Evolution of THE FLINTSTONES - 60 Years Explained | CARTOON EVOLUTION

CARTOON EVOLUTION #13
On their 60th anniversary Meet The Flintstones! GRANDDAD!
I take a look at the history and evolution of Fred and Wilma Flintstone, Barney and Betty Rubble and their children Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, the modern stone age creations of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the very first Prime Time cartoon series in history.
Inspired by classic sitcom, The Honeymooners, The Flintstones solidified Hanna-Barbera as a leader in the animation industry, and became the bedrock for all cartoon sitcoms that have followed - inspiring the likes of The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad and King of the Hill.
I take a look at how the show and characters have evolved over 9 television series, 1 theatrical animated film, 17 telemovies and specials and 2 live-action theatrical films and much, much more and how The Flintstones has become one of the most beloved cartoon franchises of all time - having remained on television screens continuously for 60 years!
I discuss the most important changes in their design and personality and in the stylistic and narrative structures of their productions prevalent across 6 decades of series and movies.
Here's my look at The Flintstones through the years!!
Flintstones Series and Movies discussed and featured:
The Flagstones Pilot
The Flintstones
The Man Called Flintstone
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show
The Flintstone Comedy Hour / Show / Fred Flintstone and Friends
Energy: A National Issue
The New Fred and Barney Show / Fred and Barney Meet The Thing / Fred and Barney Meet The Shmoo
The Flintstone Comedy Show / Frolics: Family Adventures, Bedrock Cops, Pebbles Dino and Bamm-Bamm, Dino and Cavemouse, The Frankenstones
A Flintstone Christmas
Little Big League
The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone
New Neighbors
Fred’s Final Fling
Wind-Up Wilma
Jogging Fever
The Flintstone Kids
The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones
I Yabba-Dabba Do!
Holly-rock-a-Bye-Baby
A Flintstone Family Christmas
A Flintstones Christmas Carol
The Flintstones - Live Action Movie
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
What a Cartoon! - Dino: Stay Out, The Great Egg-Scape
Flintstones on the Rocks
Harvey Birdman: The Dabba Don
Johnny Bravo: A Page Right Out of History
Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown
Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs
Bedrock City Theme Park Footage
Bedrock Bowling
Bedrock Racing
DC Comics The Flintstones 2016
Other Hanna-Barbera Media Featured:
Ruff and Reddy Show
Huckleberry Hound
Qick Draw McGraw
Yogi Bear - Yogi's Big Break
Scooby-Doo Where Are You
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
Tom and Jerry - Tom's Photo Finish
Top Cat
Magilla Gorilla
Peter Potamus
Atom Ant
Secret Squirrel
Wacky Races / Dastardly and Muttley
Jonny Quest
Space Ghost
The Jetsons
Marvel's The Thing
L'il Abner's The New Shmoo
Other Media featured:
The Simpsons
Family Guy
American Dad
Walt Disney's Disneyland
How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made
Bugs Bunny - Stage Door Cartoon
The Bugs Bunny Show
Laurel and Hardy - Flying Elephants
Felix the Cat in the Stone Age / Trifles With Time
Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur
Stone Age Cartoon - Way Back When a Razzberry Was a Fruit / Wedding Belts / The Fulla Bluff Man / Way Back When a Nag Was Only a Horse / Way Back When a Nightclub Was a Stick
Tex Avery's The First Bad Man
Married with Children
Home Improvement
The King of Queens
Bye Bye Birdy - Ann-Margret
What's My Line - Tony Curtis
Bewitched
James Bond - Dr. No
The Archies
The Munsters
Back to the Future
Father of the Bride (1991 - Steve Martin)
Father of the Bride Part 2 (1995)
Father of the Bride (1950 - Spencer Tracy)
Father's Little Dividend (1951)
George of the Jungle
Inspector Gadget
Rocky and Bullwinkle
Dudley Do-Right
Scooby-Doo
The Rugrats
Scoob! (2020)
Seth Macfarlane, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks Flintstones projects
#Flintstones #Flintstones60 #TheFlintstones #HannaBarbera #WarnerBros #WarnerBrosAnimation #TheJetsons #TheSimpsons #FamilyGuy #TheHoneymooners #JackieGleeson #Sitcom
Shop on my AMAZON STORES for all the latest recommendations on media products and deals: www.amazon.com/shop/daveleedo...
www.amazon.co.uk/shop/davelee...
Find me on Twitter and Instagram: @daveleedwnundr
And on Facebook: / daveleedownunder
To buy from BOOK DEPOSITORY: www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=...
Any purchases made via affiliate links will earn myself a very small commission, which will be used to further fund and develop my channel. By using these links you can help support my channel in a very small way.
Dave Lee Down Under Opening Music -
HYPERFUN Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
CARTOON EVOLUTION Opening Music -
YOU SO ZANY by Audionautix (audionautix.com/).
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Between 2016/17, channel was previously: Disney Dave Down Under

[@NoTengoDinero69]

It’s crazy to think about how influential The Flintstones is. A solid chunk of my favorite shows ever might not exist without it. The show genuinely holds up too. I’ve been rewatching it and it gets multiple laughs out of me per episode.

