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.
Overview
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 group, consisting of Tommy, Flab Slab, Janet Granite and Rocky's dog Stalagbite.[3]
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
Freddy, Barney, Wilma and Betty dream of exciting fantasy adventures. This segment was dropped in the second season.
Dino's Dilemmas
The adventures and misadventures of Freddy's pet dinosaur Dino.
Captain Caveman and Son
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.
Voice cast
Flintstone Kids cast.
Charlie Adler as Cavey Jr., Armored Car Robber (in "Captain Knaveman")
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 episode contained three 7-minute segments. In the series' second season, only one episode, containing three 7-minute segments, was shown a week. Four second season episodes paired a new short with reruns of two Season 1 shorts.
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
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
Critical response
Common Sense Media gave the series a three out of five stars, saying: "Bedrock, the early years: cute and more P.C."[6]
Awards
In 1988, Mary Jo Ludin and Lane Raichert were given the Humanitas Prize for the show's episode "Rocky's Rocky Road".[7]
^Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 333–344. ISBN978-1476665993.
^Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 209–214. ISBN978-1538103739.
