Customer Reviews

The Flintstones - The Complete First Season

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Before Matt Groening and pals introduced us to "The Simpsons," Joseph Barbera and William Hannah produced a little show called "The Flintstones." Season "1" was first aired on ABC during 1960 and has been syndicated in perpetuity throughout the known universe ever since.

Episode Guide:
(Screen Test) The Flagstones: Admittedly, I've never seen the screen test (discovered in 1993) and cannot even vouch for it's inclusion in the DVD set-one can only hope.
(1) The Flintstone Flyer: Barney invents a flying machine (the Barney Copter) which he later loses to his over-bearing best friend. The duo uses the machine to ditch their wives and go bowling, thus setting the stage for years of adventures.
(2) Hot Lips Hannigan: Fred relives his glory days as a singer in his high school band as he jams with an old pal.
(3) The Swimming Pool: Fred and Barney construct a pool spanning across their backyards...a hilarious power struggle ensues.
(4) No Help Wanted: Having cost his friend his job, Fred finds Barney a new job as a repo man. Enter Dino.
(5) The Split Personality: Following a blow to the noggin' Fred becomes his more refined alter, Frederick.
(6) The Monster from the Tar Pits: Gary Granite is filming in Bedrock and lucky Fred finds a part in the film..., as his stunt double.
(7) The Babysitters: Fred and Barney shirk their responsibilities and bring a baby to a friends house to watch the big fight. BYOB?
(8) At the Races: Fred and Barney rely on gambling for a quick-fix solution. Do you think they win?
(9) The Engagement Ring: Barney purchases a ring for Betty but Wilma discovers the ring and assumes it was for her... Instead of spending five minutes explaining the situation, Barney decides to enter a boxing contest with The Champ.
(10) Hollyrock, Here I Come: The girls come up with a winning slogan and a trip to Hollyrock. Lost without their better halves, Fred and Barney aren't far behind.
(11) The Golf Champion: Fred demonstrates his prowess at golf, earning a trophy. Barney, however, pesters his buddy as Fred neglected to pay his membership dues.
(12) The Sweepstakes Ticket: Both the guys and gals purchase lottery tickets unbeknown to their spouses. As they forever remain strapped for cash, I think you know how this one ends.
(13) The Drive-In: Fred and Barney secretly quit their jobs to fulfill a short-lived dream of business ownership. The gig is up when one of their attractive employees pays a visit to the Flintstone residence.
(14) The Prowler: Terrorized by a neighborhood prowler, Betty and Wilma decide to take Judo lessons, despite Fred's objections.

Well, maybe having just celebrated a milestone birthday, I was feeling like re-capturing my youth. Perhaps that explains why I put this set and the "Jetson's" on my wish list and was given them on my birthday. Regardless, this is one of the best DVD sets around. The artwork and picture quality, especially the color, is amazing. Being too young to see this as a prime time show, I enjoyed it as part of after school cartoons. One possible explanation on why the color is so amazing is that I watched the show in black and white as an adolescent.

I have to disagree with some other reviewers here in regards to the extra material. I think it is outstanding. The bonus material includes the original pilot called "The Flagstones" and some wonderful time period commercials and promos for the show. That is my favorite part of the set.

The episodes are longer than I remember, as they have been restored to their original length. Like the "Jetson's" one can really see the 60's influence. From the music to the terminology it is easy to see why this was simply an animated sitcom for the time.

I have not had the chance to view more than just the first disc and bonus materials, but will be glad to pop this in when I need that nostalgia fix. The DVD packaging and presentation is simply superb. If you have fond memories of this show, then it is worth it to buy the set. Well done.

Basically an animated version of The Honeymooners set in the Stone Age, The Flintstones was the first prime-time cartoon series made especially for television. Created and produced by animation pioneers William Hanna & Joseph Barbera, The Flintstones remains one of the most globally recognized animated programs to date, with an opening theme song ("Meet The Flintstones") that practically everyone knows the words to.

The original first season Flintstones theme was the instrumental 1960 main title "Rise and Shine" composed by musical director Hoyt Curtin, who provided the show's distinctive musical cues. "Meet the Flintstones" emerged in 1961 with lyrics written by series co-creator William "Bill" Hanna.

