The Flintstones - wikipedia The Flintstones This article is about the original television series. For other uses, see Flintstone. This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in - universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. ( October 2017 ) The Flintstones Genre Animated Sitcom Created by William Hanna Joseph Barbera Directed by William Hanna Joseph Barbera Voices of Alan Reed Jean Vander Pyl Mel Blanc Bea Benaderet ( 1960 -- 64 ) Gerry Johnson ( 1964 -- 66 ) Don Messick John Stephenson Verna Felton Doug Young June Foray Howard Morris Theme music composer Hoyt Curtin Opening theme `` Rise and Shine '' ( instrumental ) ( first two seasons and the first two episodes of season 3 ) `` Meet the Flintstones '' ( remainder of the show 's run ) Ending theme `` Rise and Shine '' ( instrumental ) ( first two seasons and the first two episodes of season 3 ) `` Meet the Flintstones '' ( rest of the show 's run ) `` Open Up Your Heart ( and Let the Sunshine In ) '' ( some episodes on season 6 ) Composer ( s ) Hoyt Curtin Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons 6 No. of episodes 166 ( list of episodes ) Production Executive producer ( s ) William Hanna Joseph Barbera Producer ( s ) William Hanna Joseph Barbera Editor ( s ) Kenneth Spears Donald A. Douglas Joseph Ruby Warner Leighton Greg Watson Running time 25 minutes Production company ( s ) Hanna - Barbera Productions Distributor Screen Gems ( 1960 -- 1974 ) Columbia Pictures Television ( 1974 -- 1987 ) The Program Exchange ( 1987 -- 1994 ) Turner Program Services ( 1995 -- 1998 ) Warner Bros. Television Distribution ( 1998 -- present ) Release Original network ABC Picture format 480i ( 4 : 3 SDTV ) Audio format Monaural Original release September 30, 1960 -- April 1, 1966 Chronology Followed by The Pebbles and Bamm - Bamm Show The Flintstones is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna - Barbera for ABC. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting, depicts the lives of the titular characters and their next - door neighbors and best friends. It was originally broadcast from September 30, 1960, to April 1, 1966 in a prime time schedule, the first such instance for an animated series. The continuing popularity of The Flintstones rested heavily on its juxtaposition of modern everyday concerns in the Stone Age setting. The Flintstones was the most financially successful network animated franchise for three decades, until The Simpsons debuted decades later. In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Flintstones the second Greatest TV Cartoon of All Time ( after The Simpsons ). Contents 1 Overview 2 Characters 2.1 The Flintstones 2.2 The Rubbles 2.3 Other characters 3 Voice actors 3.1 Voice cast 3.2 Additional voice cast 4 Episodes 5 Music 6 History and production 7 Reception 7.1 Nielsen ratings 8 Films and subsequent television series 8.1 Television series 8.2 Theatrical animated feature 8.3 Television specials 8.4 Television films 8.5 Educational films 8.6 Live - action films 8.7 Direct - to - video films 8.8 Other media 8.9 Cancelled Seth MacFarlane reboot 8.10 WWE film 8.11 Gary Sanchez animated film 9 Theme parks 10 Live theater 11 In popular culture 12 See also 13 References 14 Sources 15 Further reading 16 External links Overview This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. ( October 2017 ) The show is set in the Stone Age town of Bedrock ( pop. 2500 ). In this fantasy version of the past, dinosaurs and other long - extinct animals co-exist with cavemen, saber - toothed cats, and woolly mammoths. Like their mid-20th century counterparts, these cavemen listen to records, live in split - level homes, and eat at restaurants, yet their technology is made entirely from preindustrial materials and powered primarily through the use of animals. For example, the cars are made out of stone, wood, and animal skins, and powered by the passengers ' feet. Animation historian Christopher P. Lehman considers that the series draws its humor in part from creative uses of anachronisms. The main one is the placing of a `` modern '', 20th - century society in prehistory. This society takes inspiration from the suburban sprawl developed in the first two decades of the postwar period. This society has modern home appliances, but they work by employing animals. They have automobiles, but they hardly resemble the cars of the 20th century. These cars are large wooden structures and burn no fuel. They are powered by people who run while inside them. Finally, the stone houses of this society are cookie - cutter homes positioned into typical neighborhoods. As a running gag, often the `` prehistoric '' analog to a modern machine uses an animal. Characters The Flintstones Fred Flintstone is the main character of the series. Fred is an accident - prone bronto - crane operator at the Slate Rock and Gravel Company and the head of the Flintstone household. He is quick to anger ( usually over trivial matters ), but is a very loving husband and father. He is also good at bowling and is a member of the fictional `` Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes '' ( Lodge No. 26 ), a men - only club paralleling real - life fraternities such as the Loyal Order of Moose. His famous catchphrase is `` Yabba Dabba Doo ! '' Wilma Flintstone is Fred 's wife. She is more intelligent and level - headed than her husband, though she often has a habit of spending money ( with Betty and her catchphrase being `` Da - da - da duh da - da CHARGE IT ! ! '' ). She often is a foil to Fred 's poor behavior. Pebbles Flintstone is the Flintstones ' infant daughter, who is born near the end of the third season. Dino, a prosauropod dinosaur, is the Flintstones ' pet that barks and generally acts like a dog. A running gag in the series involves Dino knocking down Fred out of excitement and licking him repeatedly. Though this irritates Fred a lot, he generally likes Dino very much. Baby Puss is the Flintstones ' pet saber - toothed cat, which is rarely seen in the actual series, but is always seen throwing Fred out of the house during the end credits, causing Fred to pound repeatedly on the front door and yell `` Wilma ! '', waking the whole neighborhood in the process. The Rubbles Barney Rubble is the secondary main character and Fred 's best friend and next - door neighbor. His occupation is, for the most part of the series, unknown, though later series depict him working in the same quarry as Fred. He shares many of Fred 's interests such as bowling and golf, and is also a member of the `` Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes ''. Though Fred and Barney frequently get into feuds with one another ( usually due to Fred 's short temper ), their deep fraternal bond remains evident. Betty Rubble is Barney 's wife and Wilma 's best friend. Like Wilma, she, too, is slightly more intelligent than her husband and has a habit of spending money. Bamm - Bamm Rubble is the Rubbles ' preternaturally strong adopted son, whom they adopt during the fourth season ; his name comes from the only phrase he ever speaks as a baby : `` Bamm, Bamm ! '' Hoppy is the Rubbles ' pet hopparoo ( a kangaroo / dinosaur combination creature ), which they adopt in the beginning of the fifth season. When he first arrives, Dino ( and eventually Fred ) mistakes him for a giant mouse and becomes frightened of him, but they eventually become best friends in a manner similar to that of their owners. He babysits the kids as he takes them around in his pouch, which also serves as a shopping cart for Betty. Fred Flintstone regards Hoppy as an overgrown and obnoxious nuisance until the fateful day that the Flintstones and the Rubbles go out together on a picnic. The families ' lives are endangered during the picnic and Hoppy goes for help. Other characters Over 100 other characters appeared throughout the program. Mr. Slate is Fred 's hot - tempered boss at the gravel pit. Mr. Slate fires Fred on several occasions throughout the series, only to give him his job back by the end of the episode. A running gag is Slate 's ever - changing first name, which was revealed to be Sylvester, Nate, Oscar, and George as the series progressed. In the episode `` The Long, Long Weekend '' which originally aired on January 21, 1966, he is shown as being the founder of `` Slate Rock and Gravel Company '' ; still in business two million years later, the company is operated by his descendant, `` George Slate the Eighty - Thousandth ''. Note, in the early Flintstones episodes, the more recognized `` Mr. Slate '' character was known as `` Mr. Rockhead '' and was a supervisor of Fred 's. Mr. Slate was a short character. During the course of the cartoon, the two men switched identities and the shorter character faded away from existence. Arnold is the Flintstones ' paper boy, whom Fred absolutely despises, mainly because Arnold is frequently able to best and outsmart Fred at a number of tasks and also because he often ( `` unintentionally '' ) throws the newspaper in Fred 's face. Arnold 's parents are mentioned in the series, but his mother Doris, a friend of Wilma and Betty 's ( as evidenced in the episode `` The Little Stranger '', which originally aired on November 2, 1962 ), is referenced in name only, never actually appearing on screen. Arnold 's father, however, did appear in the episode `` Take Me Out to the Ball Game '', which originally aired on April 27, 1962, though his name is never mentioned... Joe Rockhead is a mutual friend of Fred and Barney. Usually, when Fred and Barney have some kind of falling out, Fred mentions doing something ( such as going to a baseball game ) with Joe. Joe was, at some point, chief of the Bedrock Volunteer Fire Department ( as shown on the episode `` Arthur Quarry 's Dance Class '', which originally aired on January 13, 1961 ). His appearance varied throughout the run of the series, but his appearance in the episode `` The Picnic '', which originally aired on December 15, 1961, was the one most commonly used. Pearl Slaghoople is Wilma 's hard - to - please mother, who is constantly disapproving of Fred and his behavior. Their disastrous first meeting was recounted in the episode `` Bachelor Daze '', which originally aired on March 5, 1964. They briefly reconciled in the episode `` Mother - in - Law 's Visit '', which originally aired on February 1, 1963. That is, until, she found out that she became Fred 's `` nice fat pigeon '' when he suckered her out of money that he needed to buy a baby crib for Pebbles. They reconciled again at the end of the TV movie I Yabba Dabba Do. The Great Gazoo is an alien exiled to Earth that helps Fred and Barney, often against their will. He is actually from the future, and is quite dismayed when he realizes he has been sent back to `` the Stone Age ''. He can only be seen by Fred, Barney, Pebbles, Bamm - Bamm, other small children, Dino, and Hoppy. Gazoo appeared in the final season only. Uncle Tex Hardrock '' is Fred 's maternal uncle and a member of the Texarock Rangers. He constantly holds Fred 's future inheritance over his head. Sam Slagheap is the Grand Poobah of the Water Buffalo Lodge. Voice actors Fred Flintstone physically resembles both the voice actor who played him, Alan Reed, and Jackie Gleason, whose series, The Honeymooners, inspired The Flintstones. The voice of Barney Rubble was provided by voice actor Mel Blanc, though five episodes during the second season ( the first, second, fifth, sixth, and ninth ) employed Hanna - Barbera regular Daws Butler while Blanc was incapacitated by a near - fatal car accident. Blanc was able to return to the series much sooner than expected, by virtue of a temporary recording studio for the entire cast set up at Blanc 's bedside. Blanc 's portrayal of Barney had changed considerably after the accident. In the earliest episodes, Blanc had used a much higher pitch to the point of portraying Barney as a smart - aleck. After his recovery from the accident, Blanc used a deeper voice, quite similar to the voice of the Abominable Snowman he performed in other cartoons, and was shown as somewhat dopier than before. Reed based Fred 's voice upon Gleason 's Honeymooners interpretation of Ralph Kramden, while Blanc, after a season of using a nasal, high - pitched voice for Barney, eventually adopted a style of voice similar to that used by Art Carney in his portrayal of Ed Norton. The first time the Art Carney - like voice was used was for a few seconds in `` The Prowler '' ( the third episode produced ). In a 1986 Playboy interview, Gleason said Alan Reed had done voice - overs for Gleason in his early movies and that he had considered suing Hanna - Barbera for copying The Honeymooners but decided to let it pass. According to Henry Corden, a voice actor and a friend of Gleason 's, `` Jackie 's lawyers told him he could probably have The Flintstones pulled right off the air. But they also told him, ' Do you want to be known as the guy who yanked Fred Flintstone off the air ? The guy who took away a show so many kids love, and so many parents love, too ? ' '' Henry Corden 's voice became Fred 's after Reed 's death in 1977, starting with A Flintstone Christmas. Corden had previously provided Fred 's singing voice in The Man Called Flintstone and later on The Flintstones children 's records. Since 2000, Jeff Bergman, James Arnold Taylor, and Scott Innes ( performing both Fred and Barney for Toshiba commercials ) have performed the voice of Fred. Since Mel Blanc 's death in 1989, Barney has been voiced by Jeff Bergman, Frank Welker, and Kevin Michael Richardson. Various additional character voices were created by Hal Smith, Allan Melvin, Janet Waldo, Daws Butler, and Howard Morris, among others. Voice cast Fred Flintstone -- Alan Reed ( speaking voice only ) Wilma Flintstone / Pebbles Flintstone -- Jean Vander Pyl Barney Rubble -- Mel Blanc ; Daws Butler ( season 2 ; episodes 1, 2, 5, 6, and 9 only ) Betty Rubble -- Bea Benaderet ( seasons 1 -- 4 ) ; Gerry Johnson ( seasons 5 -- 6 ) Bamm - Bamm Rubble / Hoppy / Arnold -- Don Messick Dino -- Mel Blanc Mr. Slate -- John Stephenson Mrs. Slaghoople -- Verna Felton and Janet Waldo The Great Gazoo -- Harvey Korman Additional voice cast Howard Morris Doug Young Henry Corden June Foray Episodes Main article : List of The Flintstones episodes Season Episodes Originally aired First aired Last aired Pilot May 1959 ( 1959 - 05 ) 28 September 30, 1960 ( 1960 - 09 - 30 ) April 7, 1961 ( 1961 - 04 - 07 ) 32 September 15, 1961 ( 1961 - 09 - 15 ) April 27, 1962 ( 1962 - 04 - 27 ) 28 September 14, 1962 ( 1962 - 09 - 14 ) April 5, 1963 ( 1963 - 04 - 05 ) 26 September 19, 1963 ( 1963 - 09 - 19 ) March 12, 1964 ( 1964 - 03 - 12 ) 5 26 September 17, 1964 ( 1964 - 09 - 17 ) March 12, 1965 ( 1965 - 03 - 12 ) 6 26 September 17, 1965 ( 1965 - 09 - 17 ) April 1, 1966 ( 1966 - 04 - 01 ) Music Main article : Meet the Flintstones The opening and closing credits theme during the first two seasons was called `` Rise and Shine '', a lively instrumental underscore accompanying Fred on his drive home from work. The tune resembled `` The Bugs Bunny Overture ( This Is It ! ) '', the theme song of The Bugs Bunny Show, also airing on ABC at the time, and may have been the reason the theme was changed in the third season. Starting in season 3, episode 3 ( `` Barney the Invisible '' ), the opening and closing credits theme was the familiar vocal `` Meet the Flintstones ''. This version was recorded with a 22 - piece jazz band, and a five - voice singing group called the Skip Jacks. The melody is derived from part of the ' B ' section of Beethoven 's Piano Sonata No. 17 Movement 2, composed in 1801 / 02. The `` Meet the Flintstones '' opening was later added to the first two seasons for syndication. The musical underscores were credited to Hoyt Curtin for the show 's first five seasons ; Ted Nichols took over in 1965 for the final season. History and production The idea of The Flintstones started after Hanna - Barbera produced The Huckleberry Hound Show and The Quick Draw McGraw Show. Although these programs were successful, they did not have the same wide audience appeal as their previous theatrical cartoon series Tom and Jerry, which entertained both children and the adults who accompanied them. However, since children did not need their parents ' supervision to watch television, Hanna - Barbera 's output became labeled `` kids only ''. Barbera and Hanna wanted to recapture the adult audience with an animated situation comedy. Barbera and Hanna experimented with hillbillies ( a hillbilly theme was later incorporated into two Flintstones episodes, `` The Bedrock Hillbillies '' and `` The Hatrocks and the Gruesomes '' ), Romans ( Hanna - Barbera eventually created The Roman Holidays ), pilgrims, and Indians as the settings for the two families before deciding on the Stone Age. According to Barbera, they settled on that because `` you could take anything that was current, and convert it to stone - age ''. Under the working title The Flagstones, the family originally consisted of Fred, Wilma, and their son, Fred, Jr. A brief demonstration film was also created to sell the idea of a `` modern stone age family '' to sponsors and the network. Animator Kenneth Muse, who worked on the Tom and Jerry cartoons, also worked on the early seasons of The Flintstones. The show imitated and spoofed The Honeymooners, although the early voice characterization for Barney was that of Lou Costello. William Hanna admitted that `` At that time, The Honeymooners was the most popular show on the air, and for my bill, it was the funniest show on the air. The characters, I thought, were terrific. Now, that influenced greatly what we did with The Flintstones... The Honeymooners was there, and we used that as a kind of basis for the concept. '' However, Joseph Barbera disavowed these claims in a separate interview, stating that, `` I do n't remember mentioning The Honeymooners when I sold the show. But if people want to compare The Flintstones to The Honeymooners, then great. It 's a total compliment. The Honeymooners was one of the greatest shows ever written. '' Jackie Gleason, creator of The Honeymooners, considered suing Hanna - Barbera Productions, but decided that he did not want to be known as `` the guy who yanked Fred Flintstone off the air ''. Another influence was noted during Hanna - Barbera 's tenure at MGM, where they were in a friendly competition with fellow cartoon director Tex Avery. In 1955, Avery directed a cartoon