The Flintstone Kids is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. It is an alternative incarnation of the studio's original animated series The Flintstones. The series depicts juvenile versions of the main characters from the original show.[1] It aired from September 13, 1986, to November 14, 1987, on ABC.[2] Unlike the previous shows, this was the first Flintstone series not to have a laugh track.

The Flintstone Kids
GenreComedy
Created byWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Directed by
Voices of
Narrated byKenneth Mars (Captain Caveman and Son segments)
Theme music composerHoyt Curtin
Opening theme"The Flintstone Kids"
ComposerHoyt Curtin
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes36 (76 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Producers
  • Kay Wright
  • Berny Wolf and Lynn Hoag (associate producers, season 1 only)
EditorGil Iverson
Running time23–24 minutes (3–11 minutes per segment)
Production companiesHanna-Barbera Productions
Studio Filmów Rysunkowych (animation)
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 13, 1986 (1986-09-13) –
November 14, 1987 (1987-11-14)
Related

Overview edit

The program follows the adventures of Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble, Wilma Slaghoople, Betty McBricker and Dino as tweens. They share their preadolescence with their friends Nate Slate, Philo Quartz and Dreamchip Gemstone. They also deal with their bully Rocky Ratrock and his Badrotten Bunch consisting of Tarpit Tommy, Flab Slab, Janet Granite, and Rocky's dog Stalagbite.[3]

Segments edit

This series featured the following segments:

The Flintstone Kids edit

The "main" segment of the show. It would either be a single half-hour episode (only in the first season) or a segment.

Flintstone Funnies edit

Freddy, Barney, Wilma and Betty dream of exciting fantasy adventures. This segment was dropped in the second season.

Dino's Dilemmas edit

The adventures and misadventures of Freddy's pet dinosaur Dino.

Captain Caveman and Son edit

The adventures of Captain Caveman with his son Cavey Jr. as they fight bad guys like the evil genius Mr. Bad. This segment was actually a "show within a show" whereby Captain Caveman and Son is a TV show watched by the main characters, where the "fourth wall" is broken frequently.

Episodes edit

SeasonSegmentsEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
15426September 13, 1986 (1986-09-13)December 13, 1986 (1986-12-13)
22210September 12, 1987 (1987-09-12)November 14, 1987 (1987-11-14)

Voice cast edit

 
Flintstone Kids cast.
  • Charlie Adler as Cavey Jr., Armored Car Robber (in "Captain Knaveman")
  • Mel Blanc as Dino, Bob Rubble, Captain Caveman, Restaurant Manager (in "The Great Freddini"), Piggy McGrabit (in "Greed It and Weep," "Captain Cavedog")
  • Susan Blu as Dreamchip Gemstone, Janet Granite, Mrs. Gemstone (in "Poor Little Rich Girl")
  • Hamilton Camp as Barney Rubble, Flab Slab, Cragmire, Brick Stonespring (in "The Rock Concert That Rocked Freddy"), Bouncer (in "The Rock Concert That Rocked Freddy"), Rock Ruben (in "Betty's Big Break"), Charlie (in "The Little Visitor"), Ralph (in "Attack of the Fifty Foot Teenage Lizard")
  • Henry Corden as Ed Flintstone, Edna Flintstone, Announcer #1 (in "Dusty Disappears"), Chef (in "The Rock Concert That Rocked Freddy")
  • Julie Dees as Wilma Slaghoople (1986–1987), Mica Slaghoople, Mickey Slaghoople, Tarpit Tommy, Mike Worthingstone (in "Barney's Moving Experience")
  • Elizabeth Lyn Fraser as Wilma Slaghoople (1987–1988)
  • Kenneth Mars as Narrator ("Captain Caveman and Son" segments), Trash Man (in "Grime and Punishment", "Day of the Villains", and "Captain Cavedog"), Armored Car Robber (in "Captain Knaveman"), Museum Robber (in "Captain Knaveman")
  • Scott Menville as Freddy Flintstone (1987–1988)
  • Bumper Robinson as Philo Quartz
  • Marilyn Schreffler as Rocky Ratrock, Flo Rubble, Billy's Mother (in "Attack of the Fifty Foot Teenage Lizard"), Tilda (in "Attack of the Fifty Foot Teenage Lizard"), Mrs. Ratrock (in "Rocky's Rocky Road")
  • B.J. Ward as Betty McBricker, Mrs. Rockbottom, Big Shot Player (in "The Bad News Brontos"), Dusty Rubble (in "Dusty Disappears", "The Little Visitor", and "Bedrock'n Roll"), Madame Lasagna (in "Dusty Disappears"), Billy (in "Attack of the Fifty Foot Teenage Lizard")
  • Lennie Weinrib as Freddy Flintstone (1986–1987), Police Commissioner
  • Frank Welker as Nate Slate, Stalagbite, Fang, Brick McBricker, fill-ins for Dino and Bob Rubble, Rowley (in "The Great Freddini"), Frankenpebble (in "Frankenstone"), Spike (in "Yard Wars" and "Revenge of the Bullied"), Fluffy (in "Dreamchip's Cur Wash" and "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Betty"), Alien #1 (in "Rubble Without a Cause"), Announcer #2 (in "Dusty Disappears"), Mr. Stonewall (in "The Butcher Shoppe"), Dino's Mother (in "Dino Come Home"), Tar Monster (in "The Monster from the Tar Pit"), Hal Worthingstone (in "Barney's Big Break"), Spot (in "Barney's Big Break"), Professor Pebblehead (in "The Flintstone Fake Ache"), Sweetums (in "Killer Kitty"), Kitty (in "Captain Knaveman"), Thug (in "Captain Knaveman"), Baby Tyrannosaurus (in "Better Buddy Blues"), Mother Tyrannosaurus (in "Better Buddy Blues"), Thug #2 (in "Who's Faultin' Who?"), Worker (in "Attack of the Fifty Foot Teenage Lizard"), Fleasaurus (in "World War Flea"), Allosaurus (in "Camper Scamper"), Tiny (in "A Tiny Egg")