The exceptional voices were provided by Alan Reed as Fred Flintstone, dino-operator/quarry worker; Jean Vander Pyl as Wilma Flintstone, his wife; Mel Blanc as Barney Rubble, Fred's bosom buddy and lifelong pal; and Bea Benaderet as Betty Rubble, Barney's wife. June Foray provides Betty's voice in the Flagstones pilot which is included in this collection.

Despite the notoriously simple art direction (thick black lines, etc.) presented in the first season, it remains my favorite because the simple art style complements the Honeymooners-inspired dialogue and situations, in addition to Hoyt Curtin's uncanny musical feel of the show. A classic show inspired by a classic show!

Features:
Featurettes
Early TV promo spots
The original pilot episode "The Flagstones"

To the Viewer from Seattle: "If anything, The Flintstones embraces every deplorable aspect of what would eventually become known as abusive and dysfunctional marriages."

Chill out man, it's just a cartoon!

At last, maybe the best animated prime-time series EVER is finally getting the DVD treatment. I bought "The Flintstones - The Complete First Season" the day it came out, so far have only watched a couple of episodes but WOW! The color is vibrant, leaps off the tv, and the sound quality is great as well. WOW.

The first season, contrary to what you've read here, does not contain 14 episodes, but ALL 28 OF THE FIRST SEASON! YAY! Some of the best known and loved are on this set, and the episodes are in their original running order:

1. The Flintstone Flyer -- Fred pretends to be sick so he and Barney can get out of taking their wives to the opera. Using a prehistoric helicopter as a means of escape, the two of them join their bowling team for a night of fun. They almost get away with their scheme, until loose-lipped Barney gives away their night's activities.

2. Hot Lips Hannigan -- Believing he has made Wilma and Betty disappear through magic, Fred capitalizes on his newfound freedom by taking Barney to a nightclub, the Rockland, where an old friend, trumpeter Hot Lips Hannigan, is performing. The jazz is cool until the wives show up to teach their wayward husbands a lesson.

3. The Swimming Pool -- Fred and Barney jointly build a swimming pool, but Barney hogs the pool time, angering Fred. To get even, Fred hires a pal to pose as a police officer and break up one of his neighbor's pool parties. NOTE: This was the first episode to be recorded. It incorporated the original forty-five second network "pilot" sequence produced to sell the series.

4. No Help Wanted -- Fred uses his influence with a business friend to obtain a job for Barney, who becomes a furniture repossessor. To the dismay of both, Barney's first assignment is to repossess Fred's television! Unwilling to betray his friend, Barney pays off Fred's delinquent television bill with his first paycheck.

5. The Split Personality -- A conk on the head turns Fred into an aristocratic sophisticate - "Frederick" - whose behavior manages to disrupt the entire city of Bedrock.

6. The Monster from the Tar Pits -- A Hollyrock film company goes on location in Bedrock to film its new feature, "Monster From The Tar Pits," and gullible Fred is enlisted as stand-in for star Gary Granite. But Fred's real problems begin when Wilma and Betty audition for roles in the film and end up going ga-ga upon meeting movie stars Rock Pile and Wednesday Tuesday.

7. The Babysitters -- Roped into babysitting little Egbert, the child of a friend, Fred and Barney take the baby over to pal Joe Rockhead's house to watch the fights on television. Egbert befriends Joe's pet runtosaurus and dresses the creature up in his baby clothes, which results in chaos when the pet--whom Fred and Barney mistake for the baby--escapes from the house and dashes up a tree. NOTE: Veteran voice-over artist Paul Frees provides the voice of Barney's boss (the only time we ever catch a glimpse of Barney's workplace).

8. At the Races -- To finance their dream of opening a pool hall, Fred and Barney visit the dinosaur racetrack where Fred bets his entire paycheck on a long shot. He tells Wilma that he has lost his check. When the long shot pays off, Fred and Barney are initially elated, but they quickly realize their problems are only beginning.

9. The Engagement Ring -- Barney decides to surprise Betty with a belated engagement ring, which he gives to Fred for safekeeping. But Wilma discovers the ring and assumes it is a gift for her. Not wanting to shatter her illusions, Fred decides to buy a second ring, but doesn't have the cash. He cons Barney into going several rounds with a boxing champ in order to win a $500 prize.

