ABC Caves on Cavemen
ABC/MITCH HADDAD
Reader, a confession: I laughed at the first line of Cavemen. "There's this tiny waitress and she's carrying around a rack of ribs so big that they can tip over a car made of stone? I just don't see what's so funny about it."
Call me unevolved, but it makes me laugh. The line is a holdover from an earlier incarnation of the sitcom, and the fact that it was one of the funniest lines in the first episode pretty much sums up the problem with the show. Cavemen's original pilot was taken back and a new one reshot after critics assailed it for (1) playing off themes of racism in society and (2) having the temerity to make an ad campaign into a TV show. The two critiques were related, of course: critics love risky racial satires when Dave Chappelle or Sarah Silverman do them--satire is supposed to provoke people. But link the whole thing with an ad campaign and the whole enterprise becomes tainted. Because, you know, TV is otherwise such a pure medium.
The resulting, reshot pilot was timid, bland, forgettable and (mostly) unfunny, a mere fossil of the concept ABC started with. Most of the more pointed, potentially controversial social humor was gone, replaced by yet another buddy comedy about three young guys looking for money and chicks. Nick, the militant postgraduate student, was especially defanged. In the original pilot, he watched a caveman weatherman capering around in an Uncle Sam hat for the Fourth of July on the network news. "Dance for the man, monkey, " he sneers. "Oh, my God, you sellout!" In the new first episode, he sees him and simply says, "I love this guy."
The mistake the show's creators made in the first place was taking the sophisticated, low-key humor of the Geico commercials and making it sitcommy. What makes the Geico ads memorable is that their humor comes from playing the cavemen absolutely straight: they're successful, business-trip-taking, therapy-going, bourgie members of society who happen to run up against reminders of discrimination.
The Cavemen sitcom turned them into another variation of three guys sitting on a couch, and that made the satire play broader, dumber and thus, at least to some people, more offensive. But at least that pilot was trying, and some of the scenes were inspired, like the newscast that reports on a caveman robbery suspect by showing a generic, inaccurate police sketch of an australopithecine. "You think that was the only robbery last night?" Nick asks. "Of course not, but that's the one they choose to show."
Don't get me wrong; the original Cavemen pilot was uneven, but it had a point of view and potential. If ABC had had the conviction to stand behind the concept it bought, recognizing that of course people were going to make fun of them for it, they would at least have had the chance of proving the skeptics wrong. As it is, it looks like they're just praying for the series' quick extinction.
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1
What he said goes for me, too. Hope this dies quickly.
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2
I had to make a run to the grocery store last night. I could have gone early enough to be back in time to see Caveman. I didn't make the effort. The idea has just never interested me. I did get to watch most of Carpoolers. Uhhhhhh, IIIIII don't know.
I think ABC is going to have an hour to fill pretty soon.
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3
Geico Cavemen: Other Failed Ad Icon Sitcoms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PIlNuoZz1E
The Geico ‘Cavemen’ sitcom wasn’t the only failed show based on a commercial character. In 2004, the Verizon 'Can You Hear Me Now Guy' had an hour long drama pilot. Fred The Baker of Dunkin Donuts fame, had a 80's sitcom ala Cheers and the Weiner Mobile starred in its own crime thriller. Watch these uncovered clips here!
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4
"... and the Weiner Mobile starred in its own crime thriller."
I hope it was called The Nitrite Stalker.
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5
I actually liked the pilot that aired! The first lien was one of the best, but i laughed a few more times than any of the other sitcoms i've seen around the past few years.
I hope the cavemen stay! there's potential. Need more Nick, though.
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6
No, the mistake the show's creators made in the first place was thinking that cavemen could be funny. Did nobody heed the signs of the late Phil Hartmen's caveman lawyer sketches on SNL? Those were not funny and this is not funny. There's a reason we have evolution.
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7
I watched the show last night and it was actually pretty funny. Guess its a good thing I didn't read all these reviews before I saw it. Some great one liners: "Keep your penis in your genus." The one caveman couldn't continue writing his dissertation because WIkipedia was down. Some really good writing I thought. I mean for a 22 min. program, you don't expect Shakespeare. But funny, indeed!
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8
I second that. I thought it was pretty funny to. Without trying to overanalyze I saw humor in it. Watched the whole show ...would do it again
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9
I haven't seen it but the reviews have been interesting to read, in particular the thoughts on how the original pilot used racial stereotypes. This Time review provides a much stronger example with the robbery -- does make you think. Better than the blog below, which simply cites laziness, rhythm and sexual prowess.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/thompson/entries/2007/10/with_all_the_fu.html -
10
@ Zareh
Blasphemer!
Unfrozen Caveman Lawer is to date on of my favorite recurring SNL sketches. Phil Hartman's delivery was genious and it was back in the day when the show was still funny.
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11
I was surprised by how I like the pilot of caveman. More importantly, does anyone know who played the caveman weatherman? I want to say its Will Ferrell. Read more on my blog plus look at the picture. http://monsterscifishow.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/am-i-the-only-one-that-liked-caveman/
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12
With luck, ABC will evolve this show into a replacement, removing it from our view entirely.
Maybe the cavemen could jump in with the Carpool and drive into the sunset.
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13
I thought it was funny. I loved the cavewoman who forced Nick to work on his dissertation and the scene where he runs from the theater with a delighted look on his face that he's escaped the girlfriend from hell.
I'll watch again.
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14
I LIKE THIS SHOW! I will shout it from the roof tops. It makes me laugh out loud. I am on board. TV is not always about saving the world, it can be just silly and fun!
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15
This Show is great! Does anyone know when it is coming back on tv?
- poniewozik Loved the season. Mrs Tuned In wd have put u on the main list RT @boredtodeath Thank u for incl us in Time's Top 10. We'll take hon mention. - 7 hours ago
- poniewozik @carr2n Virgin is the best, LAX-JFK - 7 hours ago
- poniewozik Did NPR interview abt multiscreen multitasking. After, automatically reached for iPhone in pocket. Like don draper wd have for cigarettes. - 8 hours ago
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