Mammoth follows the fortunes of an unreconstructed 1970s PE teacher who has to negotiate life in the present day.
The three-part series, written by and starring comic Mike Bubbins (Tourist Trap, Would I Lie To You?), airs soon and centers on Tony Mammoth, who, in 1979, is caught up in an avalanche while leading a school skiing trip. Some 45 years later, his frozen body is brought back to life and he resumes his teaching career — and his 1970s style and attitudes — back at his old school in Wales.
But despite guidance from his pal and ex-colleague Roger (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Joseph Marcell), Mammoth’s retro mindset causes a stir, while his life takes a shocking turn when he encounters Mel Jones (Car Share and Murder, They Hope's Sian Gibson), the spirited mum of shy teen Theo (Joel Davison), one of his pupils. But a surprising connection between Mel and Mammoth is discovered…
We caught up with Mike Bubbins and Sian Gibson to find out more about Mammoth…
Mammoth looks like a lot of fun. What was the appeal for you both?
Mike Bubbins: "It’s like Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, or the reverse of Life on Mars, as this back in time man comes into the modern day. I’ve always loved the 70s – I loved Elvis and I have a man crush on James Garner from The Rockford Files. Even my house is very 1970s with oranges and browns and Mammoth’s Ford Capri is my own car!”
Sian Gibson: “And for me, Mike sent me the script of the pilot [which aired on BBC Wales in 2021] and I loved this world and I was a big fan of Mike’s. For family reasons, I couldn't do it, but Mike sent me such a gorgeous message, I had to work with him, and thankfully, he later sent me the scripts for the series and it was so funny.”
How would you describe Mammoth?
Mike Bubbins: “Mammoth’s bulletproof and self-assured. He's got a second chance at life, although he’s sure he nailed it the first time around! Like Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, he’ll say and do the things you wish you could, but polite society means you can’t. But he’s not a bad person. He does wrong things, but for the right reasons, he’s a likeable egotist!”
Sian Gibson: “And you play him with real heart. If we ever think, ‘What an idiot?!’, it’s in a nice way, because Mammoth is coming from the right place.”
Sian, what is your take on Mel?
Sian Gibson: “Mel’s a self-reliant single parent, her son Theo is her world. She's headstrong, like Mammoth, but she’s by-the-book, so when they meet, there's a clash. She’s not impressed by him, but as the series goes on, she has to embrace him, whether she likes it or not…”
Mike, you were a PE teacher before turning to comedy. Did you use your own experiences in the show?
Mike Bubbins: “I taught PE for five or six years and you pick things up. Like Mammoth, I was good at the ‘whistly’ bit of PE teaching but not the paperwork! But the characteristics and look of Mammoth come from the PE teachers who taught me. They were big, larger-than-life characters.”
Sian Gibson: “Mammoth is so nostalgic, we all remember those kinds of teachers, although I always had a sick note for PE!”
What was the avalanche scene like to film?
Mike Bubbins: “It was done against a big green screen in a hangar! The effects are fantastic. But I fell over the day before and I was in agony with heat pads all over my back and I had to lie in snow made of crushed paper for about six hours, that was a tough day!”
We also see Mammoth ride a horse into a pub, how was that?
Mike Bubbins: “I had to go to a place in Milton Keynes which supplies horses for lots of productions. There were the Lloyds Bank horses and Wonder Woman's horse. And I was talking to the horse wrangler about the one I had and he said, ‘It’s Napoleon’s, you're on Joaquin Phoenix’s horse! [from the recent Apple TV+ biopic]’. So I ride into a pub on Napoleon’s horse, that’s one to tell the grandkids, isn’t it?!”
Finally, were the costumes fun to wear?
Mike Bubbins: “A lot of Mammoth’s clothes were mine to start with – like his sheepskin coat and the shoes. But we had a Starsky and Hutch-style cardigan made specially, and a denim jacket that’s now in my wardrobe!”
Sian Gibson: “You looked good! My costume wasn’t as extravagant, but Mel has a nice coat and some platforms, which are great, because being only five foot, I wouldn’t have been able to get in the same shot as Mike otherwise!”
Mammoth airs on Wednesday 17 April on BBC Two at 10pm and the box-set will be available on BBC iPlayer.
