Ella Al-Shamahi

It is something that I think captures people's imagination.

I will say, if even Hollywood are interested in the Neanderthals, we're probably onto something in terms of subject matter here.

Yeah, I think I have to say, I mean, obviously I am fascinated by this period.

But when you actually study it, how could you not be?

Like, these are people who in so many ways were similar to us.

And I cannot help but wonder.

about those interactions, like the very first Homo sapien and Neanderthal who met each other, what would they have made of each other?

You know, would you have looked at each other and recognised each other as being part of the same genus?

You know, would you have been like, yeah, they're like us?

Or would you look at each other and think...

who on earth are you you look funny you look you know it's interesting actually I don't think I've mentioned this to you before but there is a really old joke amongst paleoanthropologists you've probably heard it but it's basically this whole discussion about whether Neanderthals are the same as us or not

And this one paleoanthropologist says, look, they're the same as us.

If you gave one a shave, you washed it up a bit, put it in a suit and gave it a bowler hat to cover its weird bulge at the back of the skull and put it on the New York subway, nobody would notice.

And then another paleoanthropologist was like, yeah, maybe that says more about the New York subway, but it doesn't about Neanderthals.

And I think it really captures, I think, for me, that recognition issue.

Like, would we recognise each other?

And actually, my very first TV show, when we were just pitching it and playing with it, I was like, guys, we need to bring this scene to life.

And it's like one of my proudest moments of television that we managed to put a Neanderthal on the London Underground and ask the audience...

Would you effectively swap carriages?

Would you look at that person and be like, and it really split the audience.