The Flintstones
| The Flintstones | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre |
Animated Sitcom |
| Created by |
William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Directed by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Voices of |
|
| 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 | 22–30 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, their next-door neighbors and best friends, and their families. It was originally broadcast from September 30, 1960, to April 1, 1966 in a prime time schedule, the first such example of 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).
The show is set in the Stone Age town of Bedrock. 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.
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Wikipedia