10. Hollyrock, Here I Come -- Wilma and Betty win a trip to Hollyrock from a television contest. Finding themselves lonely and bored, Fred and Barney take vacations from work and follow them out. When Wilma is "discovered," Fred muscles his own way into the world of television to bring her back.

11. The Golf Champion -- Fred's victory in The Loyal Order of Dinosaurs golf tournament is soured when club president Barney withholds his trophy for nonpayment of club dues. Fred retaliates by demanding that Barney return every item he has borrowed over the years. The stalemate continues until Wilma and Betty manage to bring their husbands back together.

12. The Sweepstakes Ticket -- Barney hides the sweepstakes ticket he and Fred have bought in the lining of an old coat, which Betty subsequently gives to a passing hobo. While the boys try to recover the ticket, convinced it is the winning one, Wilma and Betty have their own winning ticket stashed away at the Rubble's house.

13. The Drive-in -- Fed up with their jobs, Fred and Barney secretly plan to buy a restaurant, but then Fred has to deal with a suspicious Wilma who wants to know why two young girls (carhops who are seeking a job) are calling for him, and what the messages regarding two tons of dino-burger meat mean.

14. The Prowler -- With a prowler on the loose in Bedrock, Betty decides to take judo lessons to protect herself. When Wilma wants to take lessons also, Fred ridicules the idea, arguing that one glimpse of a burglar would send her running in fear. To prove his point, Fred poses as the prowler and sneaks into the Rubble household, on the same night the real criminal shows up.

15. The Girls Night Out -- Fred and Barney decide to treat their wives to a night out at an amusement park. Fred cuts a song at a recording booth as a souvenir but misplaces the record. It is later discovered by a group of teens who pass it along to a deejay, and Fred is suddenly transformed into unwitting rock star "Hi-Fye."

16. Arthur Quarry's Dance Class -- Fred and Barney sign up for dance lessons at Arthur Quarry's so that they do not humiliate themselves at the charity ball. Their excuse that they have joined the volunteer fire department falls apart when Betty and Wilma realize that the all-stone town of Bedrock is fire proof. The wives then suspect that their husbands are slipping out to meet other women.

17. The Big Bank Robbery -- When he discovers a bag containing $86,000, Fred's dreams of being a wealthy man finally seem to be coming true. But the money has been stolen from the bank, so Wilma and Betty force Fred and Barney to return the money to the bank, and unwittingly set them up as the primary suspects! The wives set a trap for the real culprits and Fred ends up saving the day.

18. The Snorkasaurus Hunter -- Would-be hunter Fred convinces Wilma and the Rubbles to spend their vacation time in the mountains, hunting for snorkasaurus. Fred is successful in his hunt, but he gets more than he bargained for when the wives insist that the snorkasaurus be taken home as their new pet, Dino.

19. The Hot Piano -- Who HASN'T had that "Happy Anniversary" song going through their head! To commemorate his tenth wedding anniversary (which he only remembers because it falls on "Trash Day"), Fred wants to buy Wilma a Stoneway piano. He finds a hot deal--ultimately too hot--from a shady, cash-only businessman named 88 Fingers Louie.

20. The Hypnotist -- While attempting to demonstrate his skill as a hypnotist to his wife and the Rubbles, Fred manages to hypnotize Barney into thinking that he is a frisky puppy, and is then unable to bring him back.

21. Love Letters on the Rocks -- Jealous Fred's discovery of a love poem that was sent to Wilma prompts him to hire Bedrock's top detective Perry Gunite, to find out who the home-wrecking poet is. Gunite's investigation mistakenly points to Barney. Fred plans revenge against his friend until Wilma reminds her husband that he had written the poem himself years earlier, during their courtship.

22. The Tycoon -- When industrial tycoon J.L. Gotrocks decides he wants to rub shoulders with the common people, dead-ringer Fred is hired to fill in for him in the board room. Fred savors his new lifestyle at the country club, but the plan begins to unravel when J.L. demonstrates little tolerance for the common folk.

