Let’s talk about the new ABC show Cavemen. When the Cavemen first came onto the scene during the Geico commercials, I thought the marketing idea was amazing and quite funny. Therefore, I was extremely excited to hear that the Cavemen had earned their own show and was waiting in anticipation for October 2nd to roll around. Finally the big day came, but I had a huge problem, I was going to be in class at the same time the Cavemen premiered. A slight roadblock in my plan, but cutting out of class a little early never hurt anyone. Thus, problem solved. I made it home just in time for the show.
The series began very slowly and some of the characters became very annoying quite fast. For instance, one of the Cavemen in the group spends a good majority of his time glued to his cell phone talking to an ex-girlfriend. This does share similarities to the commercials, but I do not feel this character will be very dynamic or interesting if he’s always speaking into his cell phone. Another caveman annoys the viewer by the way he carries himself and talks. He doesn’t have a job, but tries to tell everyone in the show how to live their life. Another problem I had with the show was that my favorite caveman in the commercials, the partying cave man, doesn’t receive his much deserved television time. He is briefly shown during a few bar scenes and during a racket ball match, but other than those instances, he is utterly invisible as a character.
I also want to touch base on another idea that puzzled me throughout the first episode. I understand some of the ideas about the history of cavemen, but these cavemen are thrown at the audience without any explanation of how they got where they are. They are, in a sense, presented as another race or origin among the masses. I think an explanation for how they came about is in order for the viewer. For instance, in the movie Encino Man starring Pauly Shore, the caveman is found contained within a glacier. At this point in the show, the caveman’s origin is unknown and this presents a problem to the viewer because no introduction is set up.
Due to the slow start in the first episode, it made watching the rest of the episode harder. I pressed on through all of the lackluster sequences and by the end of the episode I was a little more pleased. Even though, the party caveman is briefly in this episode, he makes a lasting impression by making the audience laugh due to his outrageous behavior and look. I would give examples within the show, but if one wants to truly view the show, I don’t want to give away the comedic scenes. Also, some of the characters become more developed within the first episode and the viewer cannot help but like them by the end. Another key element that made the first episode good was the fact that Nick Swardson, a member of the cast of the movie Grandma’s Boy showed his witty humor in his two minute slot. The comedy with this guy is unending and if he continues to remain as one of the cavemen’s co workers, there is no doubt that he will steal the show.
Now I know that everyone whom has read this article is skeptical about watching the new series Cavemen. I know my article hasn’t been the best promotion tool for this new series, but I have to say that I loved the commercials and had high hopes for the show. Maybe I was disappointed and more critical because I felt they did the cavemen an injustice in the first go around. I am willing to give them more chances though, and I don’t think that a person should avoid the television show. I want people to watch the show and form their own opinions. If you like the show, I am glad because if it continues to improve, I have a feeling it could be great. I think it has a few kinks to work out, but I believe they are minute details that can be worked out with a few shows. I will be sure to keep everyone informed as I get to experience the show more so during this fall.
