ABC developing 'Cavemen'
<div class="IPBDescription">Comedy pilot based on Geico ads</div><a href="http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117960384.html?categoryid=1300&cs=1" target="_blank">ABC developing 'Cavemen'</a>
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Winner for most unusual piece of development this pilot season goes to ABC, which has turned a series of quirky Geico commercials into an actual half-hour comedy project.
"Cavemen" will revolve around three pre-historic men who must battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal thirtysomethings in modern Atlanta.
Project, from ABC TV Studio, is penned by Joe Lawson, an advertising copywriter who was behind the "Caveman" ads -- as well as other Geico commercials (think the cockney-speaking Geico gecko, and the reality TV spoof "Tiny House").
Daniel Rappaport, Guymon Cassady, Will Speck and Josh Gordon are exec producers. Speck and Gordon, commercial directors who recently helmed the Will Farrell feature "Blades of Glory," are on board to also direct.
The single-camera laffer pilot is based on the Geico ads that promote the insurance company's Web site as so user-friendly that even "a caveman could do it." The spots follow cavemen in modern settings, reacting with offense to the derogatory slogan. In one, a Geico spokesman apologizes and takes the Neanderthals out to dinner.
Other blurbs include the sensitive, modern cavemen peeved at the offending slogan while encountering Geico ads in everyday life, including the airport.
The caveman commercials were created through the Richmond, Va.-based Martin Agency. Jeff Daniel Phillips and Ben Weber play the cavemen in the Geico spots; no word if they'll make the transformation to the TV project.
Few TV shows have come out of the commercial sphere; more frequently, TV characters live on in 30-second spots long after their shows are canceled (think "ALF").
But it's not without precedence: The 2002 CBS comedy "Baby Bob" revolved around a talking baby character that was first seen in a series of dot.com ads. After the Eye canceled "Baby Bob," the character returned to its commercial roots, spending time as a pitchman (pitchbaby?) for Quizno's Subs. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<img src="http://www.fototime.com/44005CEAC2FBF55/orig.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Winner for most unusual piece of development this pilot season goes to ABC, which has turned a series of quirky Geico commercials into an actual half-hour comedy project.
"Cavemen" will revolve around three pre-historic men who must battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal thirtysomethings in modern Atlanta.
Project, from ABC TV Studio, is penned by Joe Lawson, an advertising copywriter who was behind the "Caveman" ads -- as well as other Geico commercials (think the cockney-speaking Geico gecko, and the reality TV spoof "Tiny House").
Daniel Rappaport, Guymon Cassady, Will Speck and Josh Gordon are exec producers. Speck and Gordon, commercial directors who recently helmed the Will Farrell feature "Blades of Glory," are on board to also direct.
The single-camera laffer pilot is based on the Geico ads that promote the insurance company's Web site as so user-friendly that even "a caveman could do it." The spots follow cavemen in modern settings, reacting with offense to the derogatory slogan. In one, a Geico spokesman apologizes and takes the Neanderthals out to dinner.
Other blurbs include the sensitive, modern cavemen peeved at the offending slogan while encountering Geico ads in everyday life, including the airport.
The caveman commercials were created through the Richmond, Va.-based Martin Agency. Jeff Daniel Phillips and Ben Weber play the cavemen in the Geico spots; no word if they'll make the transformation to the TV project.
Few TV shows have come out of the commercial sphere; more frequently, TV characters live on in 30-second spots long after their shows are canceled (think "ALF").
But it's not without precedence: The 2002 CBS comedy "Baby Bob" revolved around a talking baby character that was first seen in a series of dot.com ads. After the Eye canceled "Baby Bob," the character returned to its commercial roots, spending time as a pitchman (pitchbaby?) for Quizno's Subs. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<img src="http://www.fototime.com/44005CEAC2FBF55/orig.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
Comments
Don't know how far the show will go though.... ... .. . <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" />
The gecko PWNZ!
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The original gecko pwnz. The one they've had for the past year or so, with a new voice actor, sucks so hard I don't even want to watch the commercials when they are on.
I've been awaiting this show since I heard it was being thought about a few months ago. Also I heard of a movie about the Burger King which might be equally fun.
What a terrible idea.
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QFT
At least its something different than redoing and old series (not always a bad thing, though).
Blades of Glory was good! This Caveman news is old, though. We've known about it for months now or something. I'm not a huge fan of TV so I won't be watching; the commercials are pretty funny, but for 22 minutes plus commercials I'd rather watch that cute little gecko dude.
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No it wasn't. It was Will Ferrell playing every other Will Ferrell character he ever played, and John Heder doing the same.
I'll watch the pilot of this Caveman thing and see If I like it. I can't judge it without seeing it.
My favorite Will Ferrel movie is Stranger than Fiction, but that's a bit above most of his other roles.
I'll watch the pilot of this Caveman thing and see If I like it. I can't judge it without seeing it.
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Right, the only one where he really broke out of his "funny dude who's sort of fat and also a bit of an idiot" was Stranger than Fiction, which is also my favorite, but it didn't do so hot. People just didn't flock to the theaters to see him as an IRS agent. They like him as a clownish jokester.
Published on Thursday, May 3, 2007:
<!--QuoteBegin- Ain't It Cool news+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE( Ain't It Cool news)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin--> “Cavemen” has a lot of people talking since it was first announced. People will continue to talk… about just how astoundingly awful it is.
“Cavemen” is literally a thirty second commercial expanded to twenty-two minutes. But… it’s actually much worse than that. Just like their source material, the origin of these domesticated Cro-Magnons is never explained. I guess “Encino Man” is part of the prequel trilogy. We meet these humanoids already fully integrated into society and living in a mid-west apartment with a bunch of Ikea furniture. Think about it, a show based on a commercial is bound to have a lot of product placement.
Now comes the most mind numbing, stupendously stupid and astoundingly misguided part of this fiasco: The creators have tried to infuse social satire by making the show an allegory for prejudice. They draw astoundingly leaden parallels to every minority group in the world without a laugh in sight. It’s jaw dropping horrendous and actually makes “American Dad's” lunkheaded topicality seem sophisticated.
The supposed “plot” of the pilot revolves around the Cavemen trying to crash an upscale country club, invoking the ad for the movie “Caddyshack”: “Some people just don’t belong.”
This pilot is slow, talky and dull… with the only real visual flourishes revolving around the Cavemen donning different costumes throughout the show in their bid to fit in.
Making matters worse: The pilot uses different actors in the Cavemen roles and none of them are nearly as effective as their advertising counterparts. One of them actually reminded me a little bit of Sanjaya.
This video will get passed around like the infamous “Star Wars Christmas Special.” It’s nice to know that the spirit of Ed Wood lives on.
Ironically, amidst the mad rush of script ABC developed this season was one of the funniest half hours I ever read… and they didn’t order THAT script in favor of this depth charge which could be the first pilot to actually hurt an auto insurance company.
Which also begs the point: Would Geico advertise on this thing? My guess is they'd pass.
Your Man,
Derek Flint <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/32521" target="_blank">http://www.aintitcool.com/node/32521</a>
As I read this the UT "<b>DOMINATED</b>" voice was playing itself in my mind