The Flintstones (TV series)

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This article is about the TV series. For other uses, see The Flintstones.
The Flintstones
File:Flintstones title card (ver. 1).png
On-screen title card for the first two seasons.
Created by William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Network ABC
Production company Hanna-Barbera
Distributor Screen Gems
Original release September 30, 1960April 6, 1966
Starring Alan Reed
Mel Blanc
Jean Vander Pyl
Bea Benaderet
Gerry Johnson
Don Messick
Producer(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Music composed by Hoyt Curtin
Director(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
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The Flintstones is an American animated TV sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera (H-B) for ABC. It ran from 1960 to 1966, airing 166 episodes that spanned six seasons. It was the first prime-time animated series geared towards adults, although its accessibility for the whole family allowed it to be frequently repeated on Cartoon Network and Boomerang in their heydays.

In the Stone Age town/city of Bedrock, lives a working-class man, Fred Flintstone, and his wife, Wilma, along with their next door neighbours and best friends, Barney & Betty Rubble. Later additions included children for both families, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, respectively, and an alien visitor named the Great Gazoo.

Screen Gems/Columbia Pictures Television, who also co-produced, syndicated repeats of the program until 1981, when The Program Exchange picked up syndication on Columbia's behalf. In the mid-1990s, syndication moved to Turner Program Services, shortly after Turner's acquisition of H-B, and its acquisition of The Flintstones from Columbia. In 1998, it transferred to Warner Bros. Television Distribution, when Time Warner bought out Turner and its HB library.

The popularity and success of The Flintstones spawned spin-off shows, television specials, and movies (both animated and live-action). It also influenced H-B to make the Space-Age counterpart, The Jetsons (there was a crossover movie called The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones in 1987), as well as the Roman period The Roman Holidays, and the then 1970s contemporary Where's Huddles?, while Fox Television aired modern counterparts such as The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Between 2011 and 2012, Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy) was tasked with bringing a new Flintstones series to Fox Television. In 2019, it was announced that Elizabeth Banks had been given her own shot at a reboot. In 2020, a sequel series was officially announced to be in development called Bedrock, which would see Fred retiring and Pebbles embarking on her own career set at a time of the new Bronze Age. It will air on Fox.[1]

The entire series has been released on both DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

Production

Development

Music

The score was composed by Hoyt Curtin. The theme song for the first two seasons was called "Rise and Shine," while the second theme song introduced in the third season, "(Meet) The Flintstones," was written by Curtin, Hanna, and Barbera.

