The Flintstone Comedy Hour
GenreComedy
Directed by
Voices of
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes18
Production
Producers
  • William Hanna
  • Joseph Barbera
Camera setup
  • Dick Blundell
  • Tom Barnes
  • Ralph Migliori
  • Roy Wade
  • George Epperson
Running time
  • 60 minutes (1972–73)
  • 30 minutes (1973–74)
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 9, 1972 (1972-09-09) –
January 26, 1974 (1974-01-26)
Related
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show
Fred Flintstone and Friends

The Flintstone Comedy Hour is an American animated television series and a spin-off of The Flintstones and The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, produced by Hanna-Barbera, which aired on CBS from September 9, 1972, to September 1, 1973. It was re-titled The Flintstone Comedy Show for a second season of reruns as a half-hour show from September 8, 1973, to January 26, 1974.[1][2]

Overview

The show's first half-hour featured two shorts with Fred and Barney, one short with the cast of The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, short jokes, horoscopes, and two songs performed by the new Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm band called The Bedrock Rockers; the second half-hour featured four new episodes and reruns of The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.[3] The show also featured Moonrock, Penny, Wiggy, "Bad-luck" Schleprock, Cindy and Fabian, and the Bronto Bunch (Bronto, Noodles, Stub and Zonk) from The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.[4][5]

Mikki Stevens replaced Sally Struthers as the voice of Pebbles in four new episodes of The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show and in brief in-between segments, Struthers at the time being fully committed to her role as Gloria Stivic on the sitcom All in the Family. This was the final spin-off to feature Alan Reed as the voice of Fred Flintstone before Reed's death in 1977.

For the 1973–74 television season, CBS dropped The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show episodes and repackaged the first half-hour segments of The Flintstone Comedy Hour for a second season of reruns under the new title The Flintstone Comedy Show from September 8, 1973, to January 26, 1974. The "Fred & Barney" shorts and "The Bedrock Rockers" segments were later featured on the syndicated weekday series Fred Flintstone and Friends in 1977–78.[6] The program continued to air in rebroadcasts under The Flintstone Comedy Show title on USA Cartoon Express, Cartoon Network and Boomerang.[7]

Like many animated series created by Hanna-Barbera in the 1970s, the show contained a laugh track created by the studio.

The Bedrock Rockers

The Bedrock Rockers were Pebbles Flintstone (keyboard), Bamm-Bamm Rubble (bass), Moonrock Crater (drums), Penny Pillar (tambourine) and Wiggy Rockstone (flute). They performed two songs per episode which included:

  1. "Sunshine Man"
  2. "Summertime Girl"
  3. "Oh, How I Love You"
  4. "Keep in Time"
  5. "It Should Always Be Saturday"
  6. "Hop, Skip and a Jump"
  7. "Flying So High"
  8. "Yabba Dabba Doozie"
  9. "Shadow, Shadow"
  10. "Being With You"
  11. "Singing Song"
  12. "Song of the Season"
  13. "What's Your Sign?"
  14. "Sunny Sun Day"
  15. "Rock N Roll Circus"
  16. "And I Love You"

The music was written by various Screen Gems staffers which, at the time, included David Gates (of Bread) penning the popular "Summertime Girl" and Tony Dancy (of Tony's Tygers) writing "Being With You" with Craig Fairchild & Jackie Mills. Mills also wrote "Sunshine Man" with Leonard Pettit and "Yabba Dabba Doozie" with Tom Jenkins. The actual group on the recordings were known as The Ron Hicklin Singers, featuring Tom Bahler on lead (he later penned the classic Michael Jackson song "She's Out of My Life"), John Bahler, Jackie Ward and Stan Farber. This lineup recorded on hundreds of commercials, TV themes and The Partridge Family recordings. Bahler's lead vocals are also prominent in The Love Generation, who issued a few LPs in the late 1960s.

Episodes

Each episode contained two shorts featuring the traditional antics and adventures of Fred and Barney and one short featuring Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm with their friends Moonrock, Penny, Wiggy, Schleprock, Cindy and Fabian, and the Bronto Bunch (Bronto, Noodles, Stub and Zonk).