[@DaveLeeDownUnder]

Had SO MUCH fun revisiting parts of the series while I made this video. Bought the Blu-ray set not long ago, and plan to power through it very soon! It really is surprising how WELL it’s held up!! That’s what happens when you don’t rely on “topical” stories and gags.

[@NoTengoDinero69]

@@DaveLeeDownUnder the Blu Ray set is where it’s at. It’s nice having everything all together and in terrific quality.

[@ratboygirl]

i find it crazy that a lot of these extremely popular, famous, and influential cartoons are often turned down. wonder how many world-changing cartoons we'll never be able to see!

[@kellykerr5225]

I read a music review calling a young musician the most terrible thing they ever heard and it offended their ears. They were reviewing Beethoven. Arguably not terrible lol.

[@willshad]

Every famous actor, musician, artist, etc experiences many many rejections before they find 'success'. It's part of the process, no matter how talented you are. Persistence and luck are more important than talent.

[@CONEHEADDK]

"The Curse of Creativety" - watch (listen - few or no pics at all) the video - depressingly realistic. As I was told at "18" - "It's 5% talent, the rest is hard work", but they didn't know of/remember to say "and luck/lack of bad luck".

[@jul2447]

@@kellykerr5225 I wanna watch it

[@kellykerr5225]

@@jul2447 I watch so many things about music that I can’t remember what KZbin channel it was on. You might try putting in his name and reviews, maybe it will pop up. Happy listening. That’s definitely not my favorite music but it’s an important part of history

[@KyogresHideout_Vegito2121]

Fred also made an appearance in an entire episode of Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy but he only spoke gibberish and no one actually referred to him by name.

[@ArtificialOrangeStudios]

He actually DOES say his name is Fred in that episode too. Though Billy ignores it.

[@KyogresHideout_Vegito2121]

@@ArtificialOrangeStudios Wait he did? It's been years since I saw the episode so I only remember the gibberish.

[@ArtificialOrangeStudios]

@@KyogresHideout_Vegito2121 Yeah, it's the only non-gibberish thing he says in the whole episode. Billy asks what his name is and he says "Ohhhhh... Fred." and then Billy comments on how he can't understand his mumbo jumbo language.

[@SpectrumAssociates]

You forgot to add the pinnacle of Fred's cartoon evolution. GRAND DAD.

[@Webb_Studios]

FLEENSTONES!!

[@snakewhitcher4189]

Did they ever show an elderly Fred Flintstone? I always assumed he died middle age. Which was 18 to 23 back then. Good nutrition gave them them length of bone, but the still died like rubes. Well fed hustling rubes, but rubes none the less. You know?

[@jagerzaku9160]

Actually look in the corner of the thumbnail

[@martinjohnson7225]

Jackie Gleeson bears a striking resemblance to John Goodman, who played Fred in the first live action Flintstones movie. Interestingly they also share the same initials: JG.

[@nazishhussain2712]

I agree

[@jaggin7561]

Cool. But I think Jeff Garlin could play a great Fred Flintstone. His initials are also JG!

[@wildstory2718]

Wasn’t that intentional?

[@fireballxl-5748]

Fred was based on Jackie Gleason.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

John Goodman and Jackie Gleason are polar opposite. John Goodnan? yuk! he activates m6 gag reflex

[@am2382]

The Flintstones definitely revolutionized modern cartoons.

[@davidthecommenter]

Quite Literally.

[@violetrose34]

It's underrated nowadays.

[@justinboisvert3231]

Especially the Simpsons and family guy

[@Kaylin777]

Facts

[@jennifergriel861]

Yeah. And killed the golden age of animation in the process.

[@lyndapies]

The original Flintstones will always be my favourite version. I grew up watching the Flintsones!!

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Flinstones is so incredibly iconic its a crime. Its humor and adult content is still relevant to this day and its character designs are timeless& amazing! I love the franchises and give credit to Iwao Takamoto for his iconic redesigns that make them forever memorable!

[@kencoleman5007]

And it's adult without being a McFarlane level if taste. I think that was a big misstep. Like when Sony thought that Paul Feig understood the essence of Ghostbusters.

[@amparolopez6236]

I hope you do The Pink Panther, and his friends.

[@richiehoyt8487]