Episodes

Episode Number Air date
"The Flintstone Flyer" 1x01 September 30, 1960
"Hot Lips Hannigan" 1x02 October 7, 1960
"The Swimming Pool" 1x03 October 14, 1960
"No Help Wanted" 1x04 October 21, 1960
"The Split Personality" 1x05 October 28, 1960
"The Monster from the Tar Pits" 1x06 November 4, 1960
"The Babysitters" 1x07 November 11, 1960
"At the Races" 1x08 November 18, 1960
"The Engagement Ring" 1x09 November 25, 1960
"Hollyrock, Here I Come" 1x10 December 2, 1960
"The Golf Champion" 1x11 December 9, 1960
"The Sweepstakes Ticket" 1x12 December 16, 1960
"The Drive-In" 1x13 December 23, 1960
"The Prowler" 1x14 December 30, 1960
"The Girls' Night Out" 1x15 January 6, 1961
"Arthur Quarry's Dance Class" 1x16 January 13, 1961
"The Big Bank Robbery" 1x17 January 20, 1961
"The Snorkasaurus Hunter" 1x18 January 27, 1961
"The Hot Piano" 1x19 February 3, 1961
"The Hypnotist" 1x20 February 10, 1961
"Love Letters on the Rocks" 1x21 February 17, 1961
"The Tycoon" 1x22 February 24, 1961
"The Astra' Nuts" 1x23 March 3, 1961
"The Long, Long Weekend" 1x24 March 10, 1961
"In the Dough" 1x25 March 17, 1961
"The Good Scout" 1x26 March 24, 1961
"Rooms for Rent" 1x27 March 31, 1961
"Fred Flintstone: Before and After" 1x28 April 7, 1961
"The Hit Songwriters" 2x01 September 15, 1961
"Droop-Along Flintstone" 2x02 September 22, 1961
"The Missing Bus" 2x03 September 29, 1961
"Alvin Brickrock Presents" 2x04 October 6, 1961
"Fred Flintstone Woos Again" 2x05 October 13, 1961
"The Rock Quarry Story" 2x06 October 20, 1961
"The Soft Touchables" 2x07 October 27, 1961
"Flintstone of Prinstone" 2x08 November 3, 1961
"The Little White Lie" 2x09 November 10, 1961
"Social Climbers" 2x10 November 17, 1961
"The Beauty Contest" 2x11 December 1, 1961
"The Masquerade Ball" 2x12 December 8, 1961
"The Picnic" 2x13 December 15, 1961
"The House Guest" 2x14 December 22, 1961
"The X-Ray Story" 2x15 December 29, 1961
"The Gambler" 2x16 January 5, 1962
"A Star is Almost Born" 2x17 January 12, 1962
"The Entertainer" 2x18 January 19, 1962
"Wilma's Vanishing Money" 2x19 January 26, 1962
"Feudin' and Fussin'" 2x20 February 2, 1962
"Impractical Joker" 2x21 February 9, 1962
"Operation Barney" 2x22 February 16, 1962
"The Happy Household" 2x23 February 22, 1962
"Fred Strikes Out" 2x24 March 2, 1962
"This is Your Life Saver" 2x25 March 9, 1962
"Trouble-in-Law" 2x26 March 16, 1962
"The Mailman Cometh" 2x27 March 23, 1962
"The Rock Vegas" 2x28 March 30, 1962
"Divided We Sail" 2x29 April 6, 1962
"Kleptomaniac Caper" 2x30 April 13, 1962
"Latin Lover" 2x31 April 20, 1962
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" 2x32 April 27, 1962
"Dino Goes Hollyrock" 3x01 September 14, 1962
"Fred's New Boss" 3x02 September 21, 1962
"Barney the Invisible" 3x03 September 28, 1962
"Bowling Ballet" 3x04 October 5, 1962
"The Twitch" 3x05 October 12, 1962
"Here's Snow in Your Eyes" 3x06 October 19, 1962
"The Buffalo Convention" 3x07 October 26, 1962
"The Little Stranger" 3x08 November 2, 1962
"Baby Barney" 3x09 November 9, 1962
"Hawaiian Escapade" 3x10 November 16, 1962
"Ladies' Day" 3x11 November 23, 1962
"Nuthin' But the Tooth" 3x12 November 30, 1962
"High School Fred" 3x13 December 7, 1962
"Dial 'S' for Suspicion" 3x14 December 14, 1962
"Flashgun Freddie" 3x15 December 21, 1962
"The Kissing Burglar" 3x16 January 4, 1963
"Wilma the Maid" 3x17 January 11, 1963
"The Hero" 3x18 January 18, 1963
"The Surprise" 3x19 January 25, 1963
"Mother-in-Law's Visit" 3x20 February 1, 1963
"Foxy Grandma" 3x21 February 8, 1962
"The Blessed Event" 3x22 February 22, 1963
"Carry on, Nurse Fred" 3x23 March 1, 1963
