Critics grunt, but here's 'Cavemen'

0 Comments | USA TODAY, October, 2007 | by Gary Strauss

Cavemen could be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The Geico ad campaign-turned-comedy premieres tonight (8 ET/PT, ABC). But it already has been blasted by critics for a muddled early pilot, the crossover from commercial into mainstream TV and an aura of racial insensitivity.

"It's been a witch hunt in the press," says co-director/producer Will Speck. "'Corrupt commercialism infecting television, racism.' Our intentions were pure. We just had so much fun with the commercials, we felt there were more stories to tell with these guys."

Cavemen centers on the everyday lives of two brothers and their friend who share an apartment in San Diego -- normal in most life experiences, except for their lineage.

"There's a lot of assumptions about...