Nº Titles Air date
1"Birdbrained / Squawkie Talkies / Bedrock 500"September 9, 1972 (1972-09-09)

  • Birdbrained: Fred has to birdsit Mr. Slate's pet parrot, Claymore, who causes nothing but trouble for the Flintstones and the Rubbles.
  • Squawkie Talkies: Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm mistakenly believe that Barney has been eaten by a hipposaurus while using Moonrock's "squawkie talkie" gadgets.
  • Bedrock 500: Bamm-Bamm and Moonrock, Pebbles and her girlfriends participate in the Bedrock 500 car race against the Bronto Bunch.
2"The Flying Fools / Bedlam in Bedrock / The Stone Ranger Rides Again"September 16, 1972 (1972-09-16)

  • The Flying Fools: Fred and Barney experience a turbulent afternoon while flying in Moonrock's new self-made airplane.
  • Bedlam in Bedrock: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm and the gang attempt to help DJ Rocky Rocket get his job back at ROCK radio station with an "out-of-this-world" idea.
  • The Stone Ranger Rides Again: Pebbles and the gang shoot a western movie called "The Stone Ranger Rides Again" with Bamm-Bamm as the Stone Ranger who must save Pebbles' Pie Paradise from ruin.
3"Cat Burglars / The Circus Show / Pizza-Puss"September 23, 1972 (1972-09-23)

  • Cat Burglars: Fred and Barney are mistaken for burglars and innocently sent to jail, while the real thieves are robbing the Flintstones house.
  • The Circus Show: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm and the gang organize a circus show to raise money for the school prom.
  • Pizza-Puss: Fred tries to become a pizza cook at Spumonistone Pizza Parlor when Pebbles needs 37 pizzas for her party.
4"Fred Skirts the Issue / Hair Scare / The Not So Desperate Hours"September 30, 1972 (1972-09-30)

  • Fred Skirts the Issue: Fred and Barney help out the neighbors by babysitting their daughter Tina who is afraid of them and only calms down when Fred dresses up as a woman.
  • Hair Scare: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm and the gang accidentally use Moonrock's new miracle hair growing formula with disastrous hairy results.
  • The Not So Desperate Hours: Fred is visited by Fingers O'Rock, the second most wanted criminal, who just escaped from jail and is hiding at the Flintstones house.
5"Don't Fence Me In / The Spot Remover / Cake Walk"October 7, 1972 (1972-10-07)

  • Don't Fence Me In: Fred and Barney disagree about the boundary line between their properties; at the land registry, they are told it runs right through Barney's living room.
  • The Spot Remover: Moonrock's "out-of-sight" spot remover accidentally causes bizarre scenes on the streets of Bedrock.
  • Cake Walk: Fred and Barney help their wives involuntarily to victory in a cake baking contest.
6"The Loving Cup / Bedrock Surfers / Handicapped"October 14, 1972 (1972-10-14)

  • The Loving Cup: Fred is scheduled to present Mr. Slate with a loving cup at a business luncheon, but the cup accidentally gets stuck on Fred's head.
  • Bedrock Surfers: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm, the gang and the Bronto Bunch participate in a couples-only surfing competition.
  • Handicapped: In order not to have to work on a Saturday, Fred tries to help Mr. Slate win a golf tournament at the Snobstone Country Club.
7"Something Fishy / Amusement Park / A Pound in Time"October 21, 1972 (1972-10-21)

  • Something Fishy: Wilma and Betty decide to accompany their husbands on a fishing trip, much to the chagrin of Fred and Barney.
  • Amusement Park: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm and the gang spend a day at Stoney Island Amusement Park where they encounter a blowhard named Larry Limestone.
  • A Pound in Time: Fred and Barney struggle with weight issues and go to the Jack La Rock Health and Weight Control Center to try and fit back into their lodge uniforms.
8"Dummy Up / Bedrock Radio Rock Festival / Barney the Swami"October 28, 1972 (1972-10-28)

  • Dummy Up: When Fred gets hit on the head with a baseball, he compulsively tells everyone what he really thinks about them and he also has to deliver a speech at the Bedrock Club.
  • Bedrock Radio Rock Festival: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm and the gang record their songs on cassette for entry in the ROK Radio Rock Festival music contest.
  • Barney the Swami: When Barney suddenly develops unsuspected psychic powers, Fred drags him on television.
9"High Noon at Bedrock Pass / Cinderella / Training Pains"November 4, 1972 (1972-11-04)

  • High Noon at Bedrock Pass: When Fred falls asleep in front of the TV, he dreams that he and Barney are in a western town where they confront escaped convict Two Chop McGurk.
  • Cinderella: Bamm-Bamm plays a male Cinderella in a school theater performance of Cinderella.
  • Training Pains: Dino undergoes the "Flintstone Crash Training Program" when Fred trains him to compete in the Bedrock Pet Show.
10"Fred's Big Brag / Schleprock's Cousin / Fred's Promise"November 11, 1972 (1972-11-11)

  • Fred's Big Brag: Fred brags to Barney, Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm that he can master the taming of a wild brontosaurus and ends up in the ring at the Bullosaurus Rodeo Show.
  • Schleprock's Cousin: When Bad-Luck Schleprock leaves on vacation, his twin cousin Shamrock comes to visit and brings good luck to everyone.
  • Fred's Promise: Fred promises not to talk about work while on vacation at Sandrock Beach with Wilma, Barney and Betty, and Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm.
11"The Big Breakup / Bedrock 300 / Candid Camerarock"November 18, 1972 (1972-11-18)

