Mike Bubbins, a renowned comedian and actor, expressed his dream of seeing Jason Bateman, the star of Arrested Development, portraying his character in the US adaptation of his TV show, Mammoth. The series, which revolves around Tony Mammoth, a PE teacher frozen in an avalanche in 1979 and revived in 2024, returned for a second season last year, and now a US version is in the works.
Bubbins shared his excitement with Lucy Owen on BBC Radio Wales about the show's adaptation for American audiences. He revealed that interest in the series began early during the first season's run but was initially under wraps. "The interest came pretty early on, but I wasn't allowed to say anything about it," he noted. US producers reached out to him after the release of the first three episodes.
"You don't expect that phone call," Bubbins said, who recently interviewed Wales rugby star Gavin Henson for his BBC show Scrum V Top 5. He added that the adaptation has reached the scriptwriting stage and is "very exciting."
Despite providing notes on the script, Bubbins has ruled himself out of being cast in the American version. Various names have been suggested for the lead role, with Nick Offerman from Parks and Recreation mentioned as a possibility. However, Bubbins has a clear favorite in mind—Jason Bateman.
"He's really funny and he just makes me laugh," Bubbins said of Bateman, who played Michael Bluth in the comedy series Arrested Development and also starred in Ozark. "As long as they're funny, then that's great," he added.
Even though he won't reprise his role, Bubbins hopes to make a cameo appearance in the US version, paying homage to the show's British roots, similar to Ricky Gervais' brief appearance in the US version of The Office.
Mammoth will join comedy series Here We Go in being adapted by BBC Studios for the US market. Josh Cole, chief creative officer of fiction and comedy at BBC Studios, praised Mammoth for its "brilliantly unique premise" and "huge global potential."
