Series 2 of the beloved BBC sitcom Amandaland premiered on May 6, following the egotistical alpha mum Amanda as she navigates life in the fictional West London neighbourhood 'SoHa'. But does this place actually exist? And where is the show filmed?
The Fictional 'SoHa'
In the series, Amanda moves to 'SoHa' after her divorce, stubbornly clinging to her Chiswick roots while raising her teenagers, Georgie and Manus. As she settles in, she juggles running her lifestyle brand 'Senuous' with working at 'Kitchen's Bathrooms and Kitchens'. She eventually comes to terms with her new surroundings, but can't resist a bit of snobbery when a new hipster coffee shop opens on the local high street, declaring: 'She came, she saw, she gentrified'.
'South Harlesden', or 'SoHa' as Amanda tries to rebrand it, is not a real place. The show is set in the real-life neighbourhood of Harlesden, located in north-west London's NW10 postcode. Divided by the A404, the real Harlesden is a bustling, diverse Zone 3 community in Brent, where 149 languages are spoken.
Real Filming Locations
Despite being set in Harlesden, the series is not filmed there. Instead, it is shot in the more upmarket north London neighbourhoods of Islington and Muswell Hill. However, the television universe does have one authentic tie to the area: the original pilot for Motherland (the show Amandaland spun off from) was filmed in Harlesden in 2016 at Gracelands Café.
To capture the purportedly 'gritty' and 'run down' aesthetic of Amanda's new life, set designers had to artfully distress these affluent streets with props like discarded shopping trolleys. This set dressing sparked outrage from some local Islington residents, who were deeply offended that their streets were used to depict a 'fallen on hard times' version of Harlesden.
The Real Harlesden
The real-life Harlesden is a vibrant and gentrifying area. It is highly sought after by young professionals and down-scaling north Londoners for its high-ceilinged Edwardian properties, strong community spirit, and excellent transport links, which will eventually include the HS2 rail network at Old Oak Common. Residents enjoy green spaces like Roundwood Park, shop for international ingredients at Way 2 Save, and spend evenings at independent cinema The Lexi or gastropubs along Chamberlayne Road.