23. The Astra' Nuts -- Thinking they are undergoing an examination for a physical contest, Fred and Barney mistakenly sign up for a three-year stint in the Army! After a tearful goodbye to their wives they enter into the service, where they quickly blunder their way into volunteering for the first lunar landing mission.

24. The Long, Long Weekend -- Friend Gus Gravel invites the Flintstones and the Rubbles to his seaside hotel for an all-expense-paid vacation. But upon arriving, the four find that the hotel's planned "activities" seem more like work. Gus finally confesses that his entire hotel staff has just resigned on the eve of a huge convention.

25. In the Dough -- One of the best episodes EVER. Wilma and Betty are finalists in a television bake-off, but on the eve of the event, they contract measles. Donning wigs and dresses, Fred and Barney take their places in the contest.

26. The Good Scout -- Assuming the command of a Boy Scout troop, Fred quickly learns the hazards of a "routine" camping trip. Fred blunders his way through until an overnight flood leaves him and the troop hanging on a tree limb over a treacherous waterfall, hoping a ranger will rescue them.

27. Rooms for Rent -- Tired of hearing their husbands complain about finances, Wilma and Betty rent rooms to piano and bongo-playing student musicians. Fred and Barney go along with the arrangement, unaware that their wives are providing the lodging in return for music and dancing lessons.

28. Fred Flintstone: Before and After -- Fred agrees to appear in a before-and-after weight reduction commercial, but is humiliated to learn that he is the before example. An offer of $1,000 if he can drop twenty-five pounds in a month fails miserably, as does every other diet plan, until an overeaters group takes him on as a challenge.

The great bonuses include a special on how the show was created -- and the original pilot that sold the show, "The Flagstones," which appears on disk 4 as well; and again, it looks great.

The only complaint is that the 4th disk is a two-sided disk - a bit of a pain, they should have done a 5-disk set. But it's a small complaint; otherwise, the set is beautifully packaged. And what a gem, to have this on DVD! I even skipped on groceries a bit to afford getting it the first week -- at the sale price -- and it was worth every penny. There is, and never will be, another "Flintstones" -- and let's hope Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros doesn't sit on releasing more seasons; you can hear the "Yabba-Dabba-Doos" nationwide at the release of season one alone!

I'm setting here watching this disc set....again. It's beautiful color and sound make it well worth having. This show is my favorite animated series. I grew up with this prime time show that aired from September 30th,1960 on ABC at 8:30 Friday night to September 2nd, 1966. The teem of Hanna-Barbera sure did well with this and numerous other shows. Anyone who grew up in the sixties as I did sure had some great shows to watch, and now they're classics. This DVD set is in a beautiful and colorful package. It's well designed. Another GREAT feature is that they use the original opening and closing for the show. They used this opening for the first two season before going to the all too familiar open and song. This set is a MUST FOR ever house hold. Please buy this DVD set...you won't be unhappy.
This is a family like "I Love Lucy", "The Honeymooners" and others that you came to love as friends and loved to watch every week. Here are the first seasons titles and air dates along with dates yhat they were filmed.
DVD SET - SEASON ONE-
disc one-
#1."The flintstone flyer"..........recorded 4/2/1960
aired 9/30/1960
#2."Hot lips hannigan".............recorded 5/2/1960
aired 10/7/1960
#3."The swimming pool".............recorded 4/1/1960
aired 10/14/1960
#4."No help wanted"................recorded 4/11/1960
aired 10/21/1960
#5."The split personality".........recorded 5/9/1960
aired 10/28/1960
#6."Monster from the tar pits".....recorded 6/22/1960
aired 11/4/1960
#7."The baby sitters"................recorded 4/6/1960
aired 11/11/1960
disc two-
#8."At the races"..................recorded 4/18/1960
aired 11/18/1960
#9."The engagement ring"...........recorded 4/8/1960
aired 11/25/1960
#10."Hollyrock here i come"..........recorded 5/20/1960
aired 12/2/1960
#11."The golf champion"............recorded 6/29/1960
aired 12/9/1960
#12."The sweepstake ticket"........recorded 7/11/1960
aired 12/16/1960
#13."The drive in".................recorded 4/25/1960
aired 12/23/1960
#14."The prowler"....................recorded 4/5/1960
aired 12/30/1960
disc three-
#15."The girl's night out".........recorded 5/31/1960
aired 1/6/1961
#16."Arthur quarry's dance class"..recorded 8/22/1950
aired 1/13/1961
#17."The big bank robbery".........recorded 8/15/1960
aired 1/20/1961
#18."The snorkasaurus hunter"......recorded N/A
aired 1/27/1961
#19."The hot piano"................recorded 7/27/1960
aired 2/3/1961
#20."The hypnotist"................recorded 7/25/1960
aired 2/10/1961
#21."Love letters on the rocks"....recorded 9/2/1960
aired 2/17/1961
disc four- side one
#22."The tycoon"...................recorded 9/13/1960
aired 2/24/1961
#23."The astra'nuts"...............recorded 9/27/1960
aired 3/3/1961
#24."The long long weekend"........recorded 10/24/1960
aired 3/10/1961
#25."In the dough".................recorded 11/12/1960
and 11/17/1960
aired 3/17/1961
#26."The good scout"...............recorded 11/12/1960
aired 3/24/1961
#27."Rooms for rent"...............recorded 1/11/1961
aired 3/31/1961
#28."Fred flintstone
before and after".......recorded 1/23/1961
aired 4/7/1961
disc four- side two
ALL ABOUT THE FLINTSTONES
WACKY INVENTIONS
"THE FLAGSTONE"
EARLY TV COMMERCIALS
NETWORK PROMO SPOTS
TRAILERS

