By BYJACKNEWORTH CHANNELSURFING
You might recall in my first Channel Surfing column, I waxed poetic (okay, I rambled incoherently) about the notion that television might be in a “golden period.” I cited examples of gifted film talents moving to TV and quality programming such as “The Sopranos,” “The Wire,” “Mad Men,” and “Rescue Me.” Some readers wrote me noting that these were cable shows and that I had not paid enough attention to network fare. With that in mind, I recently visited the pilots of two ABC shows, “Cavemen,” and “Carpoolers.” After only one hour I think I better amend that whole “golden period” thing.
A frequent critique of a bad comedy is that it was a one joke script, meaning the one joke didn’t sustain the story and wore thin over time. “Caveman” wore thin before the first commercial. “Cavemen” is perhaps the first ever commercial turned into a sitcom. Let’s hope it’s the last. The show is based on a GEICO Car Insurance commercial featuring cavemen living in a modern world. They dress, talk and act like everybody else, only they are Cro-Magnon’s, and sensitive ones at that.
The GEICO commercials are a spoof on politically correct speech and attitudes. When the voice over tells the viewer, “GEICO is so easy even a caveman could get it,” these cavemen, in suits and ties, or tennis clothes, are deeply offended. I may be one of the few, but I’ve always thought this series was quite clever. However, a commercial, no matter how witty, does not a TV show make. Certainly not in this case.
The pilot of “Caveman” took place in Atlanta but there was a firestorm of complaints about racial insensitivity. Slights directed at the cavemen characters were interpreted by some as slights against African-Americans. So the show was “relocated” to San Diego. It’s a bit ironic, that a program designed to lampoon politically correct behavior winds up succumbing to it. Frankly, that should be “Cavemen’s” worst sin.
Hard-working Joel (Bill English) lives with his slacker roommate Nick (Nick Kroll) and his brother Andy (Sam Huntington), who’s pining for an ex-girlfriend who dumped him. Joel, meanwhile, is carrying on a torrid affair with a pretty blond Homo Sapien named Kate (Kaitlin Doubleday). Nick, the most militant of the cave-men, has advised against dating a “sape” and preaches “keep your penis in your genus,” which believe it or not, are among the funnier lines.
“Cavemen” appears to be a show against all prejudice, which is a noble thought but, as applied here, hardly edgy, and more importantly, hardly funny. “All in the Family” took on prejudice and provided groundbreaking humor 36 years ago. (It ran from 1971 to 1983.) Maybe that was the “golden age?”
Basically “Cavemen” is a sight gag masquerading as a sitcom. There isn’t enough time to list the many things wrong with it. For example, how did the cavemen get this way? In a 30 second commercial a viewer doesn’t stop to question it but in a half-hour show, it would be nice if they’d have answered it.
The acting and effort in “Caveman” is admirable. And the makeup is impressive. And yet, hesitant as I am to say this, I found myself not enjoying looking at the cave-men. It’s an interesting look in a 30 second ad, but after 22 minutes, they’re borderline repulsive. (Please, don’t send e-mails accusing me of discrimination. Some of my best friends are cavemen.) “Cavemen” airs every Tuesday on ABC at 8 p.m. If you’re going to watch, you better hurry because it may not last long. I’ve read that GEICO feels the show is so bad it’s hurting their business.
Following “Cavemen” is “Carpoolers” a sitcom about four guys who carpool to the same office each morning. In the opening we meet the newest carpooler, Dougie (Tim Peper) who is warned by Aubrey (Jerry Minor) that Laird (Jerry O’Connell), a recently divorced dentist who lost everything but his exercise machine, is a bit grouchy. The fourth member, Gracen (Fred Goss) is a marriage counselor concerned his real estate agent wife is making more money that he is and that his lazy son will never get a job.
As the carpoolers speed along in the diamond lane next to a traffic jam, Aubrey sings to a song on the radio. He’s very good and gets into it so much, the others join in. But inexplicably Aubrey begins to cry. He tells the group, “I lost my virginity to that song … at least during the first verse.”
“Carpoolers” isn’t going to make anyone forget “Seinfeld” or “Cheers” or even “The Office” but it has potential. On the downside, it follows “Caveman” which is not much of a lead-in. “Carpoolers” airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
JACK NEWORTH also writes the “Laughing Matters” column which appears every Friday. He
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 13, 2007. Read the original PDF.