“Flintstones! Meet the Flintstones! They’re a modern stoneage family!”
If you’re an adult raised in North America, you are no doubt familiar with that song. It’s ubiquitousness was summed up in the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Remember the scene where John Candy organized a bus sing-along? This was the one song EVERYBODY knew.
The fact is that this show, which originally ran in primetime from 1960 to 1966, is possibly the most timeless TV series ever produced, with apologies to I Love Lucy. Set in the stone age, it is as relevant today as it was then.
It’s hard for me to fathom that it was once a weekly episode. After all, it was an after-school daily tradition for me, my kids, and will no doubt be so for my future grandkids.
It was also the first animated series with a half-hour plot. In 1960, cartoons were of the short Loony Toons variety.
And of course, its sophisticated humor being aimed at adults paved the way for the plethora of shows available on primetime today, spearheaded by The Simpsons.
The fact is that it was pretty darned funny, too. The concepts of bird-driven appliances, stone cars powered by bare feet, and a vacuum cleaner consisting of a small mammoth on wheels is great stuff.
There are a ton of fun and games at today’s pick, including wallpaper, fonts, a rundown of the various creature-driven devices, the song lyrics (I can’t believe I’ve had one line wrong for forty years!), and a store.
Someday, you may win the fight, Fred. That cat can’t win every time.
http://bedrock.deadsquid.com/
