaotic mum Julia, or her best friends Liz (Diane Morgan), Kevin (Paul Ready) and Meg (Tanya Moodie).
We'd be surprised if Lucy Punch and Phillipa Dunne didn't reprise their roles as Amanda and Anne respectively, while recurring characters like Julia's husband Paul (Oliver Chris), school receptionist Mrs Lamb (Jackie Clune), Julia's mother Marion (Ellie Haddington), Amanda's ex husband Johnny (Terry Mynott), Liz's boyfriend Sam (Tom Meeten) and Meg's husband Bill (Anthony Head) will hopefully return for season 4.
We'll bring you confirmed details as and when we get them.
Is there a trailer for Motherland season 4?
There's no first look at Motherland's fourth series yet as it hasn't even been confirmed. However, we will keep you up to date as soon as we know more.
Motherland's Christmas 2022 special airs on BBC One on Friday 23rd December at 9:30pm. Motherland is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out our five-star Motherland review of season 3.
Looking for something else to watch? Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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