Unearth the Surprising Secrets Behind The Flintstones That Will Rock Your Stone Age World!
Ever wondered how a family living in the Stone Age became prime-time royalty on your TV screens? That’s right — The Flintstones aren’t just your typical cartoon cavemen; they carved out a place in television history by becoming the first animated series to snag a prime-time slot and hold onto the crown as the most financially successful animated franchise for an astounding thirty years. But what’s the secret behind their rock-solid success? From the accidental creation of Fred’s iconic catchphrase to near-death car crashes not stopping the legendary Mel Blanc from voicing Barney, there’s more to these prehistoric pals than meets the eye. Ready to dig deeper into the Bedrock of pop culture and uncover the behind-the-scenes nuggets of wisdom and wild stories that even die-hard fans might’ve missed? Let’s get rolling – and remember, in Bedrock, even a car runs on your own two feet! LEARN MORE.
Set during the Stone Age, The Flintstones follows the Flintstone family and their neighbors as they navigate through life during a much more primitive time. Originally airing from September 30, 1960, to April 1, 1966, The Flintstones grew to become the most financially successful animated franchise for three decades. Produced by Hanna-Barbera, it was also the first animated series to ever be broadcast in a primetime slot. Now, take a look to see what made The Flintstones so successful and behind-the-scenes facts that even some of the show’s biggest fans don’t know.
Fred And Barney Were Originally Drawn To Look Like Real Cavemen
One of The Flintstones’ designers, Ed Benedict, originally drew the characters of Fred and Barney to look like true cave dwellers. He commented that they looked like “cave people wearing long beards, with scraggly, unkempt hair and in slightly distorted, hunched-over shapes.”
However, producer Joesph Barbera didn’t like the designs, which led Benedict to clean up their look. Over time, the costumes continued to be altered with Fred’s the number of spots on his loincloth being changed from six to four. A necktie was added to Fred’s look and Wilma gained a stone necklace.
Mel Blanc Continued To Voice Barney After A Near-Death Car Accident
The voice of Barney was done by Mel Blanc, otherwise known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices.” However, in 1961, he was involved in a horrific head-on car crash that almost killed him and left him hospitalized for 70 days.
Upon being released from the hospital to continue his recovery at home, he insisted to continue working from home. With wires all around his hospital bed and a speaker to talk to the producers, Blanc managed to record 40 episodes at his home while still recovering.
Alan Reed Came Up With “Yabba Dabba Doo”
Alan Reed, the voice of Fred Flintstone, came up with Fred’s timeless catchphrase “Yabba Dabba Doo.” He was experimenting with it during a recording session, and little did he know how iconic it would become. Supposedly, Reed’s mother was known to say “A little dab’ll do ya,” which Reed adapted into his own.
During the recording session, Reed asked producer Joe Barbera if he could change “yahoo” to “Yabba Dabba Doo.” Barbera didn’t have a problem with the change, and today it’s one of the most recognizable character catchphrases in television history.
Alan Reed Influenced Fred Flintstone’s Entire Design
In addition to spontaneously coming up with Fred Flintstone’s iconic catchphrase, voice actor Alan Reed was also an inspiration for many of the visual aspects of Fred’s design.
This wasn’t necessarily because he told the animators how to draw him but rather because they based Fred’s design off of Reed’s facial features and build. If Hanna-Barbera had hired a different voice actor, Fred’s design could have ended up completely unrecognizable from his now-famous look.
The Flintstones Were Going To Be The Flagstones
Before The Flinstones, Joe Barbera was thinking about calling the show The Gladstones or even The Flagstones. However, Barbera soon learned that there was already a comic strip in circulation with the same name. They went on to film a 90-second pilot episode in 1959 and although it didn’t air, the name was officially changed to The Flintstones.
It wasn’t until 1993 that Cartoon Network found the original pilot in a storage warehouse in New York. Cartoon Network’s head of programming claimed that “we sent out teams of researchers to look for it all over. It was like the search for the Holy Grail.” It was aired in 1994.
Pebbles Was Going To Be A Baby Boy
By Season 3 in 1962, the show-runners decided that Fred and Wilma should have a baby to spice up the show. Initially, they all agreed that the child should be a boy. However, their decision was changed by the Ideal Toy Company.
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