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.
This will probably be terrible, but I will still give it a shot.
Prediction: first episode does HUGE numbers... it's hailed as the next surprise hit. Every episode after that steadily declines despite ABC's pervasive advertising campaign and presentation of "encore episodes"... it's cancelled after 7 episodes.
"the hardest thing is to forgive, but God does/ even if you've murdered and robbed, yeah it's wrong, but God loves/ take one step towards him, he takes two towards you/ even when all else fails God supports you."
FreshShabazz wrote:Prediction: first episode does HUGE numbers... it's hailed as the next surprise hit. Every episode after that steadily declines despite ABC's pervasive advertising campaign and presentation of "encore episodes"... it's cancelled after 7 episodes.
So...in essence, what youre saying is this will run the course of the Red and Meth show.
Am I the only one who found those commercials to have very light racist undertone to them? Kind of like theyr'e making light of the struggles people have faced for equality?
true story: last weekend, when i was staying at my girl's pad in hollywood and my car got towed because of the oscars, i was walking around the block trying to find an alternate route into this parking garage and who gets out of a limo at some gas station?
the goddamn caveman wearing a tuxedo with a white coat, and a dime ass asian broad dressed to the nines on his arm.
i guess they were filming a spot commercial for the oscars, people were actually going crazy too, honking and shouting from their cars and whatnot.
love the cavemen.
i dont know if they can stretch what makes the 30 second commercials funny into 22 minutes.
the one when theyre out on a balcony at a miami vice party is absolutely hilarious for no easily discernable reason.
every time i watch heroes and see radioactive man, i think of the geico cavemen.
tommorow never comes
yesterday never happened
today is a loosely based on a reality thats imagined
Willie B wrote:love the cavemen.
i dont know if they can stretch what makes the 30 second commercials funny into 22 minutes.
the one when theyre out on a balcony at a miami vice party is absolutely hilarious for no easily discernable reason.
every time i watch heroes and see radioactive man, i think of the geico cavemen.
Guys.. Tina's here.. We're getting back together.
Fucking kills me every time.
I would watch this show in a New York minute.
HOWEVER
If the dudes who play the cavemen in the commercial aren't in it, I will not.
I'm just hoping the show has a fat husband, ridiculously hot wife and wisecracking friends/relatives/talking pets who always seem to know the most cleverest thing to say at any given moment.
I personally would rather see a sitcom about the enormous facial features guys from the new Domino's Garlic Bread Pizza commercial. You know, the one with the Brown guy with the huge nose ("Smell that garlic") and the white guy with the huge mouth ("Taste the crust") and the other white guy with the huge eyes ("Look at the cheese") and the lawnmowing white guy with the huge ears ("Man that sounds good"). IMAGINE THE COMEDIC POSSIBILITIES!
Hot girl walks by
Large nose guy: "Smell that whore"
Large Mouth guy: "Taste the pussy"
Large eye guy: "Look at the TEEETS"
Large ear guy: "man, she sounds hot"
