"The Flintstones" (1960) TV series 1960-1966

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Writers:

Joseph Barbera (writer)
Herbert Finn (writer)
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

30 September 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Comedy

Plot:

The misadventures of a modern stone-age family and friends.

Plot Keywords:

The Flintstones | Theremin | Suspend Disbelief | Cartoon Dinosaur | Dinosaur As Dog

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Jean Vander Pyl	...	Wilma Flintstone / ... (167 episodes, 1959-1966)
Alan Reed	...	Fred Flintstone (166 episodes, 1960-1966)
Mel Blanc	...	Barney Rubble / ... (166 episodes, 1960-1966)
Bea Benaderet	...	Betty Rubble / ... (161 episodes, 1960-1966)
John Stephenson	...	Mr. Nate Slate / ... (74 episodes, 1960-1966)

(more)

Series Directed by
Joseph Barbera		(167 episodes, 1959-1966)
William Hanna		(167 episodes, 1959-1966)

Series Writing credits
Warren Foster		(43 episodes, 1960-1966)
Michael Maltese		(11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Arthur Phillips		(11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Harvey Bullock		(10 episodes, 1962-1965)
Tony Benedict		(9 episodes, 1962-1965)
Barry E. Blitzer		(8 episodes, 1963-1965)
Alan Dinehart		(5 episodes, 1965)
Walter Black		(2 episodes, 1963)
R.S. Allen		(2 episodes, 1965)
Bill Idelson		(1 episode, 1964)
Joseph Barbera		(unknown episodes)
Herbert Finn		(unknown episodes)
Ralph Goodman		(unknown episodes)
Rance Howard		(unknown episodes)
Larry Markes		(unknown episodes)
Rick Mittleman		(unknown episodes)
George O'Hanlon		(unknown episodes)
Jack Raymond		(unknown episodes)
Sydney Zelinka		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Joseph Barbera	....	producer (18 episodes, 1960-1965)
William Hanna	....	producer (18 episodes, 1960-1965)
Alan Dinehart	....	associate producer (11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Alex Lovy	....	associate producer (5 episodes, 1962-1965)

Series Original Music by
Hoyt Curtin		(unknown episodes, 1960-1965)
Ted Nichols		(unknown episodes, 1965-1966)
Will Schaefer		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Dick Blundell		(unknown episodes)
Gene Borghi		(unknown episodes)
Charles Flekal		(unknown episodes)
Frank Paiker		(unknown episodes)
John Pratt		(unknown episodes)
Hal Shiffman		(unknown episodes)
Norman Stainback		(unknown episodes)
Roy Wade		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Greg Watson		(16 episodes, 1960-1965)
Donald Douglas		(13 episodes, 1960-1965)
Joe Ruby		(12 episodes, 1960-1962)
Warner E. Leighton		(11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Ken Spears		(11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Hank Gotzenberg		(1 episode, 1962)

Series Production Management
Howard Hanson	....	production supervisor / production manager (9 episodes, 1960-1965)

Series Art Department
Arthur Davis	....	storyboard artist (1 episode, 1960)
Dan Gordon	....	storyboard artist (1 episode, 1960)
Alex Lovy	....	storyboard artist (1 episode, 1960)

Series Sound Department
Buddy Myers	....	sound director / sound direction (3 episodes, 1964-1965)
Richard Olson	....	sound director (2 episodes, 1965)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Paiker	....	camera / camera operator (17 episodes, 1960-1965)
Charles Flekal	....	camera / camera operator (16 episodes, 1960-1965)
Norman Stainback	....	camera / camera operator (15 episodes, 1960-1965)
Roy Wade	....	camera / camera operator (15 episodes, 1960-1965)
Gene Borghi	....	camera / camera operator (2 episodes, 1964-1965)