Seconded!! Has to be said though, PP felt like a cartoon with far more heart than The Flintstones. While I liked both as a kid, even then I would have much preferred the Pink Panther; the Flintstones' 'prehistoric' take on modern (American) working-class life was mildly funny and perhaps mildly innovative and the visual humour of the pre-historic tech didn't wear quite as quickly as one might have supposed - but I can go back to the Pink Panther cartoons as an adult and still get something from them (and The Ant and the Aardvark and - especially - The Inspector) in a way with which I just can't with the Flintstones. The Flintstones unfortunately was born out of hackwork; I mean to be fair to H-B, in an effort to make a living in their early days they had to make a virtue of economic necessity, but it had the result of making 'cheap' their house style, and it feels like that attitude was to pervade the ethos of the whole company. I know little about the gestation of the Pink Panther or Inspector Cluseau other than that they were spin-off creations from the eponymous live-action movies with Peter Sellers. However, it may not be a popular view but I don't think it's too much to say that the cartoons were hands-down funnier than the films from which they originated! It's difficult to quantify exactly what it is that sets the Pink Panther apart from The Flintstones... Though it's possible, I suppose that that big, motion picture capital can't have been *entirely* irrelevant! Still, you look at the obvious points of comparison, naturally there are going to be stylistic differences, but while the Flintstones characters are *crude* , the Pink Panther characters are by contrast *simple* - simple, but not simplistic. To me, the drawings of characters like Big Nose and Cluseau show an appreciation of *style* and a love for form and line. The Flintstones meanwhile look like they wouldn't be out of place in South Park! The difference in approach comes through, if anything, even more clearly in the backgrounds. Flintstones and HB backgrounds in general are of course known for their pared-back minimalism. The Pink Panther backgrounds of course are by necessity simple as well, we're talking TV shorts here, not Disney features! Nonetheless there is something paradoxically almost Baroque in PP's backgrounds - without EVER becoming overly busy, they seem to have something of the quality of a Victorian engraving about them! I haven't even mentioned here some of the other things that that put the PP Stable head and shoulders above their contemporaries. The surreal genius of the gags, the sheer imagination inherent in the antagonists; these are some of the things that for me make the Pink Panther a thing of joy! I have already wrote far too much though (sorry- writing this in a hospital bed at 4am- time perhaps lays a little heavily on my hands!) I should say of course before I finish though - sadly- that needless to say, 'THEY' would go and ruin the Pink Panther et al. The introduction of voices, something which would also ruin Tom & Jerry... Bland, generic artwork; one doesn't have to know the details to smell a rat, or rather a corporate vulture of some sort. My comments here should be taken as applying to the early material only, ie pre-1971, approximately...

[@JustinTheLogoKid]

too long

[@scottbilger9294]

The American release of A Man Called Flintstone was the first mega-hit. The reaction was completely unexpected. It was the first movie that had people lined up around the block, with theaters hastily adding showings to accommodate the crowds. I remember waiting in line for hours myself (at 8 years of age).

[@foldabotZ]

No mention of Fred's guest appearance in the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, unless that'll be in his dedicated evolution video.

[@dwaynewood2424]

He didn't mentioned Betty Boop's appearance in Project Runway All-Stars.

[@blazinggecko]

@foldabotZ I believe you mean... Jake Steel lol

[@foldabotZ]

@@blazinggecko ...Who?

[@blazinggecko]

@@foldabotZ it's what Billy named Fred in the episode

[@calebkuti7897]

Yabba dabbba, Yabba dabba!

[@noshok7436]

The Flinstones were on at lunch time in Canada for like 30years. Growing up, and still to this day, I knew every episode pretty much by heart. When they stopped playing it a lunch hour, it was almost as if you had lost a close relative, or a limb or something. It was weird. Flintstones are a true classic. Pioneers.

[@MathieuLeblanc1991]

Alan Reed also did a cameo as Fred in Laff-A-Lympics before he died, the rest of the series was voiced by Henry Corden

[@zacharyyamashita8554]

I'll pulverize you >:D

[@davidtiktin1819]

Yes, I read someplace that Alan Reed's voicing Fred for this Laff-A-Lympics cameo (sometime in 1977) was actually the last time he ever played Fred.

[@bobbybucklew7898]

I loved the Flintstones growing up in the 80s and at over 40 years old I still love the original 6 seasons of the Flintstones

[@14DaveHunter]

Making The Flintstones more adult and crude (animation included), will never work. The basics of it, remains multi-generational. Making it change, just for change sake will always bomb.

[@zacharyyamashita8554]

Same with the Rugrat's which unfortunately is getting Rebooted.

[@beeznutz1928]

No way, lots of people would pay to see more mature flintstones

[@efeugurYT]

Yeah Just make something everyone can enjoy

[@donovanmedieval]

'The Honeymooners' was heavily influenced by Laurel & Hardy. In his authorized biography, How Sweet it Is, Jackie Gleason made no secret of his love for then when he was a kid.

[@Jim-db9bt]

Hands down, no contest: The first, original series was the best version of the Flintstones iterations over the years, but the most fascinating fact that I took from this video was that Fred and Wilma were the first TV couple in situation comedy to be seen sleeping in the same bed(oh my!). Overall, the best tribute and history I've seen on our favorite stone age family.

[@juliansalinas7920]

I am so happy that you are covering The Flintstones (one of my favorite animated shows of all time)!

[@normanpopcultureboy8563]

Fred Flinstone makes a cameo in The Banana Splits Show when Drooper tells the password is Fred’s catchphrase “Yabba Dabba Doo”

[@alex9920iasi]

The Flintstones - a great, funny and memorable show and also must be the favorite of the Young Earth Creationists 😂

[@OtterloopB]

Unless of course you're an Old Earth Creationist, then your dig loses its edge.

[@alejandrofernandez1265]

Dave just a question but are you ever gonna do a cartoon evolution on Alvin and the chipmunks

[@visualgagging]

Seeing the Flintstones in modern clothes in the Energy video felt very unsettling...