Finally got this DVD and from the minute I watched the first episode I immediatly loved it. The colors are crisp, bright and sharp (I wonder if they enhanced them or is a broadcast making them look bad?) and although the sound is in mono it still sounds good. Besides that, they kept the intros and outros to every episode and there's even a snippet of every cartoon just before the one you selected starts to play.
People are complaining about the lack of certain extras... well... even one bonus film is already an extra. You buy this set for the 28 episodes and not for the bonus stuff, so having all the commercials or the pilot shot is just a nice filler. When they weren't on the last disc I might not even miss them.
Anyway, I love this set and I expect to see more volumes some day (why else would they put a number '1' on the side of the packaging?). Keep it coming!

Greetings from FixitLand!

Having not yet seen this DVD set (but look forward to!), but having much experience with "The Flintstones" going back to its first-run days, I can assure Ms. Gibson that the "weird 'new' music" she complains about is indeed the *original* program theme (as many reviewers have pointed out). When "The Flintstones" was first syndicated in 1966-67, the first two seasons' original themes were lopped off and an edited print of the 1962 theme was added on. Don't believe it? Look at the copyright date at the end of the syndicated first- and second-season episodes: "COPYRIGHT (C) 1962..." Also, note that part of the *audio* in the opening theme is excised ("...courtesy of Fred's two feet") and at that point picture and sound no longer sync. There is no 'pop' as Dino's head pops through the car roof, and *silence* as the "camera" goes to and zooms into the movie screen. For YEARS I had hoped to once again see and hear the original theme, and only recently (on the Cartoon Network) did I finally get my wish. Now, with this DVD, I can see it at will. Looking forward to getting a copy!

J. E. Knox

This is a wonderful DVD of a cartoon which many of us grew up with! Fred and the gang will never grow old. I have completed the episode guide from the spotlight review so that you will have the complete summary.

Episode Guide:
:
(15) The Girls' Night Out: Fred cuts a record at an amusement park and becomes teen singing idol Hi-Fye.
(16) Arthur Quarry's Dance Class: Fred and Barney take dance lessons, using Joe Rockhead's Volunteer Fire Department as a front.
(17) The Big Bank Robbery: Fred and Barney intercept $86,000 in stolen loot, and are soon wanted by both the police and the real robbers.
(18) The Snorkasaurus Hunter: On a hunting trip, the gang encounter a fast-moving, fast-talking snorkasaurus. Fred and Barney try to catch him for dinner.
(19) The Hot Piano: Fred buys a piano from 88 Fingers Louie as an anniversary present for Wilma.
(20) The Hypnotist: Inspired by the Great Mesmo, Fred accidentally hypnotizes Barney into thinking he's a dog. Barney runs off and winds up in the pound.
(21) Love Letters On the Rocks: Fred finds a love letter to Wilma and hires Perry Gunite, a private eye.
(22) The Tycoon: Fred trades places with J. L. Gotrocks, his rich double.
(23) The Astr'nuts: The boys accidentally enlist in the Army and are recruited for a top-secret moon launch.
(24) The Long, Long Weekend: The Flintstones and Rubbles visit the hotel owned by Fred's old friend Gus ("Smooooothie") and end up as the only members of the hotel staff just as the Water Buffalo convention rolls into town.
(25) In the Dough: Wilma and Betty's Flint Rubble Double Bubble Cake makes them finalists in a bake-off, but Fred and Barney must assume their identities when the wives get the measles.
(26) The Good Scout: Fred and Barney lead a Boy Scout troop into danger.
(27) Rooms For Rent: Wilma and Betty take in music students as lodgers.
(28) Fred Flintstone--Before and After: Fred's appearance in a Fat Off Reducing Method commercial leads to his joining Food Anonymous.

