Modern Family is one of the best sitcoms of all time, and even now, over six years after it ended. It seems like the creator behind the fan-favorite ABC series is back with a brand new show that is not like Modern Family. It does, however, sound like Austin Powers. Apparently, this new series is actually based on another UK project.
Deadline reports that Fox has picked up a new live-action comedy, its first in over two years. From Modern Family creator and executive producer Christopher Lloyd and writer, executive producer Danny Zuker, Mammoth has been ordered for the 2027-28 season. It’s an adaptation of the original Mammoth series, which is about to air its third season on BBC Two. Welsh comedian Mike Bubbins, who created the original series and stars in it, will executive produce. The official logline for Mammoth reads:
Mammoth follows Coach Tony Mammoth, a larger-than-life high school gym teacher whose life is put on ice in 1983 when he’s buried in a freak ski avalanche. Forty years later, he thaws out to a world that has completely changed… but he’s convinced it really didn’t need to. Still clinging to life in the ‘80s – complete with his Burt Reynolds moustache and treasured Trans-AM –- Mammoth returns to the job he loves, only to discover that today’s rules, relationships, and realities bear little resemblance to the world he once knew.
Even though the show is based on a UK series, I can’t help but think how similar the plot is to Austin Powers. The first film in the series, International Man of Mystery, follows Mike Myers’ titular flamboyant secret agent who is cryogenically frozen in the ‘60s and revived in the ‘90s to stop a criminal mastermind. He’s forced to adjust to modern society all while attempting to thwart some evil plans. While Austin Powers 4 may not ever happen, the character is still one of the coolest movie spies not named James Bond. Considering it's a beloved parody movie, I can only imagine how Mammoth is going to turn out.
Plus, the show seems to be doing pretty well across the pond. The British sitcom premiered on BBC Two in 2021 and has the same concept as the U.S. version. Along with Bubbins, the series stars Sian Gibson, Joseph Marcell, and Mali Ann Rees. As of now, the cast for the new one has not been announced, but since the show was just picked up, it’s possible it might not be long until casting is revealed.
I’m excited to see how Mammoth turns out. With Lloyd behind the series, there’s no doubt it’s going to be a good one. On top of co-creating Modern Family, he’s also worked on The Golden Girls, Wings and Frasier, among others. Mammoth will be his first series since Modern Family ended, but he’s also working on an untitled project with Alec Baldwin and Kelsey Grammer. He’s just not slowing down.
Additional information on Mammoth has not been shared, but it might not be too much longer until we get more details. The wait will definitely be worth it, especially with Lloyd behind it. He will serve as showrunner alongside Zuker. The two will executive produce with Bubbins and BBC Studios Los Angeles’ Mark Linsey and Angie Stephenson. For now, fans can see how similar it is to Austin Powers by buying or renting the beloved trilogy on platforms such as Apple TV, Prime Video, and YouTube.