[@dragonfye1]

Even My aunt Melissa, who absolutely DESPISES animated shows and movies and is NOT afraid to say so, ADORES The Flintstones. I myself love animation and appreciate just how much work goes into it.

[@mightyfilm]

Thanks for taking my suggestion of the Japanese commercials. Shame that some of the worst ones have seemed to have disappeared from YT, though. Having said that, I very much find it disappointing that Flintstones really only exist in modern media as a cereal and vitamins. The cereal commercials barely feature the characters anymore, and it's usually a silent cameo or archival footage of the TV show. I really miss Barney scamming Fred out of his cereal, probably as payback for all the times Fred mooched off Barney over the years.

[@ironheadrat3420]

I can still recite the Christmas one verbatim.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

​@@ironheadrat3420 That Christmas one ran for several years. It even has a variant version where Santa was given a different voice for some reason. (I think all the dialog and lyrics were exactly the same, so I don't know why this version was created.)

[@EChacon]

Who knew that William Hanna and Joseph Barbara were reluctant to do the Flintstones before they relented due to pressure.

[@lp-xl9ld]

Perhaps the best example of how long and effective this show's influence was: in the mid-2000's, when he was well into his eighties, my father--likely suffering from Alzheimers at the time--could still remember the Flintstones Vitamins jingle ("Yabba dabba doo, yabba dabba doo, Flintstones Vitamins are good to chew!") No other series or tie-in had that kind of staying power.

[@Oscarhudson_Official]

Fred Flintstone: Grandad! Mario: Flintstones?!

[@KyogresHideout_Vegito2121]

A fellow man of culture I see

[@pantherman691]

For the memory of bootleg mario Aka G R A N D. D A D

[@sonicfanboy3375]

Felix the cat: HeT

[@UncleJemima]

What the shit?

[@stebaer]

Yes one reboot after another gets crazier and crazier.

[@brysonaarondawsoncartoonch2514]

The flinstones is a good classic YABADABADOO

[@roshill2010]

I watched the entire series years ago. As I missed alot on tv when I was a kid. Loved every bit. The show has soo much nostalgia for me.

[@brysonaarondawsoncartoonch2514]

True

[@13thwho]

In 1966, Fred and Barney appeared as the caterpillar in Hanna-Barbera’s animated “Alice in Wonderland” special.

[@jamalvargas6146]

Love this show paved the way for my favorite animated properties like the simpsons family Bob's burgers American dad and oblongs

[@ironheadrat3420]

For a while the Pebbles commercials were kind of like the current Flintstones series. They never stopped referencing current events- you had a Game Boy, Fred had one made of rocks and sticks.

[@jaihdendover4282]

Dave just a question but are you ever gonna do a cartoon evolution on Alvin and the chipmunks

[@dementedpurplechicken]

There’s already a pretty good video on it

[@jaihdendover4282]

@@dementedpurplechicken really whats the name of it so i can find

[@cazaresj21]

I loved the Flintstones of the 1960’s. I grew up watching it. I was born in 1974 so the 60’s Flintstones were the best cartoon

[@ramonaragondiaz9258]

Do The Jetsons next. I think that The Jetsons meet the Flintstones is the best crossover in cartoon history. Does anyone remember that Fred Flintstone came out in an episode of The Grim adventures of Billy and Mandy?

[@icecreamhero2375]

Yes I love Billy and Mandy.

[@talkaboutcinema3304]

2:57: Great choice of clip. The editing on these just keeps getting better and better. I agree that The Flintstones does have a timeless feel to it. While I do tend to prefer full animation from theatrical cartoons like the Looney Tunes, shows like The Flintstones heavily benefited from good writing and attention to character personality. While the later seasons of the original show did seem to get more kid-friendly, they at least still did a good job maintaining the adult characters’ personalities. One thing I will slightly disagree on is that Bea Benaderet’s Betty voice was more “generic.” I get what you mean in that her voice wasn’t really like Trixie from The Honeymooners, but Benaderet did have a very warm, motherly-like voice that definitely worked well in portraying her relationship with Barney, much better than Gerry Johnson did. She could get angry at times and it could work, but Benaderet also did convey the feeling of someone who was always just trying to watch out for her husband and make sure he was staying out of trouble. Gerry Johnson’s voice was definitely generic; she was Betty’s equivalent of Marla Frumkin as Velma. There certainly is a way to still make this show work today, but sadly, many adaptations are either too kid-friendly or too adult-focused (I haven’t seen On the Rocks, but judging from those clips you showed, it looks horrible). There’s got to be a way to meet the right balance just like the original series did. If Looney Tunes Cartoons proves anything, it’s that with enough effort, you can recapture the magic of the original cartoons, even if the animation process is extremely different from what it was back then. Great job as always. Looking forward to more Evolutions in the future.

[@Yakkolicious]

Hey! You changed the thumbnail! Nice Grand Dad reference.

[@jonmckenzie7678]

HB was influenced by Art Carney's character Ed Norton in the form of Yogi Bear. Note Yogi's hat and his voice as performed by Daws Butler.

