Cavemen Going Extinct in 5…4…3…2….

I must admit, I’ve really enjoyed the Geico Cavemen commercials. They were funny and clever and always good for a laugh. So when I heard they were turning the concept into a sitcom, I had to give it a try.

Unfortunately, I’d been hearing rumors about recasting sessions and last minute locations changes (from Atlanta to San Diego). I knew what that meant. It wasn’t going to be worth watching. Still, I gave it a try. Unfortunately, I was right.

The show focuses on three cavemen living in modern day San Diego. One of them is working on his thesis, or at least claiming to. In reality, he spends his days playing video games. Another one works in an Ikea like furniture store. And the third has just moved in with them and is trying to get over his last bad relationship.

The commercials work because, while they play off stereotypes, they are so unexpected it’s funny. Here, the joke falls flat fast. First, the Cavemen are the ones who are prejudiced, or at least the one working on his thesis is. Secondly, no one seems at all shocked to see Cavemen living in today’s society. While that joke would probably get old fast, it would still be funnier then what we do get.

Finally, the characters are very hard to tell apart. You’ll notice I didn’t name any of them. That’s because I couldn’t keep them straight. Ironically, there was a joke to that effect at one point. But it was too true to be very funny.

I watched the entire thing and maybe laughed twice. My roommate watched the last 10 minutes with me. He didn’t find it any funnier then I did, and we have very different senses of humor. I realize that pilots can often be weak, so if there is a glimmer of something I will watch for a few weeks before making a decision. With Cavemen, I’ve made my decision. I won’t be watching it again.