"Ventriloquist Barney" 3x24 March 8, 1963
"The Big Move" 3x25 March 22, 1963
"Swedish Visitors" 3x26 March 29, 1963
"The Birthday Party" 3x27 April 5, 1963
"Ann-Margrock Presents" 4x01 September 19, 1963
"Groom Gloom" 4x02 September 26, 1963
"Little Bamm-Bamm" 4x03 October 3, 1963
"Dino Disappears" 4x04 October 10, 1963
"Fred's Monkeyshines" 4x05 October 17, 1963
"The Flintstone Canaries" 4x06 October 24, 1963
"Glue for Two" 4x07 October 31, 1963
"Big League Freddie" 4x08 November 7, 1963
"Old Lady Betty" 4x09 November 14, 1963
"Sleep on Sweet Fred" 4x10 November 21, 1963
"Kleptomaniac Pebbles" 4x11 November 28, 1963
"Daddy's Little Beauty" 4x12 December 5, 1963
"Daddies Anonymous" 4x13 December 12, 1963
"Peek-a-Boo Camera" 4x14 December 19, 1963
"Once Upon a Coward" 4x15 December 26, 1963
"Ten Little Flintstones" 4x16 January 2, 1964
"Fred El Terrifico" 4x17 January 9, 1964
"The Bedrock Hillbillies" 4x18 January 16, 1964
"Flintstone and the Lion" 4x19 January 23, 1964
"Cave Scout Jamboree" 4x20 January 30, 1964
"Room for Two" 4x21 February 6, 1964
"Ladies' Night at the Lodge" 4x22 February 13, 1964
"Reel Trouble" 4x23 February 20, 1964
"Son of Rockzilla" 4x24 February 27, 1964
"Bachelor Daze" 4x25 March 5, 1964
"Operation Switchover" 4x26 March 12, 1964
"Hop Happy" 5x01 September 17, 1964
"Monster Fred" 5x02 September 24, 1964
"Itty Bitty Fred" 5x03 October 1, 1964
"Pebbles' Birthday Party" 5x04 October 8, 1964
"Bedrock Rodeo Round-Up" 5x05 October 15, 1964
"Cinderellastone" 5x06 October 22, 1964
"A Haunted House is Not a Home" 5x07 October 29, 1964
"Dr. Sinister" 5x08 November 5, 1964
"The Gruesomes" 5x09 November 12, 1964
"The Most Beautiful Baby in Bedrock" 5x10 November 19, 1964
"Dino and Juliet" 5x11 November 26, 1964
"King for a Night" 5x12 December 3, 1964
"Indianrockolis 500" 5x13 December 10, 1964
"Adobe Dick" 5x14 December 17, 1964
"Christmas Flintstone" 5x15 December 25, 1964
"Fred's Flying Lesson" 5x16 January 1, 1965
"Fred's Second Car" 5x17 January 8, 1965
"The Time Machine" 5x18 January 15, 1965
"The Hatrocks and the Gruesomes" 5x19 January 22, 1965
"Moonlight and Maintenance" 5x20 January 29, 1965
"Sheriff for a Day" 5x21 February 5, 1965
"Deep in the Heart of Texarock" 5x22 February 12, 1965
"The Rolls Rock Caper" 5x23 February 19, 1965
"Superstone" 5x24 February 26, 1965
"Fred Meets Hercurock" 5x25 March 5, 1965
"Surfin' Fred" 5x26 March 12, 1965
"No Biz Like Show Biz" 6x01 September 17, 1965
"The House That Fred Built" 6x02 September 24, 1965
"The Return of Stony Curtis" 6x03 October 1, 1965
"Disorder in the Court" 6x04 October 8, 1965
"Circus Business" 6x05 October 15, 1965
"Samantha" 6x06 October 22, 1965
"The Great Gazoo" 6x07 October 29, 1965
"Rip Van Flintstone" 6x08 November 5, 1965
"The Gravelberry Pie King" 6x09 November 12, 1965
"The Stonefinger Caper" 6x10 November 19, 1965
"The Masquerade Party" 6x11 November 26, 1965
"Shinrock A Go-Go" 6x12 December 3, 1965
"Royal Rubble" 6x13 December 10, 1965
"Seeing Doubles" 6x14 December 17, 1965
"How to Pick a Fight with Your Wife Without Really Trying" 6x15 January 7, 1966
"Fred Goes Ape" 6x16 January 14, 1966
"The Long, Long, Long Weekend" 6x17 January 21, 1966
"Two Men on a Dinosaur" 6x18 February 4, 1966
"The Treasure of Seirra Madrock" 6x19 February 11, 1966
"Curtain Call at Bedrock" 6x20 February 18, 1966
"Boss for a Day" 6x21 February 25, 1966
"Fred's Island" 6x22 March 4, 1966
"Jealousy" 6x23 March 11, 1966
"Dripper" 6x24 March 18, 1966
"My Fair Freddy" 6x25 March 25, 1966
"The Story of Rocky's Raiders" 6x26 April 1, 1966