[@cindydott452]

Daws Butler performed as Yogi's hat and voice? What a talent!

[@skunkman9815]

0:43 betty’s giggle is so cute

[@Alola_Hanna-Barbera_TMS_Fan]

I agree! It always makes ME giggle!

[@microbusss]

"thru the courtesy of Fred's two feet" is one line no one remembers! Flintstones also sponsored Winston Cigarettes & Busch Beer also Fred's car changed quite often! The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones was the last time Mel Blanc & George O'Hanlon did the voices The Flintstones movie was the last one that Liz Taylor did

[@douglasparks8430]

I always thought it sounded like "thru the courtesy of Pistol Pete," As in Pete Marovich, NBA star at the time.

[@microbusss]

@@douglasparks8430 nopes

[@GreatMewtwo]

The Flintstones Winston commercials were among those things that stuck with me in the 8th grade from a smoking documentary. I was fried for a moment. Apparently, the Winston account was scrapped when the show went towards a more family-oriented direction (Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm).

[@aegisofhonor]

funny story about John Goodman in The Flintstones. Steven Spielberg sorta "suckered" John into the role and at first John was pretty livid about it, but once production started, he started enjoying the role and now it's one of his favorite movie roles he ever did.

[@eduardo_corrochio]

Lots of interesting information here. I enjoy seeing storyboard sketches and things like that. Cannot deny that this series was a phenomenon in its day, and has continued to charm audiences. It's a big part of American pop culture ... well, the entire world, I suspect. My first intro to this prehistoric show was via reruns on weekday afternoons, after school back in the 1970's. As I grew up I realized I enjoyed season 1 the most because of its loose look and the varied black lines on the characters, plus those sponged background designs of home interiors were cool. And it was much more cartoony and zany than the rest of the seasons. I mean, in one episode Fred walks across the back lawn toward Barney's yard, walks up the stone wall/fence, over it, and then down it, without any gravity affecting him. I think many fans were drawn to things like the household appliances and tools that were made up of birds and animals and dinosaurs. Barney would be trimming his hedge with a bird that had a huge beak, or Wilma would vacuum the living room with a little elephant. Any admirer of the show, particularly its earlier episodes, will recall the Car Hop Song from the episode "The Drive-In": "Here we come, on the run, with a burger on a bun, and a dab of coleslaw on the side. Oh, your taste we will tickle with a cold dill pickle, and all of our potatoes are french fried-fried-fried; our burgers can't be beat 'cause we grind our own meat-- grind, grind, grind, grind, grind. And when you drive away, a tip upon our tray, we hope to find-find-find-find-find ...." I want to mention and praise some of the talent that lent their voices to supporting characters on The Flintstones, seasoned character actors who did a super job: Howard Morris (better known as Ernest T. Bass, he did dozens and dozens of Bedrock characters over the years, from toddlers to hillbillies to wealthy snobs); also from Mayberry were Hal Smith and Howard MacNear (Otis and Floyd, respectively), MacNear always seemed to play a doctor on the show; and I can't forget Frank Nelson, whom we all know as The "Yessssss?" Man from classic television ... Frank played store clerks and such on the show from time to time, including the memorable anniversary piano episode in which he does a duet with Barney of "Strolling Through the Park" in the music shop. We should include comedy icon Harvey Korman who did The Great Gazoo, among others. Also, Verna Felton portrayed Wilma's often surly mother Mrs. Slaghoople. There's more talent-- but these are some outstanding examples worth mentioning. And finally, one important thing that made the show special was the background music scoring by Hoyt Curtin. Simply wonderful! He was talented. He created so many enjoyable themes and melodies that were used in The Flintstones as background music or as bridges between scenes.

[@stephenholloway6893]

Turner was the one who bought Hanna Barbera first and launched Cartoon Network. Warner then later bought Turner.

[@pamelamays4186]

I am a fan of the original series. In the original series, Dino first appeared as a talking dinosaur, with a refined accent. It seems like Pebbles and Bam Bam shift between adulthood and childhood. Interestingly, Elroy and Judy Jetson have been the same age over the decades. Trivia: The Scooby Doo franchise gave a shout out to the Flintstones. Scoob has a cousin named Yabba Doo, who's the sidekick of a small town sheriff in the Southwestern United States. Also, there's an American female hip hop artist who goes by the name Pebbles. In the right hands, I believe that the Flintstones franchise can go on.

[@quadb6574]

You mean Pebbles (Perri Reid) who did the song "Mercedes Boy" and managed the girl hip hop group TLC, who filed bankruptcy to sever themselves from Pebbles' draconian management?

[@barneynedward]

Yabba was Scooby's brother.

[@mermaidprettymuch]

Barney Rubble walked into his house one episode dancing and sing the phrase"Scooby Dooby Doo"

[@megamanfan3]

5:42 I'm seeing the inspiration behind Fred Flintstone's outfit.

[@TheMediaLover02]

I can honestly respect The Flintstones for Revolutionizing the landscape of animation as we know, later cartoons like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad took heavy inspiration from it, all while putting their own unique twist on the family animated sitcom aspect.

[@jaihdendover4282]

Am early so i might as well say it, YABBA-DABBA-DOO. Also just think about the fact that if we didnt have the flintstones we most likely wouldnt have the simpsons or even family guy

[@glitchyy4397]

It would be a blessing if Family Guy didn't exist

[@violetrose34]

The first 3 seasons of Family Guy are gold.

[@gamingandstuff1522]

@@glitchyy4397 family guy was not always as bad as it is today.

[@calebkuti7897]

Am I a bad person for liking Family Guy as a guilty pleasure?

[@Marvelfanatic3658]

@@calebkuti7897 nope it's pretty good

[@user-zu7fh8no1s]

Nice evolution, Dave. It’s so surprising that Looney Tunes did it first (parodying the Honeymooners), before The Flintstones itself became a hit

[@mechasaurus]

The Flintstone's Christmas Carol stands as my favorite take on the original story just slightly ahead of the Muppets. No other parody really touches on Scrooge's sister or the idea of Scrooge making amends with Belle.

[@kylekullin2520]

We are kindred spirits!!!!

[@allisoncorona7381]

The Flintstone's Christmas Carol even includes the small bit of dialogue between Mr and Mrs Cratchit (played by Betty and Barney Rubble) discussing Tiny Tim's (played by Bam-Bam) behavior in church, Bob saying that Tiny Tim said that it would be good for people to remember on Christmas day "who made lame men walk and blind men see.", thus mentioning a man who, according to the premise of the Flintstones, won't be born for at least a million years later.

[@supermarioharvey2174]

Great video Dave The Flintstones have always been my favorite cartoon series from Hanna-Barbera

[@ForbinColossus]

Never knew it was a night time adult show! I only remember the original Flinstones as a Saturday morning cartoon rerun endlessly. Wasn't old enough to have seen when it first appeared. The 1970s & later versions were junk - had not idea they even existed. Great job on this vid! *The opening theme of The Flinstones still makes me happy*

[@Mibbitmaker]

My favorite era is the original, more specifically the first season. I love the rawer drawing and each animator's first episodes are my favorites. The Barney voice heard in this evolution is Daws Butler as a fill-in since Mel Blanc was unable to work due to his car accident in 1961. His was far more Art Carney-like in its inflections than Blanc's later version. Some of the season 2 episodes were dubbed over by Blanc after his return, but a few of them remained with Butler's Barney. The On The Rocks show was also an attempt to return the characters to a more season one look and feel. But, yes indeed, they made it far more adult. I didn't mind the adult aspects at all, but I really disliked the gross-out humor modern animators seem to be addicted to. Worth a viewing, though.

[@spencerpetunia8268]

Where could I find the On the Rocks special? The grossout humor irks me in what I've seen of it too but it otherwise looks fascinating and I'd love to watch it!

[@Mibbitmaker]

@@spencerpetunia8268 I'm not sure where it can be seen these days. I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

[@dmax64]

When I was a kid my favorite Flintstones episode was the one with Samantha from Bewitched.

[@LILGHETTI]

The theme of this show is sooo iconic, I also enjoy John Goodman as fred! Great evolution video!

[@CorruptinMind]

The Flintstone's design by Shane Glines wasn't so bad. Till Yabba Dabba Dinosaur ruined everything. Flintstones needs a proper reboot

[@starthefrakkfangirl6094]

I think only certain dinosaurs looked good.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Yknow, I personally love Flinstones on the Rocks! It was more adult oriented, but was willing to experiment with new sequences! Also,it's hard to ignore Wilmas very lovely 💘 redesign!

[@mechajay3358]

I know right. I feel it gets way to much backlash.

[@calebkuti7897]

I loved Fred’s voice in that movie

[@GoodJuju.8D]

I don't know about Wilma's redesign, but I did enjoy (with a bit of guilt) On the Rocks. As a kid I always wondered what characters were like when the cameras shut off. I realize how that sounds, but I also got super excited when I'd see the promo for "Batman... in Living Color" on my tiny black and white tv, thinking I'd finally be able to watch Color TV. I kept wondering why I always missed that episode. 😔

[@davidtiktin1819]

@@GoodJuju.8D Yeah, I also found On the Rocks a guilty pleasure. It reminded me of Ren & Stimpy's style of animation and humor. I don't think I would ever want to see the Flintstones franchise permanently become this version---in addition to the adult suggestiveness, the characters were much more harsh---but as a sort of one time stand-alone experiment, I found parts of it to be quite funny. If the Flintstones were always considered satirical, then this was kind of a satire of a satire.

[@janebyrne6463]

I would love to see you do an evolution of Wacky Races. Or of the various "Scooby Clones" Hanna-Barbera put out in the 1970s (Jabberjaw, Goober and the Ghost Chasers, etc.)

[@williamfairchild7439]

I do like The Flintstones and it's one of my favourite animated series from Hanna-Barbera

[@briancherry8088]

I used to love the old Flintstone episodes as a kid. And on Saturday mornings I would watch Coco Pebbles commercials in between Bedrock Cops segments. Good times.

