 What do you get when you cross the honeymooners with prehistoric setting in an animated format? You get America's favorite Stone Age family. Celeste did the test of time from prehistory to present day and even managed to leap into the future creating one of television's first shared universes. This is the history and origins of the Flintstones. Hey guys, welcome back to Come Again TV the only place on YouTube where all geek culture collides. I'm Shannon and if you're new to the channel make sure you hit the subscribe button and the notification bell so you don't miss out on a single history and origins video. The Flintstones is a timeless classic which has stood the test of time partly because it doesn't really take place during any specific time period. I mean other than prehistoric. Originally airing on ABC's prime time lineup from 1960 to 1966 the Flintstones has become one of the most enduring and enduring family sitcoms in television history and was television's first animated series which aired for 166 episodes. Based on the 1956 CBS sitcom The Honeymooners the Flintstones was nearly ended for it just as it was beginning. Originally named the Flagstones until it became known to creators of the similarity of the main characters of High and Lowes's last name in the comic strip. The creators eventually settled on the Flintstones. Flintstones went into production shortly after the Huckleberry handshow and quick draw McGraw. Originally the Flintstones were meant to be a family of three from the very beginning with the couple having a son rather than the daughter which eventually came along. However early merchandise depicted Fred Jr. Even though the sitcom was produced in animation it was directed almost entirely at adults as you can tell by many of the jokes and even the ads Hannah Barbera put the Flintstones family into such as the infamous Winston cigarette commercials. The Flintstones starred Alan Reed as Fred and Gene Vanderpell as both Wilma and Pebbles. Mel Blanc portrayed Barney Rubble for all but episodes one, two, five, six and nine of the second season in which Dawes Butler portrayed the voice. Bea Beneterit portrayed Betty Rubble from seasons one through four and Jerry Johnson portrayed the voice in seasons five and six. Bam Bam Rubble the adopted son of Betty and Barney was voiced by Don Messick with Mel Blanc also voicing Dino. A number of spin-offs have aired over the years since its sixth season. The Pebbles and Bam Bam show which revolved around the two as teenagers which was inspired a great deal by the beach buddy movies of the time aired for one season from September 1971 to January 1972. It was immediately followed by the Flintstone Comedy Hour and the Flintstone Comedy Show. The Flintstones took a three-year hiatus until the show Fred Flintstone Friends which was then followed by the new Fred and Barney show. Other shows would include Fred and Barney Meet the Thing. In spite of the title the new Fred and Barney show and the Thing which was based on the Marvel Comics hero remained two separate shows rolled into an hour long block similar to that of the Marvel Action Hour of the 90s. Immediately after Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo would air followed by the Flintstone Comedy Show, the Flintstone Funnies, the Flintstone Kids and Cave Kids. It's been rumored for the past few years that Seth MacFarlane was working on an adult focused Flintstone reboot which eventually got cancelled. There is however a new reboot in the works directed at adult audiences by Elizabeth Banks and Brownstone Productions. Along with the numerous amounts of series the Flintstones had they've also had a number of television special one of which was their Christmas special which is a holiday favorite for many households. There were also television movies the most famous of which was the Jetsons Meet the Flintstones. In the franchise Fred Flintstone the patriarch of the household works in a gravel pit and often comes up with half baked schemes in every episode. Wilma Flintstone who is the housewife and often enough had her own schemes. Barney Rubble worked alongside Fred in the gravel pit while his wife Betty was also a homemaker both acting as sidekicks and often drag-alongs for the Flintstones hair brand schemes. If you enjoyed that video make sure you hit the subscribe button right there so you stay up to date on all thanks geek culture. Also go ahead and check out one of these two playlists on the side for more videos just like the one you just watched. I'm Shannon for Comic NTV the only place on YouTube where all geek culture collides. Take care geeks.