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 and plays PE teacher Tony Mammoth.

The pilot episode was released on 5 November 2021, one of six trial shows commissioned by BBC Wales. Three further episodes were announced as a joint production by BBC Wales and BBC Studios in 2023.

Episode one debuted on BBC Two on 17 April 2024, along with the full series on BBC iPlayer.

A second series was commissioned in May 2024, with production due to begin in 2025.

Concept
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".

Full series
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."

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".

Theme
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."

Cast

 * 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
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."

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."

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.

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."

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."

Ratings
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." 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.

The BBC said "The first two episodes of Mammoth have so far seen an average 7-day audience of 1.2M, above the average for BBC Two comedy and with strong performance for Welsh audiences."

Soundtrack (Pilot)

 * 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"