[@sunspotmill1291]

I never really got how the first live action movie and Flintstones on the Rocks were considered 'too adult' or 'off-brand' by critics. They were both actually closer in tone to the 1960 series' first two seasons aim at adults rather than being family-friendly. If anything, they actually a bit more on-brand by the Flintstones' standard. While neither also didn't quite go as Family Guy level overboard about it either. Now I'd be more scared about the Seth McFarlene-style take on The Flintstones if I _really_ didn't want the modern stone age family to become too adult and off-brand for its own good (and sophomoric I may add).

[@michaeloluwajuyemi4546]

I loved it when Fred made an appearance in The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy!

[@jennifergriel861]

I will always get a kick out of the mature subjects warning in front of a friggin Flintstones mini doc.

[@vanillagorilla8236]

Bring back good memories better times. After school it was Spiderman/fintstones/ Brady bunch then dinner.

[@timdakis2107]

Happy 60th Anniversary to The Flintstones this year in 2020. The show first aired new since 1960 on Channel ABC.

[@AidanTheRosenberg]

Some suggestions I would like to see: Top Cat Jetsons Charlie Brown Garfield Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Yogi Bear

[@fioravanti675]

Patient yes

[@Mr.Tw1sty]

*Garfielf*

[@AidanTheRosenberg]

@@Mr.Tw1sty ?

[@sonicfanboy3375]

Good news: he did charlie brown

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

Yep, Except Garfield and TMNT...

[@XAnumber1X]

With the references to Rugrats I would love to se a “Cartoon Evolution” on that franchise

[@calebkuti7897]

He even edited that clip perfectly to fit the duration of his lines before the Rugrats logo was shown

[@bi1a1warsi11]

DAVE! I’m lovin the cartoon evolutions! Judging by ur community posts, u spend really long making these and I really appreciate it!

[@animationnerd2748]

So Dave since you did three of my four favorite Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Scooby-Doo The Flintstones and Tom and Jerry I would love to see you do the fourth one The Jetsons

[@El_Omar2203]

Is weird how Hannah Barbera is repsonsible for both making mainstream audiences see cartoons as kids stuff but also making adult oriented cartoon shows mainstream as well.

[@coolryanfilms7396]

I had no idea there were so many iterations! I thought it was basically just the original show and some specials

[@vapx0075]

It explains the vague confusion I had about it growing up (but never considered). The Schmoo(?), Captain Caveman and Bam Bam-teen-toddler-teen-rockstar.

[@BoyNamedSue4]

Let’s be honest. Who hasn’t tried to do the twinkle toes while bowling

[@LegendStormcrow]

Me. But I can't bowl.

[@MaherandIbrahimsAvengers]

I have and sometimes I works and I get a strike But it seems like I can only so it once cause if I do it again in the same game I will either get a spare or a miss

[@sillyspine]

I haven’t.

[@visualgagging]

Not sure how you can do that in bowling shoes... But once I tried the classic “Hanna-Barbera run-in-place-before-dashing” trick, and I actually got a strike

[@twilightman2816]

21:39 The one thing that I never understood about the spin-off set some 15 years later (which I used to watch on Boomerang a lot) was that Fred, Barney, Wilma, and Betty still looked the same age. When Nickelodeon made a RugRats spin-off in which everyone aged about ten years, the parents were made to look older. Some had bits of grey hair and Angelica's mom hilariously got a face-lift. I just think that they should have given Fred and Barney a few streaks of grey hair as well. It was weird seeing them look the same despite several years gone by.

[@zacharyyamashita8554]

Especially in I Yabba Dabba Doo & Hollyrock A Bye Baby.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

I still watch the Flintstones. They currently air on the classic TV network MeTV.

[@almightykuzon]

i actually enjoyed flintstones on the rocks as a kid. i still have the vhs recording of it, not knowing at the time that it would never be aired again. looking back, i can't believe my mom would let me watch it. 😂

[@brianlevine871]

I used to watch "The Flintstones" on some old VHS tapes and Cartoon Network back when I was a kid. Recently, my family and I have been watching reruns on this channel called MeTV, which is dedicated to shows from the 1950s-70s. This retrospective couldn't have come at a better time. You can't beat the original show, although I still have a soft spot for the Jetsons crossover (my first viewing of both shows btw), "A Flintstone Family Christmas," and that "Rockula" special.

[@NinjaCodeman]

Something entirely overlooked was the introduction of Stoney. It was minor, and only in the Christmas Special, but important I think to mention for anyone wanting the complete lore. Stoney is adopted in to the Flintstone family in it and even if we never see that era of Flintstones again, with every series past going back to Pebbles and Bambam as children, it's worth mentioning that Fred did eventually have a son.

[@DaveLeeDownUnder]

If I were to give the complete lore we’d be here for hours. I simply cannot cram every single piece of information, and talk about every single minor character in these videos. I have to draw the line somewhere and decide what is and what is not relevant to the story I’m telling.

[@NinjaCodeman]

@@DaveLeeDownUnder Oh, I totally understand! And comment sections are a good place to find lore or characters that would be nitpicking in a documentary already condensing hours and hours of a show in to thirty minute or less. I think it's important to mention because canonically it's where the story left off, and he is added to the family.

