Sue Johnston returns to BBC comedy in Ann Droid debut
Sue Johnston returns to BBC comedy in Ann Droid, a near-future series pairing the Prescot-born legend with Diane Morgan's robot carer Linda. As episodes land from July 17, Johnston is reflecting on a Merseyside journey from a school-stage epiphany to Brookside, The Royle Family, and this grief-meets-technology role.
Key Takeaways
- Ann Droid debuts on BBC One on Friday, July 17 at 9:30pm, with episodes on BBC iPlayer.
- Sue Johnston knew she wanted to act at 13 in Prescot; Paul McCartney later helped her land a job at NEMS.
- The comedy explores loneliness and grief through a widow paired with a robot carer.
- Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson, reunited in Prescot on July 10, say they are still working and grateful.
What is Ann Droid and when does it air?
Ann Droid is a new BBC comedy set three years in the future. Sue Johnston plays Sue, a grieving widow who hires Linda, a robot carer played by Diane Morgan, after a nasty fall.
Though funny, the show also tackles loneliness and grief. Johnston told audiences at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre that Diane Morgan wrote the series, and she accepted immediately: "When she sent me the script, it was just joyful."
Episodes air weekly on BBC One from Friday, July 17 at 9:30pm. The full series is also available on BBC iPlayer. For more on how fiction explores emerging technology, see our Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage.
How did Sue Johnston go from Prescot to stardom?
Growing up in Prescot, Johnston realised she wanted to act during a school play at 13, when she played a witch. "I just knew that I wanted to be an actor," she told the Royal Court audience. "I'll never forget that moment."
Before drama school, she worked as a tax inspector near Mathew Street and spent lunchtimes at the Cavern Club. After leaving the tax office, Paul McCartney helped her secure work at NEMS, the Epstein family's record shop.
She entered drama school at 21. Her first television role was Mrs Chadwick on Coronation Street in 1982. She became a household name as Sheila Grant in Brookside and Barbara Royle in The Royle Family, and has since appeared in shows including Downton Abbey.
Why do Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson call themselves lucky?
On July 10, Johnston joined Tomlinson on stage at the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot as a guest on his "Retirement: My A**e" tour. The pair, who debuted as Bobby and Sheila Grant in Brookside in 1982, later played Jim and Barbara in The Royle Family.
Tomlinson told the Liverpool Echo: "We're the luckiest people in the world. We've had a lovely career on the stage and on the television. People love the characters we played. We're still around. Still working."
Johnston called Tomlinson a "colossus" and a dear friend. Their easy banter, on display during the interview, is the same chemistry that made their on-screen marriages feel like family to Liverpool audiences.
What makes Johnston's latest role different?
Unlike her soap and sitcom work, Ann Droid places Johnston in a lightly futuristic Britain where a robot helps an older widow live independently after injury. Johnston said she joined because she is a fan and friend of Morgan, whose writing she praised for its warmth and friendship.
Johnston plays a grieving widow still coping with loss while relying on robotic care. That blend of humour and deeper emotion, she said, makes the script "very special."
Johnston shows no sign of slowing. From a Prescot school stage to a BBC robot comedy, her career now spans more than four decades on screen.