entitled `` The First Bad Man '' ( narrated by cowboy legend Tex Ritter ). The cartoon concerned the rowdy antics of a bank robber in stone - age Dallas. Many of the visual jokes antedated by many years similar ones used by Hanna - Barbera in the Flintstones series. Many students of American animation point to this cartoon as a progenitive seed of the Flintstones. The concept was also predated by the Stone Age Cartoons series of 12 animated cartoons released from January 1940 to September 1940 by Fleischer Studios. These cartoons show stone age people doing modern things with primitive means. One example is Granite Hotel including characters such as a newsboy, telephone operator, hotel clerk, and a spoof of Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Barbera explained that selling the show to a network and sponsors was not an easy task. Here we were with a brand new thing that had never been done before, an animated prime - time television show. So we developed two storyboards ; one was they had a helicopter of some kind and they went to the opera or whatever, and the other was Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble fighting over a swimming pool. So I go back to New York with a portfolio and two half - hour boards. And no - one would even believe that you 'd dare to suggest a thing like that, I mean they looked at you and they 'd think you 're crazy. But slowly the word got out, and I used the presentation which took almost an hour and a half. I would go to the other two boards and tell them what they did, and do all the voices and the sounds and so - on, and I 'd stagger back to the hotel and I 'd collapse. The phone would ring like crazy, like one time I did Bristol - Myers, the whole company was there. When I got through I 'd go back to the hotel the phone would ring and say `` the president was n't at that meeting, could you come back and do it for him. '' So I had many of those, one time I had two agencies, they 'd fill the room I mean God about 40 people, and I did this whole show. I got to know where the laughs were, and where to hit it, nothing ; dead, dead, dead. So one of the people at Screen Gems said `` This is the worst, those guys... '' he was so angry at them. What it was, was that there were two agencies there, and neither one was going to let the other one know they were enjoying it. But I pitched it for eight straight weeks and nobody bought it. So after sitting in New York just wearing out, you know really wearing out. Pitch, pitch, pitch, sometimes five a day. So finally on the very last day I pitched it to ABC, which was a young daring network willing to try new things, and bought the show in 15 minutes. Thank goodness, because this was the very last day and if they had n't bought it, I would have taken everything down, put it in the archives and never pitched it again. Sometimes I wake up in a cold - sweat thinking this is how close you get to disaster. When the series went into production, the working title The Flagstones was changed, possibly to avoid confusion with the Flagstons, characters in the comic strip Hi and Lois. After spending a brief period in development as The Gladstones ( GLadstone being a Los Angeles telephone exchange at the time ), Hanna - Barbera settled upon The Flintstones, and the idea of the Flintstones having a child from the start was discarded, with Fred and Wilma starting out as a childless couple. However, some early Flintstones merchandise, such as a 1961 Little Golden Book, included Fred Jr., before it was decided on his removal. Despite the animation and fantasy setting, the series was initially aimed at adult audiences, which was reflected in the comedy writing, which, as noted, resembled the average primetime sitcoms of the era, with the usual family issues resolved with a laugh at the end of each episode, as well as the inclusion of a laugh track. Hanna and Barbera hired many writers from the world of live action, including two of Jackie Gleason 's writers, Herbert Finn and Sydney Zelinka, as well as relative newcomer Joanna Lee while still using traditional animation story men such as Warren Foster and Michael Maltese. The Flintstones premiered on September 30, 1960, at 8 : 30 pm, and quickly became a hit. It 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. For comparison, the first live - action depiction of this in American TV history was in television 's first - ever sitcom : 1947 's Mary Kay and Johnny. Fred and Wilma advertising Winston cigarettes during the closing credits The first two seasons were co-sponsored by Winston cigarettes and the characters appeared in several black - and - white television commercials for Winston ( dictated by the custom, at that time, that the star ( s ) of a TV series often `` pitched '' their sponsor 's product in an `` integrated commercial '' at the end of the episode ). During the third season, Hanna and Barbera decided that Fred and Wilma should have a baby. Originally, Hanna and Barbera intended for the Flintstone family to have a boy, the head of the marketing department convinced them to change it to a girl since `` girl dolls sell a lot better than boy dolls ''. Although most Flintstones episodes were stand - alone storylines, Hanna - Barbera created a story arc surrounding the birth of Pebbles. Beginning with the episode `` The Surprise '', aired midway through the third season ( January 25, 1963 ), in which Wilma reveals her pregnancy to Fred, the arc continued through the time leading up to Pebbles ' birth in the episode `` Dress Rehearsal '' ( February 22, 1963 ), and then continued with several episodes showing Fred and Wilma adjusting to the world of parenthood. Around this time, Winston pulled out their sponsorship and Welch 's ( grape juice and grape jellies ) became the primary sponsor. The integrated commercials for Welch 's products feature Pebbles asking for grape juice in her toddler dialect, and Fred explaining to Pebbles Welch 's unique process for making the jelly, compared to the competition. Welch 's also produced a line of grape jelly packaged in jars which were reusable as drinking glasses, with painted scenes featuring the Flintstones and