Series Animation Department
Richard Bickenbach	....	layout artist (17 episodes, 1960-1965)
Kenneth Muse	....	animator / animation (15 episodes, 1959-1965)
Ed Love	....	animation / animator (14 episodes, 1960-1965)
Dick Lundy	....	animation / animator (14 episodes, 1960-1965)
Fernando Montealegre	....	background artist (13 episodes, 1960-1965)
George Nicholas	....	animation / animator (13 episodes, 1960-1962)
Walt Clinton	....	layout artist (12 episodes, 1960-1965)
Art Lozzi	....	background artist (12 episodes, 1960-1962)
Don Patterson	....	animation / animator (12 episodes, 1960-1962)
Richard H. Thomas	....	background artist (12 episodes, 1960-1962)
Carlo Vinci	....	animation / animator (12 episodes, 1960-1962)
Robert Gentle	....	background artist (11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Bill Keil	....	animation / animator (11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Arrahwanna Thomsen	....	ink and paint artist (9 episodes, 1966)
Charles A. Nichols	....	animation director (7 episodes, 1962-1965)
Lance Nolley	....	layout artist (4 episodes, 1962-1965)
Rene Garcia	....	background artist (4 episodes, 1964-1965)
Phil Lewis	....	background artist (3 episodes, 1964-1965)
Jack Huber	....	layout artist (2 episodes, 1964-1965)
Bill Hutten	....	animation / animator (2 episodes, 1964-1965)
Don Watson	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1964-1965)
Allen Wilzbach	....	animator (2 episodes, 1964-1965)
Fernando Arce	....	background artist (2 episodes, 1965)
Jerry Eisenberg	....	layout artist (1 episode, 1964)
Willie Ito	....	layout artist (1 episode, 1964)
Iwao Takamoto	....	layout artist (1 episode, 1964)
Ed Benedict	....	character designer (unknown episodes)
Preston Blair	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Harry Holt	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Don Jurwich	....	layout artist (unknown episodes)
Lin Larsen	....	layout artist (unknown episodes)
Amby Paliwoda	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Ray Patterson	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Virgil Ross	....	animator (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Randall Robinson	....	apprentice film editor (5 episodes, 1966)
Warner E. Leighton	....	supervising film editor (2 episodes, 1965)

Series Music Department
Hoyt Curtin	....	musical director / musical direction (16 episodes, 1960-1965)
Jack Stern	....	music arranger (2 episodes, 1960)
Ted Nichols	....	musical director (2 episodes, 1965)
Joseph Barbera	....	composer: theme song "Meet the Flintstones" (unknown episodes)
William Hanna	....	composer: theme "Meet the Flintstones" (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Alex Lovy	....	story director (16 episodes, 1960-1965)
Arthur Davis	....	story director (11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Lawrence Goble	....	titles (11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Dan Gordon	....	story director (11 episodes, 1960-1962)
Arthur Pierson	....	story supervisor / story supervision (5 episodes, 1962-1965)

Production Companies

• Hanna-Barbera Productions
• Screen Gems Television (a television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures Corporation)

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1960-1966) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia Pictures Television
• DFS Program Exchange
• Screen Gems
• Telepictures Distribution
• The Program Exchange
• Turner Program Services (TPS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 1-3)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (seasons 4-)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Worldvision Enterprises

Other Companies

• Bayer  original sponsor (Alka Seltzer/One-a Day vitamins)
• R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company  original sponsor (Winston cigarettes)
• Unilever Brands  original sponsor (Skippy peanut butter)
• Welch's  original sponsor

Also Known As:

The Flagstones (USA) (working title)
The Gladstones (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:30 min (166 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/Ontario/Quebec) (video rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (some episodes) | UK:U (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | USA:TV-G | Brazil:Livre

Company:

Hanna-Barbera Productions

Trivia:

The show was broadcast in black-and-white for the first two seasons (1960-1962), although all materials (episodes, Winston cigarette commercials, and opening/closing sequences) were always produced in color (thus the color versions of the "Rise and Shine" opening/closing credits that now air). The first episode broadcast in color was episode 3.1 "Dino Goes Hollyrock" (14 September 1962)

Goofs:

Continuity: Fred and Barney's boss's name keeps changing from George Slate to George Granite and back throughout the first season.

Quotes:

Fred Flintstone: Yabba Dabba Do!

Movie Connections:

Edited into 'Weird Al' Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Talkin' Loud Ain't Sayin' Nothin'

None of the other Hanna-Barbera cartoons were this funny--or this smart

"The Flintstones" was so dead-on satirical in its view of a prehistoric suburban world that I don't really understand it when people tell me they liked "The Jetsons" better. There's nobody I can relate to on "The Jetsons", no character who exudes any warmth or wit. The characters here (Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty, Dino, Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm, Mr. Slate, Mrs. Slaghoople, etc.) have expressions and personalities which are instantly recognizable to an audience. They're a very funny bunch, and they often find each other greatly amusing as well (each character has a sense of humor--and their friendships really do seem like a bond). I don't know why the Hanna-Barbera team weren't able to duplicate the quality of this show in terms of its writing and voice-casting (perhaps it was all a fluke?), but "The Flintstones" has it all: great writing and voices which bring one-dimensional drawings to life, terrific plots, fantastic music by Hoyt Curtin. Not a kiddie show...not a sitcom...not a child-pacifier. "The Flintstones" is a minor miracle.