Meet Benji Lessman. He's an agent's agent. No, he's not the toast of the percentery business. He's an agent for agents, proprietor of the Less is More Agency. And he's got his own publicist -- twin publicists, in fact.

If it all sounds absurb, well, it should, because it's the conceit of of "Layers," an inside-showbiz satire series of vid shorts set to debut Sept. 21 on Turner Broadcasting's Superdeluxe comedy broadband net. (Click here for a streaming video sneak of the debut installment.)

"Layers" is the brainchild of twin comics Jason and Randy Sklar (they guested as the battling twin assistants on a recent "Entourage" seg, and they played battling conjoined twins last year on "Grey's Anatomy") and thesp Nick Kroll (pictured above), who is soon to make his primetime series debut on ABC's "Cavemen." Superdeluxe has ordered eight five-minute segs of the trio's sendup of showbiz and its ever-growing entourages.

"I'm passionate about people who are passionate about people," Lessman explains of his vocation. To give the shorts an authentic backdrop of a Wilshire Boulevard talent agency, the shorts were shot at the Sklars' and Kroll's respective management firms, Principato-Young and Thruline Entertainment.

(The debut seg opens with a title card featuring a quote from a recent column by Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart, but to be crystal clear, Variety has no formal tie to "Layers.")

Lessman was a character that Kroll was doing in his alterna-comedy standup act for a few years. The Sklars (pictured right) met him while they were producing and hosting the ESPN Classic series "Cheap Seats," and they all vowed to work together at some point on something cool. "Layers" kinda fell together earlier this year, and after they shot the first three, Superdeluxe was quick to order five more. They'll roll out once a week on Superdeluxe on Friday nights starting next week.

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

You know how when a jury hears something they shouldn't, and the judge asks them not to consider that piece of evidence in deliberations.

Attorneys say no matter a judge's instructions, you can't put the genie back in the bottle. Well, even though the pilot screened by critics isn't actually the pilot to be shown later in the fall, you can't put the "Cavemen" back in the, uh, cave.

So while the original pilot left many scribes underwhelmed, the public will never know what they missed.

With a new lead recast and a pilot being reshot because "it was too far into the development of the characters," according to ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson, "Cavemen" still has other issues to face.

For example, a few critics felt the Cavemen were actually euphemisms for black people — the characters are superior athletes, are excluded from high-society events and looked upon as second-class citizens.

"We're aware the pilot leans in that direction, but the characters don't stand for one group," explained exec producer Josh Gordon (pictured left).

"But is that a concern?," asked exec producer Mike Schiff (pictured right). "Absolutely. Could it be an issue? Yes. But we want to show these stereotypes as incorrect."

"This is a story about acclimation," added co-exec producer Joe Lawson. "We write the stories from that point of view."

The show, which arrived at ABC very late in the development stage, is based on the popular Geico commercials. And, no, there are no plans for the gecko to appear in future episodes (and, yes, Allstate or other sponsors selling insurance are welcome to buy spots).

To get in proper Cavemen mode, the actors are in makeup for three hours every day and look nothing like the characters they play without their facial hair added. That might work to their advantage if the show doesn't last, as they won't be broad-brushed with a failed series. Though if it's a hit, conversely, they may not be able to cash in.

"I'm not an attractive man, so to be hidden behind makeup is fine with me," joked actor Nick Kroll.

-- Stuart Levine