CAVEMAN TV FACTS AND TIDBITS

Cavewoman, cave-parents, cave-grandparents, and a subgroup of cavemen who try to deny their identity by constantly shaving their distinctive facial hair, will all be introduced later in the show's run. Again, if it gets that far.

--Critics battered the all-white, all-male panel of producers and stars for trying to tackle issues of diversity and prejudice against a minority group, even a non-existent one. Numerous critics pointed out that the stereotypes (great dancers! athletic! known for their sexual prowess!) displayed by the cavemen in the pilot seemed to fit stereotypes about African-Americans, but the producers denied that was the case.

--The caveman makeup takes three hours to apply, and often includes body hair, sometimes put on via hair-covered arm sleeves.

--Don't expect to see Geico ads featuring the cavemen once the show hits the air. No new commercials are being made, and the current ads are likely to be suspended at least while the show runs. Geico owned the cavemen characters, but struck a deal with ABC so the network could do the show. (ABC president Steve McPherson earlier said that there is no deal regarding commercials that run during the show, so it's possible you'll see commercials for other insurance agencies running during "Cavemen.") Geico executives are enthused about the show and rooting for it to succeed, producers said.

--Creator Joe Lawson said the show is not about the same cavemen from the ads. "I always see it as these cavemen are the cousins of the cavemen in the commercials," Lawson said. "So the guys in the commercials are doing their own thing and living their own lives, and then ours are kind of off on their own tangents. There may be some similar crossover, but it would be incidental if that happens."