characters from the show. In Australia, the Nine Network ran a `` Name the Flintstones ' baby '' competition during the ' pregnancy ' episodes -- few Australian viewers were expected to have a U.S. connection giving them information about past Flintstone episodes. Another arc occurred in the fourth season, in which the Rubbles, depressed over being unable to have children of their own ( making The Flintstones the first animated series in history to address the issue of infertility, though subtly ), adopt Bamm - Bamm. The 100th episode made ( but the 90th to air ), `` Little Bamm - Bamm Rubble '' ( October 3, 1963 ), established how Bamm - Bamm was adopted. Nine episodes were produced before it but aired afterwards, which explains why Bamm - Bamm was not seen again until episode 101, `` Daddies Anonymous '' ( Bamm - Bamm was in a teaser on episode 98, `` Kleptomaniac Pebbles '' ). Another story arc, occurring in the final season, centered on Fred and Barney 's dealings with the Great Gazoo ( voiced by Harvey Korman ). After Pebbles ' birth, the tone and writing became more juvenile and ratings from the adult demographic began to decline. The last original episode was broadcast on April 1, 1966. The first three seasons of The Flintstones aired Friday nights at 8 : 30 on ABC. Season four and part of season five aired Thursdays at 7 : 30. The rest of the series aired Fridays at 7 : 30. In the U.S., syndicated reruns of the series were offered to local stations until 1997, when E / I regulations and changing tastes in the industry led to the show 's move to cable television. From the time of Ted Turner 's purchase of Hanna - Barbera in 1992 until around 1999, TBS, TNT, and Cartoon Network aired the program. In 2000, the program moved to Boomerang, where it aired until no later than 2016 ( in its last years on the channel, it had been relegated to a graveyard slot ). Online, the series was made available on the In2TV service beginning in 2006, then the online version of Kids ' WB until that service was discontinued in 2015. As of 2017, full episodes are only available in the U.S. on Boomerang 's subscription video on demand service, with select clips made available on an official YouTube account tied to the revamped Kids ' WB Web site. Reception The night after The Flintstones premiered, Variety called it `` A pen and ink disaster '', and as late as the 1980s, highbrow critics derided the show 's limited animation and derivative plots. Despite the mixed critical reviews at first, The Flintstones has generally been considered a television classic and was rerun continuously for five decades after its end. In 1961, The Flintstones became the first animated series to be nominated for an Outstanding Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award, but lost out to The Jack Benny Show. In January 2009, IGN named The Flintstones as the ninth - best in its `` Top 100 Animated TV Shows ''. Nielsen ratings Season Time slot ( ET ) Rank Rating 1960 -- 61 Friday at 8 : 30 - 9 : 00 pm 18 24.3 1961 -- 62 21 22.9 ( Tied with The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis ) 1962 -- 63 30 20.5 1963 -- 64 Thursday at 7 : 30 - 8 : 00 pm Not in the Top 30 1964 -- 65 Thursday at 7 : 30 - 8 : 00 pm ( Episodes 1 - 14 ) Friday at 7 : 30 - 8 : 00 pm ( Episodes 15 - 26 ) 1965 -- 66 Friday at 7 : 30 - 8 : 00 pm Films and subsequent television series Following the show 's cancellation in 1966, a film based upon the series was created. The Man Called Flintstone was a musical spy caper that parodied James Bond and other secret agents. The movie was released to theaters on August 3, 1966, by Columbia Pictures. It was released on DVD in Canada in March 2005 and in United States in December 2008. The show was revived in the early 1970s with Pebbles and Bamm - Bamm having grown into teenagers, and several different series and made - for - TV movies ( broadcast mainly on Saturday mornings, with a few shown in prime time ) ; including a series depicting Fred and Barney as police officers, another depicting the characters as children, and yet others featuring Fred and Barney encountering Marvel Comics superhero The Thing and Al Capp 's comic strip character The Shmoo -- have appeared over the years. The original show also was adapted into a live - action film in 1994, and a prequel, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, which followed in 2000. Unlike its sister show The Jetsons ( the two shows appeared in a made - for - TV crossover movie in 1987 ), the revival programs were not widely syndicated or rerun alongside the original series. Television series The Pebbles and Bamm - Bamm Show ( 1971 -- 72 ) ( one season ) The Flintstone Comedy Hour ( 1972 -- 73 ) ( one season ) The Flintstone Comedy Show ( 1973 -- 74 ) ( compilation series ) Fred Flintstone and Friends ( 1977 -- 78 ) ( compilation series ) The New Fred and Barney Show ( 1979 ) ( one season ) Fred and Barney Meet The Thing ( 1979 ) ( one season ) Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo ( 1979 -- 80 ) ( one season ) The Flintstone Comedy Show ( 1980 -- 82 ) ( two seasons ) The Flintstone Funnies ( 1982 -- 84 ) ( compilation series ) The Flintstone Kids ( 1986 -- 88 ) ( two seasons ) What a Cartoon ! -- featuring Dino : Stay Out ! ( 1995 ) and Dino : The Great Egg - Scape ( 1997 ) Cave Kids ( 1996 ) ( one season ) Theatrical animated feature The Man Called Flintstone ( 1966, released by Columbia Pictures ) Television specials The Flintstones on Ice ( 1973 ) Energy : A National Issue ( 1977 ) A Flintstone Christmas ( 1977 ) The Flintstones : Little Big League ( 1978 ) The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone ( 1979 ) The Flintstones ' New Neighbors ( 1980 ) The Flintstones : Fred 's Final Fling ( 1980 ) The Flintstones : Wind - Up Wilma ( 1981 ) The Flintstones : Jogging Fever ( 1981 ) The Flintstones ' 25th Anniversary Celebration ( 1986 ) The Flintstone Kids ' `` Just Say No '' Special ( 1988 ) Hanna - Barbera 's 50th : A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration ( 1989 ) A Flintstone Family Christmas ( 1993 ) Television films The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones ( 