This is the 1st season of one of the longest running animated TV shows (as far as I know, only the Simpsons has surpassed it). These are the early days of Fred (voiced by Alan Reed), Wilma (voiced by Jean VanderPyl), Barney (voiced by the multitalented Mel Blanc) and Betty (voiced by Bea Benederet). Dino would be introduced in the episode No Help Wanted but wouldn't become a regular until The Snorkasaurus Story. There are references to Tuesday Welch (Wednesday Tuesday), Cary Grant (Gary Granite), and Arthur Murray (Arthur Quarry). Also, it took until the middle of this 1st season for Mel Blanc to perfect Barney's voice (originally, it was higher pitched and more nasally, rather than the dopier sounding voice, with the hiccuppy laugh). Fred originally shouted "Yahoo!" (as he does quite frequently in the 1st episode "The Swimming Pool"). Alan Reed thought "Yabba dabba doo!" was perhaps more fitting and that became Fred's line. Also, the openning and closing theme are quite different from what you probably remember seeing on reruns, a song called "Rise and Shine," which sounds similar to The Bugs Bunny theme, "Overture- This Is It." At the beginning, Fred comes home from work, grabs a large sandwich from Wilma, kisses her on the cheek and turns on the TV.

Highlights from this season include Fred and Barney using an invention of Barney's called the Flintstone Flyer, a helicopter which looks like an eggbeater (they use it to go to the bowling alley even though they have a date with Wilma and Betty at the opera), Fred and Barney sharing a swimming pool (which causes arguments over whose turn it is to share the pool with their friends and a visit from the cops when the fun gets a little too noisy), Wilma thinking Fred forgot their anniversary (featuring the "Happy Anniversary" tune, sung a la William Tell Overture), Wilma and Betty rent their empty rooms out to 2 college students (whose musical talents drive both Fred and Barney crazy!), Fred trying to lose weight with the help of Food Anonymous ("Oink! Oink! Oink! Oink!"), Fred and Barney sneak out to meet up with Hot Lips Hannigan (not knowing that Wilma and Betty are also at the nightclub in disguise), Barney getting a job as a repossessor (the best part is where Fred turns the TV on and Barney is inside!), Fred and Barney open a diner (with 2 waitresses with Brooklyn accents "Here we come on d'run with a boiger on a bun..."), Barney is President of a country club and confiscates a golfing trophy of Fred's since his dues aren't paid ("What's amatter with Flintstone? He's alright!"), Fred and Barney find a big bag of cash and get mistaken as bankrobbers, Fred gets hit on the head with a bottle and takes on the alterego of Frederick, a sophisticated aristocrat who loves opera and hates bowling ("Please, you are wrinkling my fur!"), Wilma and Betty enter their recipe for the Upside Down Flint-Rubble Bubble Cake but can't compete in person as they both catch the measles (so Fred and Barney, in drag, try to save the day), Fred is confused as J.R. Gotrocks and asked to double for him ("Whose baby is that? What's your angle? I'll buy that!"), Fred and Barney accidentally join the army wind up as test pilots for the 1st ever rocketship to the moon and in another episode, they lead a cave scout jamboree on a camping trip.

The extra's may not be as good but there are plenty of great episodes, all shown uncut (I can remember as a kid getting angry because certain scenes were cut out).