'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Jason Rainwater, Nunyabusiness, ID — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:26:37 GMT

It can't be any dumber than the reality shows on tv now. Just seeing the words "Big Brother 8" or "The Real World: Glendale" on my tv listings is sickening enough. I will gladly watch a show with REAL actors doing something as mundane as playing cavemen. It worked for the Dinosaur show didn't it?

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

hannah mills, baltimore, md — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 21:57:31 GMT

I pray the show succeeds, but it likely will fail. Mainstream TV offerings tend not to appeal to me because I am an outsider, like the Cavemen, alienated from and generally disgusted by you folks in the mainstream (and pleased to be free of you but distraught to have to live in the same world, one which you control). If a TV show premieres that appeals to me (hello, Studio 60), it's practically guaranteed to be a flaming failure in your world. Sadly, most mainstream Americans lack taste and intelligence and get over having everybody -- even characters of different ethnicities and hues -- act as if they are mainstream. It's a shame: Cavemen, I believe, may be a show to which I can relate. At the age of 45, I've had a long dry spell of being stuck with no TV or TV that's all about the mindless mainstream. Would have been nice to see MY daily concerns on the boob tube. Oh well, at least until October, I have the GEICO ads.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Rich Arnold, Scottsdale, AZ — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:00:05 GMT

I haven't really heard any details about the show other than "It's not funny". Well...that could mean anything. I would hope they'd go deep on concept, like we see that they all live in houses, but when you go inside---nothing---all the furniture, etc., is in the basement--yes--they only live in houses or apartments with basement levels. The upper levels are decorated as arboretums. Did they even make that much of an effort?

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:00:59 GMT

Nope, they live in regular houses, with furniture. They drive cars, wear clothes, have jobs. That much is true to the commercials. It's not the concept that is inherently unfunny -- it's not. It's that the writing of the (now yanked) episode that is just excruciating to watch.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Travis Wilson, San Diego, CA — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:22:55 GMT

The show could be very funny. They could be totally politically incorrect and not offend anyone since there are no real caveman. The very nature of being politically correct is a farce anyway (free speech). It is the politically incorrectness of the ads that makes it funny. Turn that into a show and you could go on and on. I don't see how it couldn't be funny. Here you have a group of people you can make fun of without offending anyone in the real world. You could talk about issues that affect everyday people without offending a real group. It is too perfect. How the writers could screw this up and make a crappy pilot I have no idea. You have to have some sort of teenager in this or a preteen. I mean a caveperson going through puberty, going to the prom, being part of the swim team, getting mistaken for bigfoot on a camping trip, being charged more for a haircut, the college graduate getting in trouble for knocking his his girlfriend over the head to propose because it is keeping up with the culture of the family, the inside of their house being decorated with cave paintings, I could go on and on. If you are a writer for this show, contact me...I got tons of script ideas.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Max — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:33:52 GMT

Just rent the movie "encino man".

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Pat in Dallas, Texas — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:14:18 GMT

Another example of Hollywood taking something that is mildly amusing in short exposures and trying to make it into an evening's (or a half hour's) entertainment event.

The Cavemen are just that. Mildly amusing in 15 and 30 second exposures, so I expect the show to be exactly the same thing. 15 to 30 seconds of mild amusment, but, unfortunately, it will be crammed into a half hour episode.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Shelley, NJ — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 06:19:49 GMT

It seems like any interest the general public might have had for way more Cavemen would have been served by the 5,346 previous Geico Cavemen commercials. I really don't feel I need to know any more about these characters. And buzzing about online, the most frequent query I see about the ads isn't about the characters, but "what's that song in the ad in the airport?" (it's "Remind Me" by Goldfrapp, btw). If there's a Geico ad I want to see realized as a series, it's Tiny House -- perhaps because there was just one ad, leaving me wanting more.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Roger C, Pittsburgh, PA — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:09:15 GMT

What? They can cancell shows like Firefly and put this crap on? Its has been a long time since I have had to choose between two witty and interesting shows on at the same time, Its more along the lines of "Anything on this week?" So now even if its not "reality" TV, its going to be contrived dribble! Can't wait for the GEICO spinoff.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Gill Avila, Morgan Hill CA USA — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 02:55:34 GMT

Read the sci-fi trilogy "Hominids," "Humans," and "Hybrids," by Robert J. Sawyer. Relates what happens to ordinary people and the world in general when we accidentally contact a parallel universe where Cro-Magnons (us) died out and Neanderthals survived and built up an advanced civilization.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

T.R. — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:58:17 GMT

The humor - and the point - of the Cavemen is the juxtaposition of their sophistication against their stereotype. If these characters are not written as urbane, well-educated and socially adept, and played completely straight, the show will be painfully unfunny,and meaningless as well.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Jennifer, Poestenkill, NY — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:59:12 GMT

I'd much rather forego the stupid sitcom in favor of more Geico ads. The caveman ads are my favorite every year.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

John C., Atlanta, GA — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:12:38 GMT

It's too bad Phil Hartman is no longer around to play his Caveman Lawyer character from his SNL days. The show would be a hit based on that alone.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

David Marshall — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:04:15 GMT

I had a chance to see this pilot too. I was shocked that it even was prodcued. The stereo-tpes protrayed were not entertaining or humorous at all. All the things that made the commercials a hit are all missing from this pilot. You were generous with your D. It got an F in my book, and no matter how much retooling they do, this series won't make it past the 4th episode before it gets pulled. I'd rather see Ringo Starr's Caveman up on the screen then this sad attempt to cash in on a craze.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Amy — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:06:06 GMT

I personally can't stand the Geico caveman commercials. They creep me out for some reason and I don't find them funny at all. I was disturbed to hear they are making a tv show. How could that be good?? I was happy to read the pilot sucked and I hope it never makes it to prime time. This may be harsh but I'd rather watch a reality show than cavement living in today's society.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

ralph, antioch ill — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 10:03:29 GMT

all geico commercals are stupid and annoying.especially the ones with the english accent green thing.

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Primal,Tampa,FL. — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 02:27:35 GMT

Sure why not ?. Are we not all cavemen ?. JJS

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

dakota dougherty — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:26:44 GMT

sorry ralph, the little green thing is austrilian---not english. I have to admit, I liked the geiko when he never spoke though. I thought he was adorable then, now I hate listening to him, I hit the mute button. The cave man I have to agree, don't like them at all.
dakota

'Cavemen' struggle to evolve from commercial to sitcom

Greg Horne — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 23:15:06 GMT

Didn't know about the pilot, but if they were anywhere near as painfully out of character as they appeared in the clips viewable on their website, it was simply too humiliating to witness.