To protect the prehistoric cave family from being thrown out by apartment manager Mr. Tyler (Alan DeWitt), astronauts Mac (Frank Aletter) and Hector (Jack Mullaney) tell him they are foreign diplomats from Nordania. Hector goes on to say the Nordanian ambassador will be coming to see them. Now, they must produce such a fictitious person. Mac talks an actor friend named Tony Nugent (Herb Edelman) into posing as the ambassador. The cave family has a fiasco at an upscale clothing store and decide to remain in their primitive clothing. They flip the script and have the ambassador to wear an animal skin. Mr. Tyler spots a "property of Majestic Pictures" tag on the clothes and returns with the studio Vice President Boris Polanski (Leon Askin, General Burkhalter of "Hogan's Heroes" fame). The surprise outcome is far better than they had hoped.
This is the final episode of the series. ("The Stowaway" was the final broadcast, but was originally intended to be the 19th episode. It was preempted by the Super Bowl, and ran as the last episode, entirely out of context- as it was still set in prehistoric times.) There is a sense of resolution, and given the context and absurdity of the show, it fits as the ending.
Reflecting upon the series, it had an interesting, unique premise that the writers had trouble expanding upon. If not fully mined for laughs, it at least touched upon many of the funny situations that could arise from adjusting to 1 million years of life. It was hard to think of Frank Aletter and Jack Mullaney as stars when you had the established talents of Imogene Coca and Joe E. Ross, who eventually shifted into that role. Many of the episodes were repetitive, but some were funny enough to make it an enjoyable short-lived run. Starting off, the series has some funny dialogue and situational comedy. It's family friendly, and I can see how kids would enjoy it. It's silliness is part of its fun. If you allow the absurdity to be part of the enjoyment, it can be a fun series.
I'm 26, so for me, I grew up with the shows of 90s and loved them. Then the new millennium rolled around....and what happened? What are these distasteful, offensive shows on today, and why is it viewed as acceptable? I don't know what happened to the industry, but I can tell you what happened to me- I turned to television from the classic period. They are most certainly funnier, better written, wholesome, and some drive home important moral lessons. Most important is proper family guidance, but I do feel these shows have helped shape my character. I feel fortunate to have not been brainwashed into absurdity of part of my generation- of which I share only age. My wife is 23, and she too loves the classic shows. When we have children, we hope to share that love with them.