1987 ) I Yabba - Dabba Do ! ( 1993 ) Hollyrock - a-Bye Baby ( 1993 ) A Flintstones Christmas Carol ( 1994 ) The Flintstones : On the Rocks ( 2001 ) Educational films Hanna - Barbera Educational Filmstrips Bamm - Bamm : Bamm - Bamm Tackles a Term Paper ( 1978 ) Bamm - Bamm : Information Please ( 1979 ) Flintstones : A Weighty Problem ( 1980 ) Flintstones : Fire Alarm ( 1980 ) Flintstones : Fire Escape ( 1980 ) Flintstones : Driving Guide ( 1980 ) Live - action films The Flintstones ( 1994 ) The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas ( 2000 ) Direct - to - video films The Flintstones & WWE : Stone Age SmackDown ! ( 2015 ) Other media For a list of DVDs, video games, comic books, and VHS releases, see List of The Flintstones media. Cancelled Seth MacFarlane reboot In 2011, it was announced the Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane would be reviving The Flintstones for the Fox network, with the first episode airing in 2013. After Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly read the pilot script and `` liked it but did n't love it '', MacFarlane chose to abandon work on the project rather than restarting it. WWE film Main article : The Flintstones & WWE : Stone Age SmackDown ! In May 2013, Warner Bros. Animation and WWE Studios announced a Flintstones animated film. The film was to involve a `` prehistoric WWE main event '' and feature the voices of The Undertaker, Vince McMahon, John Cena, Rey Mysterio, and CM Punk. The film was released direct - to - video in early 2015. Gary sanchez animated film In May 2014, it was reported that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will produce an animated Flintstones movie for Warner Animation Group. Theme parks Two Flintstones - themed amusement parks exist in the United States : Bedrock City in Custer, South Dakota, and another in Valle, Arizona. Both have been in operation for decades. Bedrock City, also known as Flintstone Park, closed in August 2015. Another existed until the 1990s at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. In Canada, Flintstone Park in Kelowna, British Columbia, opened in 1968 and closed in 1998 ; it was notable for the `` Forty Foot Fred '' statue of Fred Flintstone which was a well known Kelowna landmark. Another Flintstones park was located in Bridal Falls, British Columbia, which closed in 1990. Calaway Park outside Calgary, Alberta, Canada, also opened with a Flintstones theme and many of the buildings today have a caveman - like design, though the park does not license the characters. The Australia 's Wonderland and Canada 's Wonderland theme parks, both featured Flintstones characters in their Hanna - Barbera - themed children 's sections from 1985 up until the mid-1990s. Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio, had a Hanna - Barbera land, in which many Hanna - Barbera characters were featured, including the Flintstones, in the 1980s and early 1990s. Live Theater A stage production opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1994 ( the year the live - action film was released ), developed by Universal and Hanna - Barbera Productions. It opened at the Panasonic Theater, replacing the Star Trek show. The story consists of Fred, Wilma, Barney, and Betty heading for `` Hollyrock ''. The show ran until January 2, 1997. In popular culture Theme cafeteria The Flintstones in Ayia Napa, Cyprus Miles Laboratories ( now part of Bayer Corporation ) and their One - A-Day vitamin brand was the alternate sponsor of the original Flintstones series during its first two seasons, and in the late 1960s, Miles introduced Flintstones Chewable Vitamins, fruit - flavored multivitamin tablets for children in the shape of the Flintstones characters, which are currently being sold. The Simpsons referenced The Flintstones in several episodes. In the episode `` Homer 's Night Out '', Homer 's local convenience store clerk, Apu, remarks `` You look familiar, sir. Are you on the television or something ? '', to which Homer replies `` Sorry, buddy, you 've got me confused with Fred Flintstone. '' During the couch gag of the opening credits of the episode `` Kamp Krusty '', the Simpson family arrive home to find the Flintstone family already sitting on their couch. The same couch gag was reused in syndicated episodes of `` The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show '', when The Simpsons overtook The Flintstones as the longest - running animated series. In `` Lady Bouvier 's Lover '', Homer 's boss, Mr. Burns, appears at the family 's house and says `` Why, it 's Fred Flintstone ( referring to Homer ) and his lovely wife, Wilma ! ( Marge ) Oh, and this must be little Pebbles ! ( Maggie ) Mind if I come in ? I brought chocolates. '' Homer responds by saying `` Yabba - dabba - doo ! '' The opening of `` Marge vs. the Monorail '' depicts Homer leaving work in a similar way to Fred Flintstone in the opening of The Flintstones, during which he sings his own version of the latter 's opening theme. On September 30, 2010, Google temporarily replaced the logo on its search page with a custom graphic celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Flintstones ' first TV broadcast. See also Cartoon portal Television in the United States portal The Gruesomes ( The Flintstones ) Hanna - Barbera 's All - Star Comedy Ice Revue -- Hanna - Barbera characters honor Fred in an all - star celebrity roast for his birthday ( 1977 ) `` ( Meet ) The Flintstones '', a version of the show 's theme song that became a hit single for The B - 52s. Alley Oop, a comic strip about a prehistoric family with commentary on American suburban life Stone Age Cartoons, a 1940 American series of 12 animated short films from Fleischer Studios References Jump up ^ Doll, Pancho ( June 2, 1994 ). `` Reel Life / Film & Video File : Music Helped ' Flintstones ' on Way to Fame : In 1960, Hoyt Curtin created the lively theme for the Stone Age family. The show 's producers say it may be the most frequently broadcast song on TV ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 10, 2010. Jump up ^ Prince, Stephen ( 2002 ). A New Pot of Gold : Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980 - 1989. University of California Press. p. 7. Jump up ^ Dougherty, Philip H. ( 1986 - 06 - 13 ). `` Advertising ; ' Dennis ' Is Added To Lineup ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 10. ^ Jump up to : Jensen, Jeff ( 1995 - 01 - 16 ). `` Hanna - Barbera toons in to reclaim heritage ; studio lays plans to nurture brands, merchandise ''. Advertising Age : 4. Jump up ^ CD liner notes : Saturday Mornings : Cartoons ' Greatest Hits, 1995 MCA Records Jump up ^ `` Flintstones, The -- Season 1 Review ''. