We have all heard the slogan, “So easy a caveman could do it,” but no one ever imagined that Geico’s popular 30-second commercials would be turned into a full-length sitcom. “Cavemen” the television show premiered on ABC Tuesday, earning second in the ratings race and last in critics’ hearts.
The experts at TVsquad.com think that the ratings may be a fluke and will start to decline next week, believing that audiences just tuned in to see how “Cavemen” managed the transition to prime time.
“Caveman” is set around three cavemen living in San Diego dealing with the perils of being cavemen in a Homo sapien world.
Although all the cavemen look alike, it should be noted that the original actors from the commercials opted out of the show.
Like the commercials, the characters grapple with issues of prejudice, coping differently with their positions in society.
Joel (Bill English) chooses to be a part of contemporary human society and has nothing against dating outside of his species. Andy (Sam Huntington), however, believes that the whole Homo sapien world is out to get him and that cave people should stick to their own kind. Then there is Nick (Nick Kroll) who doesn’t pay attention to society, but is focused solely on getting his old girlfriend back (he spent the entire first episode on the phone with her).
The first episode takes the discrimination to the dating world by centering on Andy dating a woman named Kate (Kaitlin Doubleday), who he believes is ashamed to introduce him in public.
Although the world of cavemen in the show seems far fetched and it is never fully explained how the caveman species survived along with human species, the world of the show hits closer to home than viewers might think.
The issue of stereotyping is one that people in America struggle with every day. Cavemen are considered unintelligent, which is a stereotype that various ethnic groups have faced in America.
“Cavemen” takes taboo issues of race and turns them into dark humor, allowing audiences to laugh where they never could before. It makes viewers realize just how absurd stereotypes can be.
The question remains: How long can these jokes hold up?
The problem is that this type of humor works great for a 30-second spot but for 22 minutes it seems stretched too thin. In order to keep the momentum running for the duration of an episode, “Cavemen” is going to need to move away from the original gimmick and prove to its audience that it has more to offer than a few one-liners.
The cavemen may have survived extinction, but the evolution of TV programming is much less forgiving.
“Cavemen” airs at 8 p.m. on ABC. You can also watch the first episode online at ABC.com.
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