Cavemen pilot review

Cavemen


three modern cavemen live in a world that can sometimes be racially intolerant



Type of Pilot: Comedy-Drama.


Similar Shows: The Munsters (I didn't think of this comparison, but it fits perfectly in terms of the concept, if not the tone.)


The Inner Light: It sucks being different.


Strengths: Great concept, great cast.


Weaknesses: Not many laughs.


Impressive Characters: Joel is our hero, and he's a very likable guy. He's got a great girlfriend, and all he really wants to do is be accepted by her friends and have his friends accept her. Nick (his best friend) is the cynical one (and the character that gets the most laughs) and he's sure everyone sees them as stereotypical cavemen. Jamie (his brother) is the uncomplicated one. Hearbroken over a break-up and always on the phone to his ex.


Impressive Actors: Bill English as Joel, Nick Kroll as Nick. Pitch perfect.


Rewatchability: I love the concept of this. It's brilliant, it's clever, it works. Now, if the darn thing was just a tad funnier.


Other Info: The concept comes from the world of commercials, where the guys were played by different actors. It was filmed as pilot with most of the cast seen here and a completely different storyline. Aside from the new story, and one major cast change, there is really no difference between the pilot and what aired on October 2nd. It's moderately funny in place, but it's actually got a serious heart to it. It's amusing when the boys' landlady confesses to not being able to tell them apart and suggests they should wear coloured ribbons in their hair. Amusing, but there is a point being made, too.

Three Things I Really Like About This Revised Pilot:

It's a great idea for a show. Three cavemen, in modern times, and use their story to look at race issues. Brilliant.

I really liked that the three central characters are so easy to distinguish. I thought, before I saw this, that maybe it would just be three hairy guys and you'd have a hard time telling who was who. In fact, since the characters are drawn with broad stokes it's easy to tell them apart. There's the nice one, glass half-full view of the world, always hopes for the best. There's the cynical one, glass half-empty view of the world, always telling the other two what is really going on. And there's the dumb one. The standard sit-com moron. The 'Joey'.

I really liked the hero's girlfriend's friend. She was cute and kinda funny.

Three Things One Thing I Really Don't Like About This Revised Pilot:

It's not very funny. Yet. But neither was The Office at the very start, and just look at it now.

Miscellaneous Comments:


The most hated show on TV (since long before it aired!) is actually pretty good. In a TV landscape of CSI-clones and ABC Soaps it's like a breath of fresh air. I'm hooked. And I hope they can get the laugh quota up.

GRADE: A-