Cavemen was going to be a critical target from the get go. It's not often that TV shows are adapted from insurance commercials, and
Cavemen did exactly that. The fact that ABC would green light a half hour comedy about
Cavemen simply because the characters were involved in mildly popular television commercials is a hugely bizarre decision. Nonetheless, it's only fair to judge
Cavemen on its own merits, as if the commercials had never existed. And, frankly, they have nothing to do with ABC's comedy. The actors are different and the show is focused on the silliness of racism. That's right, a show featuring actors in Neanderthal make-up has a social agenda.
Cavemen has gone through major overhauls since its original pilot. The initial version, which was given to critics (including us at BuddyTV) was mildly amusing, but didn't give one much faith in its long-term potential. Since then, one of the
Cavemen has been recast (
Sam Huntington is now a Cro-Magnon) and the pilot was completely re-shot. The new version of the pilot, which absolutely no one saw in advance, aired tonight. So, what's the verdict?
Eh. The show isn't a total embarrassment. That's really the best I can say. There were a few chuckles sprinkled throughout the episode, but I didn't laugh out loud once. I feel like the show could maybe be good, but I really wouldn't count on it. The sheer curiosity of the project will likely bring audiences in for the premiere, but after they realize that
Cavemen is just another unfunny half hour of TV, they won't be coming back.
Here's the gist of the pilot episode: three Cro-Magnons are roommates in a world where Homo Sapiens and Cro-Magnons live together, albeit tenuously. Two of the roommates are brothers, the other is a cynical Magnon who is against his buddies dating “Sapiens”. One of the roommates has been secretly dating a gorgeous blonde and the others have to deal with it. There's your plot. Let us know what you think of the pilot.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of ABC)