I have been hearing about this for a while; the Geico cavemen (created by the Martin Agency under the creative direction of a wonderful un- caveman named Steve Bassett) may get their own sitcom on ABC. Apparently, Martin Agency writers are working on the scripts as I type. There is only one problem: The spots are already better than 90 percent of the sitcoms out there.
The cavemen already are ingrained in our culture deeper than some familiar sitcom characters.
You don’t need Talia Shire to analyze the situation surrounding the popular campaign: A built-in national audience.
Smart business. ABC is not stupid. Half its work is done right there. People love the cavemen. They are the ultimate un-Neanderthals.
The fuzzy yuppers have been insulted more than Imus at a Rutgers game or Rutgers on an Imus broadcast; more than the audience at a Michael Richards comedy club routine. They get less respect than Rodney Dangerfield ever did. Take my caveman, please.
So the job at hand will be to make the show as good as the commercials. Tough job, to be sure, but knowing Steve Bassett and the people at Martin, the Geico cavemen are in good hands.
Although they have never appeared in a Geico spot (beyond one’s mother phoning during the Shire session) there must be cavewomen. For every Fred and Barney, there is a Betty and Wilma. And a Dino? Maybe.
The cavemen could have girlfriends. Ann Coulter and Rosie O’Donnell come to mind, since the two hairy dudes have to endure pain and grief as part of the daily gig and I’d love to see those four on a double date. Britney Spears and Paris Hilton might work as well. They could go to a Dixie Chicks concert in Houston maybe.
Bigotry and hatred is an “All in the Family” subject seldom mentioned in commericals, so fleshing out the cavemen as targets of such treatment in today’s society will take guts and just may be where this show has a chance to shine – showing us our prejudices in a subtle way that allows the cavemen to take the heat for this very real cultural sickness; and that is something more important than saving money on your car insurance.
Then again, maybe the show will just be funny. And that is a coup as well in today’s sitcoms.