Mammoth (TV series)
Mammoth is a British sitcom, written and conceived by Mike Bubbins. Bubbins gave up his teaching job to forge a career in comedy[1] and plays PE teacher Tony Mammoth.[2]
The pilot episode was released in November 2021, one of six trial shows commissioned by BBC Wales.[1] Three further episodes were announced as a joint production by BBC Wales and BBC Studios in 2023.[3]
Episode one debuted on BBC Two on 17 April 2024, along with the full series on BBC iPlayer.
Concept[edit]
PE teacher, Tony Mammoth, is skiing on New Year's Eve, 1979, when he is trapped by an avalanche. Perfectly preserved, he is recovered and brought back to life on New Year's Day, 2024.
After his initial period of fame ends, Mammoth - technically a man in his nineties, but with a body of a man in his forties - returns to his job at the school.
In 2024, creator Bubbins told comedy website Beyond the Joke that Mammoth was an idea he had "around ten or twelve years ago".[4]
Full series[edit]
After the 2021 pilot, three more episodes were ordered, as a joint project between BBC Wales and BBC Studios. Paul Forde, commissioning editor for comedy with BBC Wales, said: "It’s a great premise for a show and we know that audiences will love watching Tony Mammoth struggling to come to terms with his predicament."[5]
Paul Doolan joined Bubbins to write the full series, while Sian Gibson was added to the cast to play Mel Jones, "the mother of one of [Mammoth's] pupils".[6]
Episodes[edit]
| Episode | Air date | Plot |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 April 2024 | Tony Mammoth has been found perfectly preserved in the Alps, 45 years after going missing. After a period of initial fame, he returns to his job as a PE teacher. Despite confusion surrounding his new boss, he is looking forward to parents' evening. |
| 2 | 24 April 2024 | After the revelation at the end of episode one, Mammoth is determined to spend more time with family. Unfortunately, that family isn't so keen on him. That is especially the case when he encourages Theo to stand up for himself. |
| 3 | 1 May 2024 | Following the death of pub landlord and old mate, Barry, Mammoth has a few ideas of where to spread the ashes. That's if he has enough time, because, with the help of Lucy, he also decides to give online dating a try. |
Theme[edit]
The signature theme for Mammoth was created by American composer Mike Post. Post also wrote themes for shows such as The A-Team, The Rockford Files and Quantum Leap.
Bubbins told Chortle: "I interviewed the king of theme tunes, Mike Post, for a BBC Wales radio show, and we hit it off. He told me to get in touch if the TV show I was writing ever got commissioned. So I did."[7]
Cast[edit]
- Tony Mammoth - Mike Bubbins
- Mel Jones - Sian Gibson
- Roger Buck - Joseph Marcell
- Theo - Joel Davison
- Richard Kane – Dyfan Dwyfor
- Lucy Manford - Mali Ann Rees
- Barry - William Thomas
- Dean - H.G. Whaley
Reception[edit]
Nicola Ryan praised the pilot, writing for Wales Arts Review, "Mammoth is a perfect watch for lovers of warm and fuzzy feelings with a few laughs along the way."[2]
The full series was also well-received, with Chortle reviewer Rhys Jon Edwards writing: "Bubbins carries this show with a performance that is genuinely a joy to watch... Bubbins may find he has created one of the great all-time sitcom characters."[8]
In The Daily Telegraph, Anita Singh wrote: "At a time when every television comedy seems to be exploring issues, from mental illness, menopause or alcoholism, it’s nice to have a show that offers uncomplicated fun.[9]
In The Guardian, Rebecca Nicholson wrote: "Mammoth has plenty of warmth to see it through any potentially choppy waters. Bubbins underplays it in a way that shouldn’t work, but does... there is something about his brashness, delivered in a minor key, that really lifts it."[10]
Ed Power, writing for The Irish Times, said: "...Bubbins makes it work through sheer commitment to the idea that few things are funnier than a middle-aged man cocooned in corduroy swaggering around to groovelicious tunes."[11]
Ratings[edit]
Episode one was watched by 430,000 people, a 3.9% audience share, according to industry website, Broadcast Now. It added: "Excluding BBC1 and ITV1’s news bulletins, the sitcom attained the biggest audience share across the main channels in its slot."[12] That figure was in line with BBC Two's average for the same slot - and excludes catch-up viewings, plus figures from BBC iPlayer, on which all of series one launched on the same day.
Episode two had 421,000 viewers, a 4.3% share, and was described by Broadcast as holding "steady on the opener", just shy of the 460,000 (4.4%) slot average.[13]
Soundtrack (Pilot)[edit]
- Gerry Rafferty – "Get It Right Next Time"
- Gary Numan – "Cars"
- Hot Chocolate – "Girl Crazy"
- T.Rex – "Solid Gold Easy Action"
- Boney M – "Rasputin"
- Boney M – "Daddy Cool"
- The Real Thing – "Can't Get By Without You"
References[edit]
- ^ a b Jones, Tony. "mammoth-and-other-comedy-for-bbc-wales-thanks-to-the-mandalorian". Cultbox. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ a b Ryan, Nicola (2021-11-30). "Mammoth: TV". Wales Arts Review. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
- ^ "Jon Petrie announces new and returning series featuring stellar talent and rising stars at the BBC's Comedy Festival in Cardiff". BBC. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ^ "Interview: Mike Bubbins And Sian Gibson On New Time Travel Sitcom Mammoth". Beyond The Joke. 2024-04-09. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ "Jon Petrie announces new and returning series featuring stellar talent and rising stars at the BBC's Comedy Festival in Cardiff". BBC. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ "Mammoth no longer extinct. First picture revealed today". BBC. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ Bennett, Steve. "Mammoth's 1970s wardrobe is my wardrobe..." Chortle. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ Edwards, Rhys John. "Mammoth : Reviews 2024 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ Singh, Anita (2024-04-17). "Mammoth, review: gloriously old-fashioned sitcom favours gags over personal demons". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (2024-04-17). "Mammoth review – this bold sitcom about a man frozen since the 70s is dad jokes galore". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ "Mammoth review: wistfully hilarious trip back to the boorish and misogynistic 1970s". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ McHugh, Marian. "Mammoth gets going with 430,000". Broadcast. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
- ^ Kahn, Ellie. "C5 doc A Very British Sex Scandal informs 500,000". Broadcast. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
External links[edit]
- Mammoth at BBC Online
- Mammoth at IMDb