Cast

Celebrity guests

In popular culture

  • In the Cheers episode "Sam at Eleven," he says that viewers will get mad that his news segment will clash with Flintstones.
  • In the movie Police Academy 2, Mahoney talks about Fred and Wilma.
  • In the movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Del sings the second theme song on the bus. He even adds "Wilma!" at the end.
  • In the Family Matters episode "Body Damage," Carl mentions that Rachel broke his Flintstones mug.
  • In the Moesha episode "Credit Card," Hakeem enters the Mitchell household and calls the family the Flintstones, as part of a recurring gag of Hakeem referring to the family as other families in pop culture (both fake and real).
  • In the Clerks: The Animated Series episode "The Clip Show," Steven Spielberg directed Flintstone's List, a parody of Spielberg's film Schindler's List. The scene was cut when the episode was broadcast on ABC, but restored on the DVD.
  • In Nick at Night's pop-up trivia edition of the Brady Bunch episode "Adios, Johnny Bravo," they said that the Flintstones shared a bed, although this didn't happen at first
  • In the Outnumbered episode "The Tennis Match," Ben says that cavemen would fight each other to prevent the other one from stealing their brontosaurus based on the rules of Charles Darwin, but his mother retorts that it's something more like out of The Flintstones.
  • In The Cleveland Show episode "Cleveland Live!," the black card on-screen says "December 17, 1989, History is made. America says hello to the first non-prehistoric family in prime-time animation."
  • In the DC comic Harley Quinn's Valentine Day Special, Harley Quinn says, "Yabba dabba do me!" (Fred's catchphrase) when seeing Bruce Wayne.
  • In the season 8 "Columbus, Ohio" episode of Man v. Food, host Casey Webb referred to the pork as "Fred Flintstone food," alluding to the giant-sized ribs Fred would eat.

Comic Book Men

  • "Stash Wars:" When the guys talk about which cartoon background they'd like to live in, Mike picks Flintstones.
  • "To the Bat Cave:" Mike says he would want to base his man cave on Bedrock.
  • "Wookie Fever:" Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies, mentioned how his legs would stick out the bottom of the Millenium Falcon cockpit, which called for Brian to compare him to Fred driving the Flintmobile with his feet.