  • The Big Breakup: While painting Fred's living room, Dino causes an accident that leaves Barney with a broken bone and his doctor prescribes him a week of rest at the Flintstones.
  • Bedrock 300: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm participate in the Bedrock 300 car race where none of the participants do not respect the rules of fair play.
  • Candid Camerarock: Fred and Barney are victims of a prankster TV show called Candid Camerarock.
12"Feet First / The Hobby Show / The Reluctant Candidate"November 25, 1972 (1972-11-25)

  • Feet First: Fred wants to show Barney how to win a sports car rally, but shortly after the start, they are overtaken by the other participants.
  • The Hobby Show: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm and the gang organize a self-amateur handicraftsman exhibit of their respective hobbies.
  • The Reluctant Candidates: Fred & Barney both run for the office of club president and mutually promise to support one another.
13"Runaway Steaks / The Super Jumping Shoes / Citizen Flintstone"December 2, 1972 (1972-12-02)

  • Runaway Steaks: Fred and Barney chase after their steaks on a runaway barbecue grill, which ends up at Mr. Slate's garden party.
  • The Super Jumping Shoes: Bamm-Bamm's school basketball team, in danger of losing an important game, is suddenly a success with the help of Moonrock's super colossal jumping shoes.
  • Citizen Flintstone: Fred makes a fool of himself when he guests as Bedrock's most typical citizen on The Johnny Sandstone Show.
14"The Big Splash / Bedrock Beauty and Grooming Center / Stage Flight"December 9, 1972 (1972-12-09)

  • The Big Splash: Fred wants a swimming pool for the garden, but his dream comes to an abrupt end when a representative of the planning authority emerges.
  • Bedrock Beauty and Grooming Center: Pebbles, Wiggy and Penny experience one disappointment after another at Moonrock's Bedrock Beauty and Grooming Center.
  • Stage Flight: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm and the gang shoot a film version of Peter Panstone, with Fred starring in the title role.
15"Oil Fooled / Cave Buggy Race / Sherlock Flintstone"December 16, 1972 (1972-12-16)

  • Oil Fooled: The old billionaire Bludstone wants to buy Fred's house for $50,000, but Fred wants to be part of his multinational oil corporation.
  • Cave Buggy Race: Pebbles and her girlfriends disassemble Bamm-Bamm's cave buggy in individual parts and she participates in a car race with a zapped-up version.
  • Sherlock Flintstone: Due to a misunderstanding, Fred believes his car was stolen, so he and Barney disgrace themselves as self-appointed detectives.
16"Watch the Birdie / Schleprock / Mod Clod"December 23, 1972 (1972-12-23)

  • Watch the Birdie: Fred tries unsuccessfully as a professional photographer to shoot a rare red-headed pterodactyl in its natural environment to win first prize in a magazine contest.
  • Schleprock: Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm and the gang are hired as servants in a restaurant, but chaos ensues when Bad-Luck Schleprock shows up.
  • Mod Clod: When Fred discovers his first grey hair, the midlife crisis hits him and he begins a ridiculous youth craze.
17"The Suitor Computer / Army Dazed"December 30, 1972 (1972-12-30)

  • The Suitor Computer: Moonrock's new couples-matchmaking computer malfunctions and couples Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm with unlikely matches.
  • Army Dazed: Fred & Barney take part in a parade dressed in military clothes, but then they accidentally end up in the real military where they are exposed to hard physical drill.
18"Beauty and the Beast / The Galloping Gourmets"January 6, 1973 (1973-01-06)

  • Beauty and the Beast: Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm enter the Bedrock annual masquerade ball contest as Beauty and the Beast.
  • The Galloping Gourmets: Barney disguises himself as a cook to prepare dinner for Mr. Slate and an important client coming to the Flintstones' house.

Voice cast

Production credits

References

  1. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 210–214. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. ^ Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981. Scarecrow Press. pp. 106–108. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 333–344. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  4. ^ Copyright Encyclopedia - The Flintstone Comedy Hour #1, retrieved February 16, 2015
  5. ^ Copyright Encyclopedia - The Flintstone Comedy Hour #2, retrieved February 16, 2015
  6. ^ The Big Cartoon Database - Fred Flintstone and Friends, retrieved February 16, 2015
  7. ^ The Big Cartoon Database - The Flintstone Comedy Hour, retrieved February 16, 2015

External links

The Flintstones
Children's programming on CBS in the 1970s
USA Cartoon Express
Categories