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved August 25, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Excavating Bedrock : Reminiscences of ' The Flintstones, ' '' Hogan 's Alley # 9, 2000 Jump up ^ Sands, Rich ( September 24, 2013 ). `` TV Guide Magazine 's 60 Greatest Cartoons of All Time ''. TVGuide.com. Jump up ^ Lehman ( 2007 ), p. 25 Jump up ^ Blake, Heidi ( September 30, 2010 ). `` The Flintstones ' 50th anniversary : 10 wackiest Bedrock inventions ''. Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved October 1, 2010. Jump up ^ Romanek, Broc. `` List of Flintstones Characters ''. Thecorporatecounsel.net, accessed March 31, 2011 Jump up ^ VanDerWerff, Todd ( May 12, 2014 ). `` In The Flintstones, Hanna - Barbera found a shameless rip - off that worked ''. The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 12, 2015. Jump up ^ Zehme, Bill ( interviewer ) ( August 1986 ). `` Jackie Gleason -- Playboy Interview -- Life History ''. Retrieved July 25, 2009. Jump up ^ Brooks, Marla ( 2005 ). The American family on television : A chronology of 121 shows, 1948 -- 2004. McFarland & Co. p. 54. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 2074 - 2. Jump up ^ `` A Flintstone Christmas ''. www.bcdb.com, April 12, 2012 Jump up ^ `` The Man Called Flintstone ''. www.bcdb.com, April 12, 2012 ^ Jump up to : Doll, Pancho ( June 2, 1994 ). `` REEL LIFE / FILM & VIDEO FILE : Music Helped ' Flintstones ' on Way to Fame : In 1960, Hoyt Curtin created the lively theme for the Stone Age family. The show 's producers say it may be the most frequently broadcast song on TV ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 10, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Rechmann in Recital ''. Retrieved October 2010. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : The Flintstones, season 2 DVD documentary ^ Jump up to : Leonard Maltin interviews Joseph Barbera, 1997 Jump up ^ Barbera, Joseph ( 1994 ). My Life in `` Toons '' : From Flatbush to Bedrock in Under a Century. Atlanta, GA : Turner Publishing. ISBN 1 - 57036 - 042 - 1. Jump up ^ Stinnett, Chuck. `` Rango is latest reminder that animated films are thriving ''. Evansville Courier & Press, March 8, 2011 Jump up ^ `` The Flintstones Frequently Asked Questions List ''. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010. Jump up ^ `` The Flintstones Frequently Asked Questions List ( item 13 ) ''. Archived from the original on October 3, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2006. Jump up ^ `` The Flintstones Frequently Asked Questions List ( item 14 ) ''. Retrieved November 25, 2006. Jump up ^ `` The cartoon dream team ''. BBC News. March 21, 2001. Retrieved August 13, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Homes and Offices ''. bookstevesbookstore.blogspot.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` First TV Couple in Same Bed ''. Retrieved August 30, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Yabba Dabba Cough ! Flashback to When The Flintstones Shilled Cigarettes ''. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ Meyers, Cynthia B. ( 2013 - 10 - 25 ). A Word from Our Sponsor : Admen, Advertising, and the Golden Age of Radio. Fordham University Press. ISBN 9780823253760. Jump up ^ `` Big Cartoon Database ''. bcdb.com. Retrieved July 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Leonard Maltin interviews Joseph Barbera - 1997 Jump up ^ For example, an episode of the 1987 series Mighty Mouse : The New Adventures ( `` Do n't Touch That Dial ! '' ) has the title character mocking The Flintstones, which appears in a satirical crossover with The Jetsons, as stupid. Jump up ^ `` IGN -- 9. The Flintstones ''. Tv.ign.com. Retrieved August 30, 2010. Jump up ^ Brooks, Tim ; Marsh, Earle ( 2007 ). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 - Present ( Ninth Edition ). Ballantine Books. pp. 1682 -- 1683. ISBN 978 - 0 - 345 - 49773 - 4. Jump up ^ The Man Called Flintstone ( film review ). Variety, August 10, 1966 Jump up ^ `` Willllllllllmmmmaaa ! Animated ' Flinstones ' Resurrected by Seth MacFarlane and Fox - Ratings - TVbytheNumbers.Zap2it.com ''. TVbytheNumbers. Jump up ^ Rose, Lacey ( April 25, 2012 ). `` What Killed Seth MacFarlane 's ' Flintstones ' TV Remake ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Jump up ^ `` It seems Seth MacFarlane will not be rebooting The Flintstones after all ''. avclub.com. ^ Jump up to : `` Animated ' Flintsones ' Pic Adds Pro Wrestlers To Its Bedrock '' Deadline.com ( May 29, 2013 ) Jump up ^ Kit, Borys. `` New ' Flintstones ' Movie in the Works at Warner Bros. ( Exclusive ) ''. Variety.com. Retrieved 17 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Kelowna, BC, Canada - Bedrock City ( Gone ) ''. www.roadsideamerica.com. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Forty Foot Fred found on farm ''. infotel.ca. Retrieved September 27, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Remember Flintstones Park in Kelowna ? Where there was Fred, there was food, beer and bowling -- the same is true at Freddy 's Brew Pub ! ''. Mccurdybowl.com. February 16, 2009. Retrieved August 30, 2010. Jump up ^ The Flintstones Season 1 DVD Jump up ^ `` Apu : You Look Familiar, Sir. Are You On The Television Or Something ? ''. Anvari.org. 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 10 great ' Simpsons ' couch gags ''. Today. 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011. Jump up ^ Canning, Robert ( 2008 - 06 - 23 ). `` The Simpsons Flashback : `` The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show '' Review ``. IGN. Retrieved 2008 - 06 - 23. Jump up ^ `` The Simpsons `` Lady Bouvier 's Lover '' Quotes ``. TVFanatic. 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011. Jump up ^ Blake, Heidi ( September 30, 2010 ). `` The Flintstones 50th anniversary is celebrated by Google Doodle ''. London : The Daily Telegraph, UK. Retrieved September 30, 2010. Sources Lehman, Christopher P. ( 2007 ), `` The Cartoons of 1961 - 1962 '', American Animated Cartoons of the Vietnam Era : A Study of Social Commentary in Films and Television Programs, 1961 - 1973, McFarland & Company, ISBN 978 - 0786451425 Further reading `` The Flintstones '' : The Official Guide to the Cartoon Series, by Jerry Beck, Running Press, 2011. External links Look up Appendix : Hanna - Barbera in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Wikiquote has quotations related to : The Flintstones Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Flintstones. The Flintstones on IMDb The Flintstones at the Big Cartoon DataBase Museum of Broadcast Communications : The Flintstones The Flintstones -- Cartoon Network Department of Cartoons ( Archive ) The Flintstones Characters The Flintstones Fred Flintstone Wilma Flintstone Pebbles Flintstone Dino The Rubbles Barney Rubble Betty Rubble Bamm - Bamm Rubble Other characters Pearl Slaghoople Captain Caveman The Frankenstones The Great Gazoo The Gruesomes Shmoo Locations Bedrock Television series The Flintstones ( 1960 -- 1966 ) The Pebbles and Bamm - Bamm Show ( 1971 -- 1972 ) The Flintstone Comedy Hour / The Flintstone Comedy Show ( 1972 -- 1974 ) Fred Flintstone and Friends ( 1977 -- 1978 ) The New Fred and Barney Show ( 1979 ) Fred and Barney Meet The Thing ( 1979 ) Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo ( 1979 -- 1980 ) The Flintstone Comedy Show ( 1980 -- 1982 ) The Flintstone Funnies ( 1982 -- 1984 ) The Flintstone Kids ( 1986 -- 1988 ) The What a Cartoon ! Show Dino : Stay Out ! ( 1995 ) Dino : The Great Egg - Scape ( 1997 ) Cave Kids ( 1996 ) Television specials and films Alice in Wonderland or What 's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This ? ( 1966 ) The Flintstones on Ice ( 1973 ) Energy : A National Issue ( 1977 ) A Flintstone Christmas ( 1977 ) Hanna - Barbera 's All - Star Comedy Ice Revue ( 1978 ) The Flintstones : Little Big League ( 1978 ) The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone ( 1979 ) The Flintstone Primetime Specials The Flintstones ' New Neighbors ( 1980 ) Fred 's Final Fling ( 1980 ) Wind - Up Wilma ( 1981 ) Jogging Fever ( 1981 ) Yogi 's First Christmas ( 1980 ) Yogi Bear 's All Star Comedy Christmas Caper ( 1982 ) The Flintstones ' 25th Anniversary Celebration ( 1986 ) The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones ( 1987 ) The Flintstone Kids ' `` Just Say No '' Special ( 1988 ) Hanna - Barbera 's 50th : A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration ( 1989 ) I Yabba - Dabba Do ! ( 1993 ) Hollyrock - a-Bye Baby ( 1993 ) A Flintstone Family Christmas ( 1993 ) A Flintstones Christmas Carol ( 1994 ) The Flintstones : On the Rocks ( 2001 ) Theatrical films Animated The Man Called Flintstone ( 1966 ) Live - action The Flintstones ( 1994 ) The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas ( 2000 ) Direct - to - video films The Flintstones & WWE : Stone Age SmackDown ! ( 2015 ) Video games The Flintstones ( 1988 ) The Flintstones : The Rescue of Dino & Hoppy ( 1991 ) The Flintstones ( 1993 ) The Flintstones : Surprise at Dinosaur Peak ( 1993 ) The Flintstones : The Treasure of Sierra Madrock ( 1994 ) The Flintstones : Bedrock Bowling ( 2000 ) Comics The Flintstones ( 2016 ) Other media Meet the Flintstones Pinball Pebbles cereal Flintstones Chewable Vitamins The Funtastic World of Hanna - Barbera ( 1990 ) See also The Jetsons Hanna - Barbera Founders William Hanna Joseph Barbera Original productions The Atom Ant / Secret Squirrel Show Birdman Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels CB Bears The Flintstones The Funky Phantom Grape Ape Hong Kong Phooey Huckleberry Hound Jabberjaw The Jetsons Jonny Quest Loopy De Loop Magilla Gorilla The Hanna - Barbera New Cartoon Series Peter Potamus Quick Draw McGraw The Ruff and Reddy Show Scooby - Doo Smurfs Snorks Space Ghost Tom and Jerry Top Cat Yogi Bear Wacky Races Amusement attractions Hanna -- Barbera Land The Funtastic World of Hanna - Barbera Comics Hanna - Barbera Beyond Other media Films Video games See also Characters Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Flintstones&oldid=815755794 '' Categories : The Flintstones The Flintstones television series 1960s American animated television series 1960 American television series debuts 1966 American television series endings 1960s American comedy television series American Broadcasting Company network shows American fantasy television series Animated comedy television series Animated fantasy television series Animated sitcoms English - language television programs Fictional families Prehistoric people in popular culture Television programs adapted into comics Television programs adapted into films Television programs adapted into video games Television series about dinosaurs Television series by Hanna - Barbera Television series set in prehistory Hidden categories : CS1 errors : dates Articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction from October 2017 All articles that need to differentiate between fact and fiction Use mdy dates from May 2015 Pages using infobox television with editor parameter Articles needing additional references from October 2017 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2010 Articles with unsourced statements from February 2015 Articles with unsourced statements from November 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Български Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Kapampangan ქართული Latviešu Magyar മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Nāhuatl Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська ייִדיש 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 16 December 2017, at 22 : 53. 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Question: who was the original voice of fred flintstone
Answer: Jackie Gleason