TV Review: Human Discoveries (2019). This animated cave-man comedy from Facebook Watch isn't as primitive as it looks.

Image courtesy of Facebook Watch

Tv Review: Human Discoveries (2019) by Ben Jeffries (19/7/2019)

Season 1 Episode 1-3 (16/7/2019)

23 minutes per episode

Comedy, Animation,

Streaming on Facebook Watch

While it may not be reinventing the wheel when it comes to animated sitcoms, Human Discoveries is smarter than it might first appear.

A group of friends living at the dawn of human civilization are the first to discover necessities like fire, and the wheel. We'll watch as they stumble onto humanity's best, and worst, innovations. Art. Alcohol. Fashion. Racism. Small talk. And, much to their confusion, monogamy. With a likable cast of characters, this peppy animated comedy is smarter than it’s prehistoric setting might imply as it cleverly subverts the caveman aesthetic to highlight our own limited evolution.

Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick lend their voices to the lead roles of this adult cartoon from Facebook Watch. They play Gary and Jane respectively, two members of a prehistoric group of cave dwellers. Gary is one of the camps hunters, Jane a gatherer, but both secretly hope for more. Gary doesn’t have the muscled physique of the chief hunter, Ugg (Paul Scheer), who spends his days spearing elk in the woods around camp. Gary is more of an every-caveman, doing what he can to get by. Jane is an ideas-woman with plans to make life better for the camp, but she’s constantly frustrated by her lack of authority within the group as one of the gatherers (read: women). In the opening episode it’s Gary who accidentally discovers how to make fire when, sharpening the tip of his spear too vigorously (that’s not a euphemism), he strikes a spark that sets a nearby pile of tinder alight. This discovery is the start of a technological revolution that will change the course of history, but Gary’s first instinct is to try and use it to impress a girl. Gary might be the first man to make fire, but it’s Jane who first puts it to a practical use, setting fire to the reed baskets around the camps perimeter, helping the camp to spot the predators which stalk them at night.

Among their fellow camp mates are Gary’s best friend, the gregarious and likable Trogg, voiced by Lamorne Morris (New Girl), and Jillian Bell (Workaholics) as Jane’s friend, the pragmatic and direct Minerva. The muscled and manly chief hunter is Ugg, voiced by Paul Scheer (Black Monday). Efron is clealry having fun in the role of Gary, leaning on his comedic experience to drive the character, but seeing him limited to just the vocal element of his performance really highlights how physical his acting style is. Kendrick’s vocal work is textured and expressive, balancing the comedic script against her characters motivations as Jane negotiates the camps social order. Scheer is a lot of fun as the hunter Ugg, able to play both the overconfident masculinity and the moments of whacky comedy without being too broad. Casting Bell as Minerva is a brilliant choice; her characteristic timing and precise inflection turns even the most mundane phrases into punch lines. The supporting cast is littered with familiar voices, from comedian James Adomian, and actor Sam Richardson (Veep), to a guest spot from Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec), and a recurring Lisa Kudrow (Friends)who voices one of the elk herd which observe the humans from the forests edge.

Beyond the strength of it’s cast, Human Discoveries is funnier than you might think at first blush. Given the setting there’s a base level of gross humour that’s to be expected. These are unsophisticated characters and it’s fitting that they find things like poop and casual violence funny, and the show isn’t shy about exploiting that angle. As Bart, a member of the camp, is being eaten by a tiger in the opening scene of the first episode, titled And Then They Discovered Fire, the hunt leader Ugg begins a solemn eulogy. As Ugg mourns his fallen comrade he’s interrupted by Bart screaming “I’m not dead!” It’s not a new joke, but it plays well in the moment and lets the audience know early on what to expect from the show. Later in the same episode Gary, who has made the worlds first pair of underpants, proceeds to involuntarily fill his new garment as the same tiger approaches him with ravenous intent. The drawn out scene is rendered in excruciating slow motion and gassy sound effects, as the camera pans across the various horrified or disgusted expressions of each of Gary’s friends while his new pants slowly expand. For some viewers it will probably be a bit much. Thankfully, low brow body humour isn’t the only arrow in the shows comedic quiver.

