An evolutionary dead end
Well, the good news is we probably won't be subjected to a television show about the Verizon can-you-hear-me-now guy any time soon. Any fears that commercial-inspired comedies are the wave the future were put to rest by the dismal premiere of ABC's Geico Insurance spokesman-inspired "Cavemen" Tuesday night.
The network wisely chose not to make the premiere episode of "Cavemen" available to critics before its airdate -- in the hope, I suppose, that people might tune in for the sheer curiosity value. Certainly the show has received a fair amount of buzz since a preliminary pilot was floated, although not the desired buzz of an excited anticipatory audience. More like the bristling buzz of an angry crowd heading over to Osh to see if the pitchforks and/or flaming brands were on sale.
Over the last few months, many called the show racist -- heaven knows why unless it was because the cavemen in question referred to themselves as "maggers," had reputations for their athletic and sexual prowess and were surrounded by white people with bad Southern accents who kept mistaking the cave-characters for the help.
Creators Josh Gordon and Will Speck ("Blades of Glory") and Joe Lawson attempted at first to defend the show as a parody of all stereotypes but in the end, steps were taken, tweaks were made. Tweaks! The setting was moved from Atlanta to San Diego (well known for it's "magger tolerance") and the word "magger" was excised -- as were all references to any assumptions about cavemen, the habits of cavemen, the history of cavemen or pretty much anything interesting at all.
Left in a symbolically bland apartment were Joel (Bill English), his brother Andy (Sam Huntington) and their roommate Nick (Nick Kroll), three reg'lar guys who just happened to be rather hirsute and have protruding foreheads.
In other words, a show that is no longer offensively not funny, just pointless and not funny.
They have moved to San Diego so Andy can get over his ex-girlfriend, whom he stalks via cellphone throughout the first episode, demanding closure despite the fact that she has already moved on to another guy. Nick makes vague references to his dissertation but is more interested in conning Andy into buying a Wii game system and, mystifyingly enough, down vests.