[@SHINOBI-03]

The Great Gazoo was a mistake.

[@seandecool6958]

I didn’t know that they were inspired by real people how surprising 😱😨 I guess every toons always are inspired by real people sometimes and there personalities any way nice video keep up the good work there Dave 👍☺️

[@gstone8255]

I LOVE the Live Action Flintstones movie ❗️😀😀😀❗️❗️❤️❤️

[@EChacon]

YABBA DABBA DOO. Thanks for the history video lesson on The Flintstones Dave. Looking forward to the voice comparison

[@blankblankness2971]

Who here remembers when the thumbnail had Fred, Wilma, Barney AND Betty on it instead of just Fred?

[@GideonMadu]

Seems like The Flintstones really are one of the most celebrated cartoons to exist

[@spencerpetunia8268]

For good reason-they were the first animated sitcom.

[@williamneill5441]

Awesome stuff! I love the animation style from season one. The thick outlines and somewhat crude form gives an almost surreal artistic look.

[@chaturongarchary9773]

👌...perhaps limited budget brings styles...

[@92JazzQueen]

Seriously, as you said, the Flinstones revolutionized the television landscape by showing that a cartoon could make prime time.I would like to say Fruity Pebbles even though they are technically a cartoon based cereal still to this day rank among the greats. Even though it is Flinstones merchandising, it's like it still fits with Kellog's brand and the others.

[@HawthornHawk]

Was that Godzilla (HB animated version) kicking a boulder at Fred in the Cartoon Network promo?

[@princevegeta3307]

Yes it was i remember it from uk version of Cartoon network in 1998-2001

[@TerrickTerran]

Flintstones Christmas...watch it every year but the original series is a close second.

[@cockerspanielfan56]

Oh the flintstones I loved it as a kid I believe I still the dvd series.

[@billvill2192]

Dude..I was raised on this.. Youre explanation and documentation is incredible.. Well done my man 👍🏼🖖🏼

[@benjaminkellog7311]

The original has always been the big one for me, but, believe it or not, "On the Rocks" comes in a close second. The more adult bent of the first two seasons was a clear influence with this one which I somewhat appreciated, and its style was close to Genndy Tartakovsky's "Dexter's Lab." (I'm pretty sure it was done by the same animation unit as that latter show.) "Stone Age SmackDown" comes in third; as a WWE fan, I got a huge kick out of seeing Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, and other stars getting the Bedrock treatment. Daniel Bryan's character, with his ginormous beard and only using the "yes" gesture for communication, is the real highlight of that production. (Missed opportunity: they should've paired the "Boulder Twins" (Nikki and Brie Bella) with the Boulder Brothers from "Wacky Races" for maximum crossover potential.)

[@LivinMyJeffLife]

I always think of The Flintstones as coming before everything else. Thank you for reminding me how relatively new they still are compared to some other classics.

[@jjcastaldo4125]

Wow! Super-packed with history and information. Loved this video. I'm in my late 50's so I've seen Flintstones from the start. This was excellent!

[@DaveLeeDownUnder]

Thanks so much, JJ! Greatly appreciated!

[@anitauguna7029]

YABBA DABBA DOO to you to dave. Also could you also do an evolution on sonic the hedgehog

[@edwardbeaty8899]

You notice that the opening and closing prominently featured the Sabretooth cat, but the cat almost never showed up in an episode?

[@eduardo_corrochio]

Yes! And also, how were Fred and Wilma supposed to get their car vertical again after the waitress dropped that massive slab of ribs on the vehicle? Too funny.

[@owenyoung8846]

There is a lot of evolution to The Flintstones.

[@Igorcastrochucre]

Fred Jr.: She took everything away from me. Kopa: I know how that feels. Daisy's nieces: Ditto for us. PJ Pete: At least your families love you. Felix the Cat: You guys have families?!

[@G.S.Holland]

You mentioned how they floated the idea of the Flintstones as Romans, you mentioned the futuristic version The Jetsons, but really should have at least given a nod to Roman Holidays, the Flinstones concept that H&B eventually made in Roman times!

[@brycevo]

The Flintstones are classics

[@user-cl8xh6bc9y]

Very interesting! The Flintstones is awesome and seeing how they came to be was fascinating. As for favourite Flintstone moments, there are so many! I think my first introduction to them was through A Man Called Flintstone, but watching your video, I was reminded of the Flintstones Comedy Hour with Dino and Cave Mouse. I do have a soft spot for Cave Mouse! Thank you for a trip down memory lane. Yabba Dabba Do!😁

[@jimtait6263]

Fantastic job!! Thank you for digging up everything Flintstones. Loved it.

[@IsitheScribe]

I do agree that the Flintstones have plenty of life left in them. Heck, they inspired the Simpsons and Family Guy for pete's sakes, that's some serious relevance! For me the classic episodes still are my favourite iteration and frankly my favourite Hanna Barbera cartoon alongside Top Cat:)

[@AidanTheRosenberg]

MOST FRIENDS LIKE TO CALL HIM TC

[@juanm.urbina8272]

Very well documented, thanks. Keep em coming!