Additional voices edit

  • Bever-Leigh Banfield as Mayor of Bedrock
  • Michael Bell as Mr. Billy Bad
  • Takayo Fischer as Eskimo Bro (in "Freddy's Rocky Road to Karate"), Dr. Gallstone (in "The Flintstone Fake Ache")
  • June Foray as Grandma Cavemom, Old Lady (in "The Butcher Shoppe"), Aunt Hilda (in "Killer Kitty")
  • Buster Jones as Officer Quartz
  • Michael Rye as Mr. Slaghoople
  • Ronnie Schell as Yuckster (in "A Tale of Too Silly," "Day of the Villains," "The Cream -Pier Strikes Back," and "Captain Cavedog")

Season 1 edit

Season 2 edit

Broadcast history edit

The Flintstone Kids' first season aired on ABC in the 9:00AM Eastern hour, with two half-hour episodes airing back-to-back. The first episode was usually a half-hour story while the second contained an 11-minute Flintstone Funnies segment, a 3-minute Dino's Dilemmas segment and a 7-minute Captain Caveman and Son segment. In the series' second season, only one episode was shown a week. Four episodes paired a new short with reruns of two shorts from the first season.

Reruns of the series moved to the weekend programming block The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera in 1988, only to quickly return to ABC in October due to the failure of The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil. After ABC stopped airing The Flintstone Kids reruns in 1990, The Family Channel aired the series in their Fun Town/Fam TV block from October 15, 1990 to June 3, 1994. Once The Family Channel stopped airing the series, reruns moved to the Cartoon Network, where they aired until 1998, and from 2002 to 2003. The series has also aired on Boomerang.

Home media edit

On May 4, 2010, Warner Home Video released Saturday Morning Cartoons 1980s, Volume 1, a compilation release which features episodes from various 80's cartoons including an episode from The Flintstone Kids.[4] On March 11, 2014, Warner Home Video released The Flintstone Kids: Rockin' in Bedrock, a 2-disc set featuring 10 episodes from the first season, on DVD in Region 1.[5]

Reception edit

Critical response edit

Common Sense Media gave the series a three out of five stars, saying: "Bedrock, the early years: cute and more P.C."[6]

Awards edit

In 1988, Mary Jo Ludin and Lane Raichert were given the Humanitas Prize for the show's episode "Rocky's Rocky Road".[7]

Other appearances edit

Cavey Jr. appears in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Evolutionary War", voiced by Maurice LaMarche.

Cavey Jr. appears in Jellystone! voiced by Dana Snyder.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 333–344. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  2. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 209–214. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  3. ^ "Saturday Morning: Good And Bad". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  4. ^ Stone-Age Preteens, Mr. T, Dirk the Daring and More on WHV's Saturday AM '80s DVD Archived 2014-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ We've Got a First Look at the Cover Art for 'Rockin' in Bedrock' Archived 2013-12-06 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "The Flintstone Kids - TV Review". 10 November 2006.
  7. ^ Sennett, Ted. The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity. New York: Viking Penguin, 1989. ISBN 0-670-82978-1. p. 262.
  8. ^ "Jellystone! I Official Trailer I HBO Max Family". YouTube. June 24, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved June 24, 2021.

External links edit