Family Guy

Main article: Family Guy
  • "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Bucks:" While walking in New York set to Flintstones-esque music, Peter tries to lift Meg's spirits by telling her she'll find her hidden talent, when they suddenly walk onto Bedrock.
  • "Dammit Janet!:" When Peter and Lois don't return to America after the plane they were on was hijacked in Cuba, it is reported on the news, with the artist's rending capturing a fat man inexplicably married to an attractive redhead, which is in the form of Fred and Wilma.
  • "Wasted Talent:" When the final scroll to entering the Pawtucket Brewery was found, Peter disappointedly asked aloud what he was going to do now, when the Great Gazoo popped up asking the "dum dum" what he could do for Peter, but all Peter wanted was to be left alone. Annoyed at Peter's treatment of him, Gazoo whined that it wasn't always about him, the "fatso."
  • "Ready, Willing, and Disabled:" A cavegirl carhop tips Joe's wheelchair over with a plate of ribs in the same manner as what happens to Fred's car in the "(Meet) The Flintstones" theme song.
  • "From Method to Madness:" Former child star Bamm-Bamm has grown up to become a taxi driver. When a bouncer tells Bamm-Bamm to take home another former child star Elroy Jetson, all Bamm-Bamm can still say is his own name.
  • "The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire:" Peter tells Cleveland that he walked in on the latter's wife having sex with another man, and when playing it out he uses the word "bam" several times as an onomatopoeia. Peter then asks Bamm-Bamm to continue for him in referencing his catchphrase, then Bamm-Bamm asks Emeril Lagasse to take over as he uses a similar catchphrase. Bamm-Bamm is voiced by MacFarlane.
  • "Peter's Got Woods:" When Brian is busy on another date with his new girlfriend, Peter tries to replace him with Barney. We then see Peter at the Rubbles', where he is waiting for Barney to finish in the toilet, so they can go play darts. Barney is using a pelican as a toilet, who makes a joke about his predicament. A sheep later made the same kind of joke after hearing Meg was on her period. MacFarlane voices Barney.
  • "Patriot Games:" Brian takes the same $50 bet on a celebrity boxing match between Mike Tyson and Carol Channing as Betting Freddie does, who stutters the word "bet" like the addicted gambler he was in "The Gambler." He then gets serious and claims there's nothing funny about addiction and tells the audience to vote "No" on Indian gaming bars. Fred is voiced by Jeff Bergman.
  • "Chick Cancer:" Olivia mentions that she starred with Victor in a Flintstones vitamin commercial.
  • "Road to Rupert:" In a reenactment of "(Meet) The Flintstones", Meg drives Peter to the Quahog Drive-In, where he sticks his head through the car roof like and then has Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm placed on top of his head, just like what happens with Dino.
  • "Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air:" Fred and Barney attend the inaugural ball of the Quahog Men's Club, where Fred reveals to Barney that he accidentally caught sight of Betty undressing, who say Fred, but continued anyway, giving way to Fred's e-rock-tion. Bergman voices both Fred and Barney.
  • "Peter's Daughter:" Fred takes Wilma to Mr. Stoneberg to get a legal separation for not letting him back in after Baby Puss removes him from their house and locks him outside. He had been knocking for 20 minutes and shouting "Wilma!" but she claims to not have heard because she was taking a shower, but he believes that she was simply ignoring him and goes on further about her spending all his money on expensive clothes and hairdos, and not being available for sex, the "passive-aggressive bitch" she is. Bergman is the voice Fred.
  • "Stew-Roids": Gina says that Chris smells like Fred's ass. The scene then cuts to Fred, who says that no one's telling her to smell it. Fred is voiced by Bergman.
  • "Quagmire's Baby:" Quagmire is selling a tape of The Best of the World's Wildest Police Chases, which features the police in a high speed pursuit of Fred in the Flintmobile, also carrying Dino, Pebbles, and Bamm-Bamm. Dino pops his head through the roof, and Fred places the babies on top of Dino's head. Fred manages to avoid them until he enters a drive-in movie theater and smashes into a snack bar. Fred tries to escape over a fence, but is caught and clobbered by the police. The narrator finishes his commentary by saying "Yabba-Dabba-Don't."
  • "The Simpsons Guy:" Fred acts as a judge when Peter and Homer Simpson go to court over the Pawtucket Patriot Ale being a copyright infringement over Duff Beer. He claims that both brands are imitations of Budrock, but is in favor of Duff Beer. Fred is voiced by none other than Bergman.
  • "The 2000-Year-Old Virgin": Meg takes a job as a tag remover using her teeth. After she does it, she responds with, "It's a living", with accompanying "wah-wah-wah" music.
  • "Peter, Chris, & Brian:" Peter puts "Wilma Flintstone pearl necklaces" on him and Chris as a key to success.

Heartbreak High

  • In "Episode 8" (season 2), Mr. Deloraine asked his nephew, Matt, how the stereo was at the warehouse he had recently moved into, with Matt responding that it looked liked something Freddy Flintstone built.

Robot Chicken

Main article: Robot Chicken
  • "Easter Basket:" In a parody of the Fruity Pebbles commercials, things take a dark turn when Barney steals Fred's cereal.
  • "Yancy the Yo-Yo-Boy:"
  • "Big Trouble in Little Clerks 2:"
  • "Casablankman II:"
  • "Up, Up and Buffet:"
  • "Triple Hot Dog Sandwich on Wheat:"
  • "Strummy Strummy Sad Sad:"

Saturday Night Live

  • "John Goodman/The Pretenders:" Although more in promotion for the 1994 live-action film, host John Goodman, wearing a Fred costume (not like the one he wore in the film), does a sketch where he gives the Stone Age names of some celebrities, before removing celebrities' names who already have "Stone" or "Rock" in them.
  • "Kieran Culkin/Ed Sheehan:" In "The Heist" sketch, the thief sarcastically asks if he is Fred Flintstein when told he has two use both of his feet to drive a stick shift. When the hacker questions him about calling him "Flintstein," the thief responds, "Did I stutter? Frederick Flintstein."

Teen Titans Go!

Main article: Teen Titans Go!
  • "Double Trouble:" Cyborg is dressed like Fred in a game called "Cavemen and Dinosaurs".
  • "Serious Business:" Mankind was primitive until the first toilet was made, with the worlds of Flintstones and Jetsons representing the before and after.

References