5 TV Shows That Were Based On Commercials

"Ted Lasso" is a popular comedy series based on a commercial. The character Ted Lasso first appeared in commercials for NBC Sports' coverage of England's Premier League in 2013. The show, created by Bill Lawrence, premiered on Apple TV+ in 2020 and has been critically acclaimed. Despite initial success, the third season received mixed reviews, but the fourth season continued to perform well.

On the other end of the spectrum, the GEICO Cavemen are a prime example of a commercial that failed to translate to a successful TV show. The original 2004 advertisements promised that switching to GEICO for car insurance was "so easy a caveman could do it." While audiences enjoyed seeing the cavemen during commercial breaks, ABC faced criticism for depicting the cavemen as an offensive stand-in for African-Americans.

The show's premiere received mixed buzz, and viewership quickly declined after the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike.

Two other notable shows based on commercials are "Cavemen" and a now-defunct series featuring Baby Bob. The GEICO Cavemen ads, created by FreeInternet.com, used the cavemen to promote affordable car insurance. However, when FreeInternet went bankrupt, the cavemen survived and later became GEICO's spokescharacters. Baby Bob, a chatty infant from FreeInternet.com commercials, also faced a rocky transition to television.

Initially showcased in commercials for the internet service provider, Baby Bob became the star of a short-lived sitcom on CBS in 2002. Unfortunately, the show's reception was poor, leading to its cancellation after just six episodes. The character would later make a comeback in commercials for Quiznos sandwiches in 2005. Lastly, Coca-Cola's iconic "Hey Kid, Catch!" commercial featuring Mean Joe Greene has become a timeless advertisement.

First aired in 1979, the commercial has been remade for various countries and even expanded into a full-length TV movie titled "The Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid."