While I'm at it...

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-21-2005
While I'm at it...
18
Thu, 05-10-2007 - 8:43pm
Have you seen those Geico insurance commercials with the "so easy a caveman could do it" theme, where the "cavemen" turn out to still be around, and now one of them is overly offended by that comment? It's getting to be a bit much. I'm getting tired of seeing the grody, nasty-looking caveman visiting his shrink, whining at a party, and seeing a billboard while riding down the concourse at an airport. I want to write to them and say "ENOUGH with the caveman thing!!! BRING BACK THE GECKO, PLEEEAAASE???"
















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Avatar for cfk_3
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-1999
Thu, 05-10-2007 - 9:06pm

That's odd, I actually saw an add featuring the little green guy just the other day. They must be using both.

Yeah, I envision the guy at the advertising agency or, whichever think tank gets these awful ideas to air, absolutely digging his feet in. "It's funny, dammit, I stand by my work. It will catch on, IT WILL! IT WILL!"




Edited 5/11/2007 9:17 am ET by cfk_3
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2006
Thu, 05-10-2007 - 10:28pm
Think it's annoying now? Do you know they're making a sitcom based on that commercial.
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-15-2005
Fri, 05-11-2007 - 8:52am

Oh, sweetie - I have some really bad news for you:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117960384.html?categoryid=1300&cs=1

ABC developing 'Cavemen'
Comedy pilot based on Geico ads
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
ABC pilot will ape insurance company Geico's caveman characters.

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.


Avatar for cfk_3
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-1999
Fri, 05-11-2007 - 9:22am
If the television series is as stupid as the ads, I don't see how it will survive.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-21-2005
Fri, 05-11-2007 - 10:54am
Are you KIDDING ME????!!!! UGH!!!!! LOL
















iVillage Member
Registered: 11-21-2005
Fri, 05-11-2007 - 10:55am
Oh Lordy....tst WASN'T kidding! LOL Good grief, whatever happened to funny, NORMAL sitcoms? LOL
















Avatar for cl_shywon
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Sat, 05-12-2007 - 11:09am

Those commercials are stupid.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Sun, 05-13-2007 - 7:46am

THey still exist but nobody is watching them either. Til Death on Fox is HYSTERICAL with Brad Garrett and Finch from the American Pie Movies. It's really funny but it was in a horrible time slot up against Ugly Betty for it's first year out so not many people were watching it, now it's moved to Wednesdays I think after American Idol and now it's picked up quite a bit better ratings of course it's over now so I won't know until next week when all the networks announce their fall lineups if it's coming back.

I just read an article about the Neilsens and how all the networks are so perplexes at the ratings, for example Friday Night Lights FABULOUS show, won a Peabody award, not great ratings. I think it's one of the best shows written out there (and no it's not just about football) but nobodys watching it according to the ratings of course it's in a horrible time slot up against American Idol on the weeks American Idol were not on, their ratings were great so they need to find a better time slot for it **IF** NBC brings it back which I think they have been getting much pressure from a lot of fans and the network execs really do want to bring it back because of how good it is. But a lot of people Tivo, DVR, watch shows online or download from itunes and watch on their ipods and Neilsens does not track that. They do track DVR recordings but you must watch the show within 1 day for it to count towards the ratings and not many people do that with DVR that's the whole point of having a DVR/Tivo to watch at your leisure. The networks can track whose watching online but it doesn't count towards their ratings so Neilsens needs to start picking up the pace and get with the times. This is why every freaking season I really get into a show and half way through the season it gets cancelled.

Last year they did another spinoff of the Law and Order group but with young 20 and 30 somethings being the lawyers I can't even remember the name of this group but they didn't go by Law and Order but it was from the same people who do L and O anyhow the show was on Friday nights at 10pm. Ummmm if your demographic you are shooting for is 18-34 or whatever, why on earth are you going to put the show on friday nights, most of that age bracket are out on friday nights, you should probably pick like a TUESDAY when they are home. LOL But anyhow they ended up cancelling it after one season, a bunch of people signed a petition or were snarking on the NBC boards about it, come to find out, what a lot of the 20 somethings did were download it from Itunes and watch it on sundays or on the weekends, NBC found out it was one of the highest downloaded shows on Itunes. But yet again, it's not something that is tracked for ratings so all they went by were the ratings for who was watching it on fridays at 10pm and since that number was low they tanked the show.

My friend Cary and I are really ready to not even give new shows a shot because everytime I really like a new show, I get if I am lucky one season sometimes you don't even get that, you get half a season and then they yank it or they make you watch the rest of it online.




Edited 5/13/2007 7:57 am ET by lovinhockey17

Smile,

Deirdre

Avatar for northwestwanderer
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 05-13-2007 - 4:56pm

I was very glad to read that FNL got renewed for next year, I love that show.

And the lawyer show was good too (can't remember the name either). After this year and getting SO frustrated with starting to watch shows and getting hooked and then having the network pull it, I've decided I'm not going to start watching any new show the first season--I'll wait and see if it makes it and then watch it on DVD before the 2nd season starts. I've spent too much time watching shows that got yanked in recent years to want to make that time investment again. ABC is the worst offender IMO (Six Degrees, Daybreak just to cite a couple of examples from this past season) but Fox pissed me off with the way they handled Drive recently (sigh--I was so loving watching Nathan Fillion).

Sheri

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Sun, 05-13-2007 - 6:33pm

You know I hadn't even started watching Drive, I had Tivoed like the first 3 episodes because I was working the two jobs and then once I heard it was cancelled I didn't even bother watching I deleted it before I even watched the pilot because I figured what is the point I'll have 3 episodes and it will be gone.

Yes, last year I LOVED Invasion, pulled. I LOVED Surface on NBC, Pulled. I loved Joan of Arcadi, PULLED, I watched Six Degrees, they finally brought it back after hiatus 2 episodes and then YANKED you have to watch the rest of them on the web, Black Donnelly's got into that, PULLED.

WHat is the point!!! So obnoxious!

I am thrilled about FNL it's so well written, more people need to watch this show. I heart Matt Sarencen.

Smile,

Deirdre

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