ABC Hopes Cavemen Will Be Standing Tall

ABC is taking a big gamble this fall, betting that a series of 30- second, one-joke ad spots has the potential to fill up 30 minutes of prime time.

By taking Geico car insurance's popular cavemen marketing campaign and expanding it into a full-length sitcom called, yes, "Cavemen," ABC is hoping to catch up with its rivals, who have been trouncing the network during prime time.

It's an uphill battle for a cast of characters who haven't yet invented the wheel.

The new series, helmed by ad genius Joe Lawson (who created most of Geico's popular ads, including the gecko and celebrity voice- over spots) will be going up against established hits like "The Office," "30 Rock," "My Name Is Earl" and "Desperate Housewives."

"The fact that it's a one-joke premise is a hurdle. Sometimes what you like for 30 seconds doesn't necessarily translate to 30 minutes," says Entertainment Weekly correspondent Tim Stack.

McClatchy Newspapers

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