The Flintstones celebrated 50-years on television. The animated knockoff of The Honeymooners, the #1 television show of its day, aired on ABC from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was centered around Fred Flintstone, a working class Stone Age man, his family and his best friend Barney Rubble. The Honeymooners, lest we forget, centered around Ralph Kramden a working class bus driver, his best pal Ed Norton, who worked in the sewers and their wives, Alice and Trixie. Fred and Barney were also married to Wilma and Betty.

Flintstones, The Setting

Set in the Stone Age town of Bedrock, Fred, Barney and all of the other barefoot cavemen went about their lives co-existing peacefully with dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers, wooly mammoths and other long-extinct creatures of the past. They worked, they shopped, they did chores around the house, attended lodge meetings, and went bowling, all with the assistance of technology made entirely out of stone, wood and animal skins.

There were baby woolly mammoth vacuum cleaners, adult woolly mammoth showers, birds that acted as horns for cars and doubled with their beaks as record player needles. There were pelican washing machines, elevators powered by brontosaurus and "electric" razors made by capturing bees in a clamshell. Yes…The Flintstones were on the cutting edge – of "trailing edge" technology.

Fun for more than the kids

The Stone Age theme allowed the producers and writers to play with gags and puns involving rocks. There were places like "Hollyrock", were movie stars called home and we’re talking, Pre-historic screen legends such as Cary Granite, Stony Curtis, and Ann-Margrock. There were great film producers like Alfred Brickrock, film characters like Perry Masonary, rock stars Mick Jadestone and the Beau Brummelstones. The best part of all that was the actual stars performing the voices for their respective characters.

Expanding the Flintstone Families

Like all decent and good Stone Age men Fred Flintstone and his wife Wilma would eventually start a family, as would the Rubbles, Barney and Betty. Into later episodes eventually came the children, Pebbles Flintsone and Bamm-Bamm Rubble (so named for his extraordinary strength). There was also Dino, the Flintstones’ pet dinosaur, who barked like a dog, and Pearl Pebble Slaghoople, Fred’s "battle-axe" of a mother-in-law.

Surrounding Characters

There were great surrounding characters as well that rounded out the show such as, Arnold, the Flintstones’ paper boy, who always seemed to outsmart Fred. Joe Rockhead, Fred’s other bowling buddy. Mr. Slate, Fred’s hot-tempered boss at the gravel-pit, and appearing in later episodes, The Great Gazoo, an alien exiled to earth who helps Fred and Barney with various tasks, often getting them into mischief.

Voices behind the Flintstones

Behind the characters were the voices that gave the animation life. Voice actor Alan Reed, whose portrayal of Fred Flintstone so closely matched The Honeymooners main character Ralph Kramden played by the legendary Jackie Gleason, that Gleason’s lawyers considered suing Hanna-Barbera. Gleason to his credit relented, not wanting to be known as the guy who took Fred Flintstone off the air and broke the hearts of millions of children. Barney Rubble was voiced by legendary cartoon voice actor Mel Blanc, who perfectly mimicked Ed Norton of The Honeymooners, played by Art Carney, further complicating matters for Hanna-Barbera.

Some little known facts about the Flintstones

• Harvey Korman voiced The Great Gazoo from 1965-1966, Korman later became a prominent comedic actor co-starring on the Carol Burnett Show and appearing in Mel Brooks films such as Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety.

• The familiar vocal theme "Meet the Flintstones", melody was taken from the ‘B’ section of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 17, movement 2 – composed in 1801. It remains today the most recognized kids TV theme among both children and adults.

• Polls showed that the Flintstones were watched by two adults for every one child that viewed – a testament to its clever and brilliant writing.

• The Flintstones was the first American animated show to depict two people of the opposite sex (Fred and Wilma; Barney and Betty) sleeping together in one bed, although Fred and Wilma are sometimes depicted as sleeping in separate beds.

• The Flintstones also became the first primetime-animated series to last more than two seasons; this record wasn't surpassed by another primetime-animated TV series until the third season of The Simpsons in 1992.

• In 1961, The Flintstones was the first animated series to be nominated for an Outstanding Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award. They lost to The Jack Benny Show.

• Post Foods brands still report record sales of Fruity Pebbles and Coca Pebbles cereals, which depict Flintstones characters, Fred and Barney.

• Flintstones chewables are still the #1 selling brand of children’s vitamins.

How to enjoy the Flintstones Today

The Flintstones are currently airing on Boomerang – don’t have Boomerang call today and order DISH Network service and watch the Flintstones on Boomerang!

By: Bob Jackson