{"id":8658,"date":"2023-05-15T19:23:19","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T02:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bilgebucket.com\/?p=8658"},"modified":"2023-08-07T17:02:28","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T00:02:28","slug":"rewind-commercial-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bilgebucket.com\/?p=8658","title":{"rendered":"Rewind: Commercial TV"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the BilgeBucket Gazette. Our first issue was on May 19, 2003 and we\u2019ve been shoveling it to the public, just like the corporate media, ever since. We changed our format to a WordPress blog in 2011 so all of our earlier material was archived. We\u2019ve been reposting many of those archived articles, headlines, photo-toons, BilgeBucket Lists and other content over the past twelve years. In honor of our 20th, and because we\u2019re sick of the current state of affairs in the world, we\u2019ll be reposting more items from 2003 through 2009 throughout this year.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The writers are on strike which means some of our favorite comedy shows have shut down production. This stoppage brings up an old article from our June 26, 2007<\/strong> issue when we pondered a fall TV season where all the shows featured popular characters from commercials, like the cavemen from the Geico commercials<\/a> (yes, the cavemen actually had a deservedly short-lived TV show on ABC). Look at the progression: sitcoms, game shows, informercials, reality shows, more reality shows, a reality show President. Everything TV in the 21st century sucks! How many Real Housewife shows do we need? Not even one, if you ask us. Let’s face it, folks; the golden years of Hollywood are very far away in the rear view mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall TV Season: All Commercials <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recently, ABC announced that is was going to create a sitcom this fall about the cavemen from the popular Geico commercials. It didn\u2019t take long for the other networks to follow along like lemmings and announce that they too will broadcast shows featuring characters from popular television commercials. As a matter of fact, the whole fall schedule is now devoted to shows based on commercial characters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is an amazing development,\u201d said Brantly A. Burke, assistant programming exec for Fox. \u201cEight years ago, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire<\/em> ushered in the era of prime time game shows. Then Survivor<\/em> started the reality show trend which spawned dozens of copycat shows. Well, the new wave is here and its TV shows about commercial characters! What better way to produce revenue for the network than a half hour or hour long commercial. This will be revolutionary! We already have infomercials, which are quasi-entertainment. Why not take the next step and create entire sitcoms which are not only crowd pleasing but also sell a product. It\u2019s rampant commercialism on steroids.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geico struck it rich by not only getting a sitcom about the cavemen but also a sitcom featuring celebrity spokesmen Verne Troyer<\/a>, Peter Graves<\/a> and Little Richard<\/a> as door-to-door insurance salesmen and another sitcom featuring the Geico Gecko and his adventures in modern day London. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really not all that surprising,\u201d said the Geico Gecko in his trademark British accent. \u201cPeople like to be entertained and they find me adorable. Why not have me on more frequently? It\u2019s like if someone offers you free pie and chips. You\u2019re not going to turn down free pie and chips. It\u2019s pie…and chips…for free. Stop me if you\u2019ve heard this before.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burke expounded more about the shows. \u201cNow the whole show won\u2019t be one big sales pitch. There will be some semblance of a plot. But there will be subtle product placement and discussion of the product sprinkled liberally throughout the show. For instance, here\u2019s a sample of dialog from the show featuring Little Richard and Peter Graves.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graves:<\/em><\/strong> Wow! I\u2019m wiped out. I\u2019m too old to be a door-to-door insurance salesman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little Richard:<\/em><\/strong> Wooooooooo! I sure hope you have Geico Life Insurance in case you drop dead. Woooooooooo!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graves:<\/em><\/strong> You bet I do! And boy is it affordable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSee,\u201d said Burke. \u201cVery subtle.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of some new shows this fall include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n