Built into the premise of the show is a smarter brand of comedy as well. As the inhabitants of the camp stumble onto the critical technologies which bootstrapped humanity to the top of the food chain, such as fire, cooking, and the wheel, Human Discoveries cleverly examines more recent social upheavals. Following Gary’s accidental discovery of fire it’s not long before the camp have descended into a routine of working during the day before sitting down to stare mindlessly into the fire for hours every night. They’re no longer interested in making conversation with each other, or telling stories to pass the time. Soon enough, they’re all wandering around with their own personal little fires on the ends of sticks, socially isolated and walking into things. Jane, confused by the development, wonders aloud “what kind of idiot walks around all day staring at a little glowing thing in their hand?” The metaphor of fires mesmerizing dance as an analog for the warm glow of our own modern day screens may not be a particularly incisive insight, but it is a level of thoughtfulness beyond what an audience might expect in an animated sitcom that features an extended pants pooping scene.

Watching the cave society adjust to important discoveries like fire, or wine, provides ample opportunity for the moments that make comedies appealing: characters making bad choices. During history’s first blackout drinking session an already tipsy Minerva yells “this stuff has no consequences!” as she hands out fermented berry juice to the camp. Watching the camp come to terms with the resulting hangover is a fun take on a familiar story. When an unexpected rainstorm puts out all the fires in camp except the one in Gary’s cave, he’s faced with a difficult choice. Everyone crowds into his cave looking for light and warmth, which is awkward, because Gary happens to be naked. As his friends stand there staring at him, Gary has to decide whether he wants to save the camps fire or his own dignity. Human Discoveries keeps a foot either side of the line which separates the low brow poop gags from the more thoughtful comedy.

Concept driven comedies like this one can have a hard time striking a balance between honoring the premise of the show and making the show accessible to an audience without asking them to jump through mental hoops. Human Discoveries achieves that balance thanks to two strategies: it never allows the premise to get in the way of a joke, and it never apologises for breaking it’s own rules. While the characters of the show are cave people named Ugg and Trogg, they aren’t grunting, non-verbal savages. From the outset, as Ugg tries to eulogise the screaming Bart, his language is well developed, actually using the word “eulogise”. When no one puts their hand up to go and save the still alive Bart from the tiger, Ugg explains that the idea “isn’t really getting any traction.” It’s a funny subversion of the audiences expectations for the group of shirtless men wearing leather skirts and carrying stone tipped spears, and it instantly gives the shows characters permission to be much smarter than they should be.

Later, as Jane and Ugg argue about the camps division of labour, the script doesn’t waste time trying to explain away how these primitive people understand the concept. It doesn’t let itself get bogged down in setting up the complicated social concepts it’s talking about unless there’s an angle for humour in them. The show presents itself confidently, relying on the strength of it’s writing to engage the audience, rather than attempting to win them over moment by moment. These people live in caves. They wear leather skirts because it’s the only clothing they know how to make, and they eat raw elk meat because fire hasn’t been invented yet. Watching them adjust to the shifting status quo wouldn’t be as fun if they weren’t so immediately relatable on a personal level.

Provided by ShadowMachine, the animation style employed for Human Discoveries will look familiar to anyone who’s seen their other work, presented in pastel shades with solid outlining. The environments and backgrounds are specific enough to root the show in a particular place, but they aren’t the detailed backdrops the studio has produced for other animated shows like Bojack Horseman or Tuca and Bertie. The clearing where the camp meets to discuss important matters is a round green space with a few lines drawn in it to suggest grass. The fruit trees the gatherers harvest for food are green cloud shapes with red circles on them to represent the fruit. The characters leather costumes are represented through shades of brown and dotted lines for the basic stitching. Where those other shows featured busy locations filled with background characters and set dressing, Human Discoveries’ needs are much more basic, employing primitive designs to match the primitive aesthetic.

A high powered cast and an unexpectedly clever bent to the writing elevate Human Discoveries beyond the simple caveman comedy it could have been. With it’s specific viewpoint that parodies modern culture by taking it back to it’s fundamental origins, the show mines fresh humour from familiar sources. The less sophisticated gags may be a bit on the gross side for some viewers but, if you can stand the occasional poop joke, well developed characters and surprising takes on everything from mansplaining to monogamy make for an amusing watch. As long as the show continues to expand on it’s premise it will be a solid addition to the lineup over at Facebook Watch.

6.5/10

Human Discoveries is Produced by: Ninjas Runnin’ Wild Productions, ShadowMachine,

Distributed by: Facebook Watch

Created By: Chris Bruno & David Howard Lee

Written by: Chris Bruno & David Howard Lee

Starring: Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, Lamorne Morris, Jillian Bell, Paul Scheer, Ed Begley Jr., James Adomian, Sam Richardson, Lisa Kudrow, Stephanie Beatriz,

Executive Producers: Kirk J. Rudell, Chris Bruno, David Howard LeeCorey Campodonico, Alex Bulkley, Mike Simkin, Jason Barrett, Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick

Music: Jake Monaco